China NNN Agreement or Trademark Registration? Usually Both
A China trademark registration and an NNN Agreement protect different assets against different parties. Most branded manufacturing projects need both, but each has its own deadline.
Arlo is based in Bogotá, where he advises clients on Latin America and China business issues. In addition, Arlo has advised clients on the establishment of several independent and joint venture international schools and he is a frequent speaker at international school conferences.
Do I Need a China NNN Agreement or a China Manufacturing Agreement? Usually Both.
An NNN Agreement protects sensitive information while you evaluate Chinese factories. After you select the manufacturer, a Manufacturing Agreement governs quality, delivery, tooling, IP, and remedies. Here is how the two contracts work together and when one agreement can do both jobs.
Your China Employee Signed the Vacation Policy. You Can Still Lose.
A signed “use it or lose it” vacation policy does not necessarily protect a foreign employer in China. Chinese law places responsibility on employers to calculate statutory annual leave, arrange time off, document refusals, and compensate employees for unused days. Getting these rules wrong can turn an ordinary employee departure into an expensive dispute.
The RedNote Contract Lesson for Companies Doing Business in China
Your China contract may look comprehensive and still bind the wrong company. This article uses the RedNote dispute and two real manufacturing matters to show why contracts must reach the entities that actually control the factory, tooling, technical information, and money, and what can happen when they do not.
China Manufacturing Contracts: When One Agreement Is Not Enough
China Manufacturing Contracts: When One Agreement Is Not Enough A U.S. company recently called one of our international dispute resolution lawyers after receiving a message from its Chinese factory. Future orders, the factory said, would require a 34% price increase, effective immediately. The factory had the client's molds. It had the client's designs. And it
China NNN Agreements: The Hard Truth
China NNN Agreements work when they deter Chinese companies from misusing your IP. Here is when they help, when they do not, and how to draft one that will actually work.
Why Your U.S. Distributor Agreement and China Manufacturing Contract Will Eventually Collide (And How to Prevent It)
Foreign companies often lose U.S. distribution opportunities for a simple reason: their factory can’t deliver what their distributor contract promised. The fix isn’t complicated, but it’s often ignored--your U.S. distribution agreement and your China manufacturing contract have to be drafted as one integrated system.
China Employment Termination Today: Reinstatement Risk and What Employers Should Do
China Employment Termination Today: Reinstatement Risk and What Employers Should Do A Supreme People’s Court judicial interpretation effective September 1, 2025, has shifted the risk profile of China employment termination disputes. Employers that have treated unlawful termination claims as a predictable, mostly financial exposure should reassess that assumption, because it is now harder to avoid
The Ultimate Guide to Avoiding International Scams Targeting Businesses (2026)
International Business Scams: How to Spot Overseas Fraud
China Employment Law 2025: 996 Is No Longer Okay
China Employment Law 2025: Working Hours Compliance Guide for Foreign Companies Could a Single Employee Complaint Derail Your China Operations? Imagine this: your Shanghai HR manager picks up the phone. A local employment bureau officer is on the line. Within days, inspectors arrive at your offices, your company name is in the Chinese press, and