July 12, 2023, Update I almost never update and re-run a blog post, but this will be the second time I have done so with this one, which shows how relevant, yet ever-changing the issue of China factory pricing is — especially since I updated it only about a month ago. Since I wrote this
Issue Orientation As the US relationship with China deteriorates across the political, military, economic, and trade dimensions, US companies with manufacturing operations in China are increasingly seeking out strategies to diversify supply chains, mitigate compliance risk, minimize duty exposure, reduce costs, and manage uncertainty. Though several approaches have been pursued since the inception of the
It’s no secret that China is the world’s leading source of counterfeit goods. Barely a day goes by without an American or European company contacting one of our intellectual property lawyers to get counterfeit products removed from a Chinese e-commerce site. Even though it may seem there’s no way to protect your brand from counterfeiters
As the China-US geopolitical environment continues be problematic, our clients and prospective clients have pivoted from joint venture relationships to distribution and similar licensing-type relationships. This is not a one-sided trend. We are seeing an increase in these distributor relationships going both into China and out of China. From the questions we receive, we see
Are you currently sourcing products from China or Southeast Asia? Though these regions have long been popular choices for businesses seeking cost-effective manufacturing, it’s time to consider Mexico as an alternative. Mexico has emerged as a top destination for global trade, attracting companies with its favorable business practices, vibrant culture, and strategic location. In this
I am lately getting a ton of calls from reporters wanting examples of companies leaving China because of its increasingly oppressive cybersecurity, data security and counter-espionage laws. When I tell them I have no such examples, they are surprised. I then explain how companies tend to believe they are capable of navigating such things and
China’s economy and its manufacturing are in what is increasingly looking like a long-term decline. I attribute most of this to two things that will almost certainly continue to worsen: geopolitics and demographics. On the geopolitical front, Blinken did JUST meet with Xi and they said nice things that will reduce the likelihood of war,
In August, 2019 — in Hong Kong for International Business: Stick a Fork in It, I wrote how Hong Kong’s days as Asia’s leading international business hub were over and I made the following predictions: Companies that were deciding between Hong Kong or Singapore for their Asian headquarters would choose somewhere other than Hong Kong. Growing companies
Our international trademark attorneys recently won an appeal of an earlier refusal of a China trademark registration application. This case demonstrates the complex strategies often required to secure trademark protection for brands in China. As execution of these strategies can take time, brands willing to take the long view are likely to see better results.
On May 31, 2023, the Coalition for Fair Trade in Shopping Bags, consisting primarily of Novolex Holdings (“Novolex”) and the union workers at the U.S. paper shopping bag manufacturing facilities, filed antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) petitions against Paper Shopping Bags from nine countries. China is the largest exporter of the subject shopping bags,
