Importing from China now. Any contatcs out there?!?

[mindflayer]

My situation Below the interesting news of yesterday July 5/2007

I read yesterday in a newspaper that the average cost per hour for a unionized Auto factory worker (including other costs to the company, such as sick days, training, pension, etc. was in the order of $70+ PER HOUR. The same factory worker (un unionized, no benifits.. ie no work-no pay in a Chinese Auto parts factory ,no pension, no paid holidays, no stat holidays, no medical etc..) was EIGHTY TWO CENTS per hour.

So here is my situation.
I have been an owner/operator of a small corrugated box manufacturing business for the last 10 years. (Of the last three I made more money playing poker, so I haven't been pushing too hard to "make boxes."

In the last year, our Canadian dollar has risen about 15% vs the US/Chinese currency and I have shifted over to importing the boxes that I used to make.
Also the price I am paying for these boxes allows me to really be agressive in the local market.
I have since cut back on my poker to concentrate on sales of boxes.

Now, I am looking at getting other suppliers from China and getting the boxes imported (by my company) instead of an intermediary, but that would require me to bring in at least one container of boxes per week. (20-40 pallets) depending on how the boxes and pallets are stacked. Currently I am only bringing in about 4-8 pallets per week of boxes, so I have to "share/split" a container with other goods arriving in Canada.

Since my sales are increasing, I can see a point in the near future where I have to make the jump and expand my business to include the importing part of the business.
(also to get multiple suppliers instead of just one to keep the main supplier honest)

If you have any knowledge in this area, (even just importing) I would like to hear your comments.

[solucky]

if you look for suppliers have a look at www.made-in-china.com . But be carefull the quality is not the best, normal you need someone in china that controll them.

[slush fund]

[ QUOTE ]
if you look for suppliers have a look at www.made-in-china.com . But be carefull the quality is not the best, normal you need someone in china that controll them.

[/ QUOTE ]

very true. a guy my father knows was importing these from china


very cheap, but they lied to him about what kind of wood they were using and were generally very poorly constructed. not a good idea for kid's furniture. now he imports them from brazil

[mindflayer]

With any new supplier, the situation is fairly easy to check. To verify a suppliers quality, I usually order one of a common stock box sizes that moves well and buy say 1k pieces. It is like ordering french fries or caesar salad. You know right away if what you get is up to standard.

Although the boxes dont go bad like food, if the quailty is inferior, it is usually say 10-15% poorer quality material. In North America, there are multiple grades of cardboard for different uses. Say for standard moving box 4
I would specify box 4 (A" x B" x C") in quality 32.
If it comes in a lesser quality 29;26; or 23 I will know right away and stop using the supplier.
The poorer quality boxes would then be sold as cull boxes/over runs or given to friends/charity who need boxes..

It took me an entire year to be convinced my current supplier could/would get the quality of box right every time.
Now I am not concerned over the quality, I am concerned that the Canadian dollar has incresed by about 12% in exchange vs the Chinese yuan (in the last six months)and I have asked for but not gotten a price break on my old box prices.
Even so, I would prefer a person in China/HK to pre qualify any supplier/handle quotes/disputes/rush items/paperwork etc.