How and Why to Put Your China WFOE into Hibernation
How to keep your China WFOE alive, but barely. Sometimes putting your China WFOE into "hibernation" is better than closing it down entirely.
China Manufacturing and the Bike Lock Theory on Preventing Bad Products
Our international litigators have lately been getting more than the usual number of emails/phone calls from companies (mostly American and European) wanting to pursue litigation against their Chinese manufacturers for bad product. In this post we explain one relatively easy way to reduce your bad product risks.
How to Protect Your Company Against China Supply Chain Risks
Many (most?) manufacturers are in the middle of a perfect storm of challenges that make it very difficult for them to calculate how much to manufacture (or order), how long it may take for goods to arrive, and how much consumers are likely to buy.
Manufacturing in China: Minimizing Your Risks by Doing Things Right
This very long post aims to provide an overview of the challenges of manufacturing in China, as well as strategies for minimizing risks and maximizing opportunities. It outlines the administrative and regulatory requirements, process and production challenges, and specific cultural and market-specific risks.
Upcoming CLE Webinar on Structuring International Contracts
Register HERE! Join Harris Bricken attorney Jonathan Bench for a live 90-minute CLE webinar on structuring international contracts with an interactive Q&A. “This CLE course will guide counsel to companies doing business internationally on key considerations when structuring international contracts. The panel will discuss core contract provisions and offer strategies for addressing and minimizing the risks
Even if You Diversify Your Supply Chain, You Need to Keep Your Head on a Swivel
Small- and medium-sized companies have smaller toolboxes than large manufacturers when it comes to de-risking their supply chains, but even the big players have endured plenty of pain over the past few years. Multinational behemoths including Toyota, Apple and Sony have struggled to meet customer demand for their products, and in many cases, semiconductor shortages
Uyghur Forced Labor for Export?
Uyghurs for sale is the title of a landmark Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) report on the transfer programs that have seen workers from Xinjiang taken to other Chinese provinces to work as forced laborers. Is Uyghurs for export the next phase? Labor transfer programs have been a critical component of Beijing’s Xinjiang policy, and
On the Value of Spec Sheets When Manufacturing Overseas
The key to getting good products from your overseas manufacturers is, choosing a good manufacturer, using a good manufacturing agreement, having good IP protection, and employing a good quality control system.
The Chinese Company Chop Goes Digital
A China company chop is an official seal or stamp that legally binds the company to what it has agreed to in the document on which its company chop has been stamped. Under Chinese law, a company chop is strong legal evidence of the agreement of the company whose chop is on the document. The company chop (a.k.a company seal or company stamp) essentially replaces a signature on contracts and other important documents. The company chop binds the entire company, usually no matter who (if anyone) actually puts their signature on the document.
Forced Labor: It’s Getting Real
For importers of Chinese products, this coming June 21 will be a critical date. On that day, a rebuttable presumption that all products made in Xinjiang violate the U.S. forced labor statute will come into effect. The rebuttable presumption is mandated by the Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act (UFLPA), which was signed into law by