Cautions & Suggestions for New Importers

Always Do Always investigate the seller's legal and operating backgrounds. Always negotiate for lowest down payment to reduce your payment risk. Always start with small volumes; Pay a 5-20% surcharge if necessary. Always do business in Asia the same principled way you do business at home. Always do a final pre- shipment inspection.

Try To Do Try to have a written agreement to confirm mutual understanding.  Try to use a Letter of Credit on high value transactions of $20,000 or more.. Try to sometimes speak by phone with the seller so you can become a "person" ! Try to concisely present requests in outline form and without jargon. Try to pay for samples and shipping so you don't indebt yourself to seller.

Never Do Never pay entirely in advance. Request fax'd copy of Bill of Lading before final pay. Never make more than a 35% down payment. Best is 10-25% .  Never believe samples to be in anyway representative of the final mass production product. Never transfer funds to a personal bank account. NEVER! Never offer bribes. It is illegal for U.S. citizens and usually also counterproductive.

Try Not To Do Try not to seem overly eager to the seller. Stay as calm as possible. Try not to be afraid to "go silent" on the seller as this puts you in control!  Try not to believe the myth of "mysterious" Asia business practices. Try not to let the seller "entertain" you too much as this indebts you to them. Try not to discuss politics in China due to the rapidly intensifying nationalist sentiment.

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