Finding Chinese Suppliers

I’ve been on the road for the past 6 weeks talking about my new Facing the Forces of Change®: Lead the Way in the Supply Chain book. It’s been a lot of fun for me, especially when I get questions from people who’ve been reading my books and articles for years – and even a few who have checked out this blog!

Over the next few weeks, I want to address some of the common questions that I hearing. Today I’ll address the controversial practice of global sourcing for private label products. The other controversial topic has been data sharing between wholesaler-distributors and their suppliers, which I’ll discuss week.

I have been surprised at how many wholesale distribution executives are looking into sourcing their own private label products. Apparently, many people still see opportunity among the risks.
A common question: How do I find a reliable supplier of private label products?

To be honest, I am not an expert in locating or evaluating potential suppliers. So check out How the Internet Changed Sourcing, an Industry Week article suggesting that U.S.-based buyers can now quickly generate a short list of potential suppliers using the Internet.

The author mentions three sites to look online for Chinese suppliers:

Alibaba

Made in China

Global Sources

While I can’t vouch for these sites, you should certainly look around on these sites as they are a fascinating peek into the world of global commerce. FYI, Alibaba is about to conduct the largest IPO (initial public offering) ever by a Chinese technology company. (See Alibaba.com Plans Up To US$1.33B HK IPO.) Yahoo owns 39% of Alibaba’s parent company.

Can anyone suggest any other good resources?

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P.S. Keep in mind that the falling dollar will reduce the attractiveness of Chinese imports while making American exports more attractive. Martin Feldstein, who chaired the Council of Economic Advisers under President Reagan, argues that the dollar’s fall will be good news for American competitiveness. (The article is quite unambiguous: A more competitive dollar is good for America.) Just one more unpredictable dynamic to monitor!