Yearly Archives: 2026
Packing and Shipping Marks Belong on the PI — Not in a WeChat Photo of a Carton
The product clause gets the argument. The packing line gets a shrug: “export carton, standard packing.” Then the container arrives with no PO number...
Governing Law on a China Factory PI: If You Leave It Blank, You Don’t Get Your Home Court by Default
The last block on a PI is often copied from the last PI. “English law, courts of London.” “California law.” Or nothing at all....
The Deposit You Sent a China Factory Is Not Automatically Refundable
Thirty percent down, seventy against the bill of lading. That split is common. What is not common is a sentence that says when the...
If the PI Has No Claim Window, a Quality Complaint After Arrival Is Just an Email
The container lands. You open a carton, find a defect, and write the factory. They reply that the goods left in good condition, that...
Late Delivery from a China Factory: If the Penalty Isn’t on the PI, You Don’t Have One
A supplier misses the ship date. You send a sharp email. They apologize, blame a subcontractor, and offer a small discount on the next...
Product Liability Insurance When You Import from China — The Policy Has to Name You, Not Just the Factory
A factory that emails a “product liability insurance certificate” is not the same thing as you being covered when a customer in California or...
A Letter of Credit Pays Documents, Not the Story You Told the Factory
A letter of credit feels safer than a raw wire because a bank is in the middle. That is only half true. Under ordinary...
Force Majeure in a China Factory Contract Is Not a Blanket Excuse for Being Late
After a port jam, a power cut, or a sudden holiday extension, some suppliers reach for one sentence: force majeure. Used correctly, it is...
Chinese New Year Is Not a Long Weekend — Put the Shutdown Dates on the PO Before Q4
If you source from China, Chinese New Year is the one calendar event that routinely breaks a “normal” lead time. It is not three...
Alibaba Trade Assurance Only Protects What You Wrote on the Order
Trade Assurance is useful. It is not a substitute for a specification. Alibaba will help you enforce the quality and ship date written on...
Sourcing Agent or Direct Factory in China? The Real Issue Is Who Is on the Contract
Buyers comparing a sourcing agent with “going direct” usually argue about commission and whether the agent is adding a markup. Those matter. They are...
If You Must Put Crypto in a China Sourcing Contract, Write It Like a Payment Clause — Not a Wallet Screenshot
Most China-sourcing contracts still say “T/T to the Seller’s designated bank account” and stop there. When a supplier pushes for USDT or another token,...
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