Trade Leads: China Company Seeking U.S. Distributors

A Chinese international trading company is seeking U.S. distributors to market its products: organic and inorganic fertilizer, tung oil, Phosphoric Acid (food or tech grade), monosodium phosphate (tech and food grade), sodium sulphate anhydrous, etc. Interested party shall contact Mr. Brian Su at http://www.MidwestUSAChina.com

China Replaces U.S. as Chile's Biggest Export Destination

China replaced the United States in 2007 as Chile's biggest export destination, according to statistics released Tuesday by Chile's customs authorities.

The figures show Chile's export volume recorded a 14.7-percent rise in 2007, totaling 65.484 billion U.S. dollars, while exports to China reached 10.172 billion dollars, accounting for 15.5 percent of the total and making China its biggest export destination.

Meanwhile, China also became Chile's second biggest import source country, following just behind the United States after surpassing Argentina and Brazil, the statistics show.

Chilean entrepreneurs attribute the rapid growth of Chile-China trade to the free trade agreement with China which came into effect in 2006.

Cristian Garcia Lorca, chair of the Chile-China Trade Association, said there is still room for a further increase despite the rapid growth, and that Chilean businesses should make collective efforts to diversify the country's exports to China.

The Central Illinois China Business Council

The Central Illinois China Business Council is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the growth of business between organizations in Greater China and those in the Central Illinois region.

The Central Illinois China Business Council is to promote the growth of business between organizations in Greater China and those in Central Illinois through commercial, educational and cultural relationships. For details, contact http://www.midwestUSAChina.com

Introducing "China Market Entry Package"

Is your company ready for doing business with China? Our "China Market Entry Package" will not only help you promote your products to China market but also satisfy the needs of Chinese buyers and consumers! Our Chinese language translation and design package includes: one-page PDF file of your company introduction with business logo, photos and contact information, this downloadable file would make a great addition to your existing website; one-page business brochure (MS Word file) with logo and contact information that you can use as hand-outs to Chinese buyers at trade events, you'll receive the original file for future duplications. Log on http://www.midwestUSAChina.com to order your package at $599 today! Save big on translations and great deal for any types of business! We will contact you once the order is placed.

China Tips: Buying Residential Property in Beijing

Foreigners who intend to buy a house in Beijing need a certificate issued by the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau to prove that they have stayed in China for at least one year for reasons of work or study, according to a statement jointly issued by six ministries led by the Construction Ministry.

The rule required that foreigners only use and dwell in the house themselves and not buy a house for other purposes.

Foreigners were also required to use their real names when buying a house in China.

Residents from China's Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, Taiwan and overseas Chinese should also be in possession of proper certificates when buying a house.

Foreign organizations, that set up branches or agencies in Beijing should provide certificates to prove their legal status in the city and give written guarantees that the houses they buy are only used for their own needs.

Foreign organizations and foreign individuals who want to buy houses in Beijing, other than for their own needs, should apply to set up a foreign company first.

If they want to buy houses to rent or sell or change them for commercial use, they should apply to set up a foreign company and obtain an operations certificate.

Foreign embassies in China, representatives of international organizations and people who enjoy diplomatic privileges should have a note of approval to buy a house from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Inquiries can be made to the Public Security Bureau by telephoning 8402-0101.

Dunkin' Donuts Coming to China

Dunkin' Donuts said it plans to open its first shop in Shanghai this spring, with 100 more Chinese franchise locations planned over the next 10 years.

The Canton-based seller of coffee and baked goods also plans an additional 10 shops this year in Taiwan, where it opened its first location in January 2007. Dunkin' Donuts now has 10 shops in Taipei, Taiwan, operated by franchise partner Mercuries & Associates.

Dunkin' Donuts recently granted Taiwan-based Mercuries franchise rights in Shanghai and the provinces of Jiangsu and Zhijiang.

The mainland China shops will offer coffee, espresso, teas and frozen drinks, along with doughnuts, bagels and other baked goods. The shops also will serve items customized for local tastes such as green tea and honeydew melon doughnuts, as well as mochi rings, which are similar to cake doughnuts but made with rice flour indigenous to the region.

Dunkin' Donuts, a subsidiary of Dunkin' Brands Inc., calls itself "the number one retailer of hot regular coffee by the cup" in the United States. It has nearly 7,900 restaurants in 31 countries, mostly in the United States. Dunkin's chief rival is Seattle-based Starbucks Corp., with more than 15,000 stores in 44 countries.

Business in China - Government Policy Briefing

　　
　　Marketing Policies

　　In 2002, the total retail sales of consumer goods topped 4 trillion yuan to reach 4,091.1 billion yuan, up 8.8 percent over the previous year. The real growth of total retail sales of consumer goods was 10.2 percent if price factor was taken into consideration.

　　The annual per capita disposable income of urban households was 7,703 yuan in 2002, a real increase of 13.4 percent with decline in prices taken into consideration. The per capita net income of rural households was 2,476 yuan, a real increase of 4.8 percent. The Engel coefficients were 37.7% for the urban households and 46.2% for the rural households, down by 0.2 percentage points and 1.5 percentage points respectively over the previous year.

　　I. Pricing Policies
　　China currently applied a mechanism of market-based pricing under macro-economic adjustment. There were presently three types of prices: government price, government guidance price and market-regulated price.

　　 The government price was set by price administration authorities and could not be changed without the approval of these authorities. Products and services subject to government pricing were those having a direct bearing on the national economy and the basic needs of the people‘s livelihood, including those products that were scarce in China. Meanwhile, government pricing was product- or service-specific, regardless of the ownership of the enterprises concerned. National treatment was applied in the areas of government pricing for all imported goods.

　　The government guidance price mechanism was a more flexible form of pricing. The price administration authorities stipulated either a basic price or floating ranges. The floating range of guidance pricing was generally 5 per cent to 15 percent. Enterprises could, within the limits of the guidance and taking into account the market situation, make their own decisions on prices. With market-regulated prices, enterprises were free to set prices in accordance with supply and demand to the extent permitted by generally applicable laws, regulations and policies concerning prices.

　　 Due to the continued reform of China‘s price system, the share of government prices had dropped substantially and that of market-regulated prices had increased; of social retailing products, the share of government prices was about 4 per cent, that of government guidance prices 1.2 percent, and that of market-regulated prices 94.7 percent. For agricultural products, the share of government prices was 9.1 percent, government guidance prices 7.1 percent, and market-regulated 83.3 percent. For production inputs, the share of government prices was 9.6 percent, that of government guidance prices 4.4 percent, and market-regulated prices 86 percent. The share of directly government-controlled prices had been much reduced. China‘s price system was becoming increasingly rationalized, creating a relatively fair marketplace for all enterprises to compete on an equal footing.

　　China would apply its current price controls and any other price controls upon accession in a WTO‑consistent fashion, and would take account of the interests of exporting WTO Members as provided for in Article III: 9 of the GATT 1994.

　　II. Competition Policy
　　The Government of China encouraged fair competition and was against acts of unfair competition of all kinds. The Law of the People‘s Republic of China on Combating Unfair Competition, promulgated on 2 September 1993 and implemented on 1 December 1993, was the basic law to maintain the order of competition in the market. In addition, the Price Law, the Law on Tendering and Bidding, the Criminal Law and other relevant laws also contained provisions on anti-monopoly and unfair competition. China was now formulating the Law on Anti-Monopoly.

　　III. State-Owned and State-Invested Enterprises
　　The state-owned enterprises of China basically operated in accordance with rules of market economy. The government would no longer directly administer the human, finance and material resources, and operational activities such as production, supply and marketing. The prices of commodities produced by state-owned enterprises were decided by the market and resources in operational areas were fundamentally allocated by the market. The state-owned banks had been commercialized and lending to state-owned enterprises took place exclusively under market conditions. China was furthering its reform of state-owned enterprises and establishing a modern enterprise system.

"Effective Sourcing from China" Web Seminar

"Effective Sourcing from China" webinar is specifically programmed for companies that are seeking contract manufacturers for low cost and high quality supplies. Topics include: Overview of the China Supplier Industry; Developing an Effective Sourcing Strategy; Selection of the Proper Business Entity in China; Price Negotiation; Quality Control and Assurance; Suppliers Compliance Auditing; Legal and Cultural Considerations; Site-visit in China; Logistic and Shipment, Q & A. The webinar is provided thru individual appointment. Fee: $80 To register, log on http://www.MidwestUSAChina.com