As USA announces a further tariffs on Chinese goods worth $200 bn Britain continues to woo China with a view to increasing trade. China has retaliated by announcing it will impose higher tariffs on most US imports on a $60 bn US target list. UK Chancellor Philip Hammond warned an escalation would be very dangerous…
One important issue one always needs to consider when trading overseas is currency exchange rates. Most businesses desire a stable exchange rate between their currency and the currency their supplier or customer uses. This was always promoted as one of the major advantages of monetary union within the Euro zone. Stability allows companies to plan…
With the 29 March deadline now upon us amazingly we still don’t know what form Brexit will take, or indeed if it will happen at all. This has caused well documented problems for many businesses. For businesses which trade overseas this is a particular problem today. There are many ships on the high seas today…
Christmas preparations need to be completed in the next 1-2 months. It may seem a long way off for some but if you are a retailer looking to sell into the Christmas market your plans will by now be well advanced and you will no doubt be looking to finalise your orders soon. We have…
As China starts to wind down and prepare for New Year we thought it might be useful to reflect on the last year and some of the work we have done with China and to speculate on how the year ahead post Brexit might pan out. Over the last year we have helped over 82…
Trade between China and UK increased by almost 2% in 2017. China news feeds recently reported that the UK moves up to 9th position and is one of the top 10 trade partners with China. These latest figures originally published by the International Trade Centre throws some light on the position of the UK in…
It’s that time of year again and Chinese New Year is rapidly approaching. On 4th February (New Year’s Eve) China will shut down to celebrate New Year. This is the biggest event in the Chinese calendar and the entire country shuts down for two weeks with many factories shutting for 4 weeks. If you need…
As 2018 draws to a close how is your business poised for 2019? Are you ready are prepared for all the changes your business may encounter in 2019? Or maybe you are shoring up your defences for a stormy year ahead? What is probably beyond doubt is that the year ahead is likely to be…
As Christmas approaches you may spot a seller on a street corner selling roasted chestnuts over an open brazier. Surely one of those evocative Christmas sights and aromas. But stop if you will and spare a moment to consider how those Chestnuts arrived there. They may well have travelled over 5000 miles! Many of the…
What can businesses really do to cope with the uncertainty of Brexit? As the deadline of 29 March grows closer the uncertainty surrounding Brexit seems to heighten. One might have hoped the long awaited parliamentary vote on Mrs May’s deal would bring some clarity and resolution but sadly the fiasco continues unabated. So as you…
This year has been a very successful year for China-UK Trade Consultants. We have seen record trade volumes and helped more customers than ever before. Our customers have ranged from large corporate entities through to small start up businesses. Two of our biggest growth areas has been in sourcing products for those looking to buy…
A successful innovation and cooperation seminar was hosted in the UK by China Britain Business Council. The meeting held at the Cafe Royale in London was attended by many dignitaries and business leaders from Jinan including Wang Zhonglin, Party Secretary, Jinan Municipal Party Committee who delivered the Keynote speech. Also in attendance, and a measure…
As Brexit looms ever closer we are told that Britain is looking to expand it’s trade with the rest of the world. To use a well worn phrase of the UK Government ‘Britain is open for business’. But is this really true? What if the front door is virtually closed and often slammed shut? Surprised?…
As China returns to work after it’s Autumn national holiday what changes can we see in trade between the UK and China in the run up to Christmas and into 2019? What has now become a trade war between China and the US is set to escalate over the coming months as planned rises in…
We would like to wish all our customers a very happy mid Autumn Festival. If you don’t know what it is have a look at this short video – we hope it brings a smile to you as it did to us. 中秋节快乐
Looking to source your products from China? It’s a question many businesses ask as they start to grow and look to save costs and improve margins. It’s also a step taken by many established businesses faced with increasing competition and downward price pressures. Well before you take that leap here’s a few essential things you…
We get contacted on a weekly basis by companies looking to source products from China. Often when they come to us they know what they want and have already sourced a supplier and negotiated prices. However before parting with their money, they (wisely) decide to do a little further investigation to try and check out…
As summer draws to a close many retailers will now be focusing on their Christmas marketing campaign. Probably the most important time of year for many. It’s vital therefore to get this campaign right, from the products they are going to sell through to the way they are markets and priced. Most retailers have ordered…
George Carney Governor of the Bank of England pulled off an amazing feat – increasing interest rates and at the same time getting the value of Stirling to fall. Perhaps it was a clever move to deliver his assessment of the risk of a ‘no deal Brexit’ and the gloomy forecast to accompany that scenario…
Last month we saw record supplies purchased for the construction industry, with wholesalers and construction companies placing orders through us looking to reduce material costs to maintain profit margins. We also had a record number of new enquires from this industry sector with companies asking us to resource products for them. So what are the…