The ACF China Co - Millstone Trading » Business in China

Little white lies in business relationships (or how to have a headache in 60 seconds or less)

Roger — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 05:15:27 +0000

The following is the first in series of posts chronicling and at times ranting about , some of the (often frustrating) experiences we encountered working with some local Chinese partners. While a excellent (though costly) learning experience, needless to say this particular partner relationship has now ended. Little white lies… Anyone have an aspirin? Something [...]

Little white lies in business relationships (or how to have a headache in 60 seconds or less) is a post from: The ACF China Co - Millstone Trading

Buying from China – The customer is NOT always right.

Roger — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 06:40:31 +0000

Having been both involved in the past with furniture sourcing and buying, and more recently operating a retail furniture store and factory (where I now must sell to those same types of furniture buyers), I suppose I can say I truly understand both perspectives. Though I must confess, that for the first time being the supplier, is [...]

Buying from China – The customer is NOT always right. is a post from: The ACF China Co - Millstone Trading

Top ten reasons why your China side supplier may be clueless about the economy.

Roger — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 04:26:31 +0000

Supplier rings me today – complainingÂ I have not picked up my goods / nor paid for, goods we previously ordered back in the first quarter (nor placed any new orders recently). Now, normally I would have given him an earful – after all, these were goods which were not only a) delivered late, but [...]

Top ten reasons why your China side supplier may be clueless about the economy. is a post from: The ACF China Co - Millstone Trading

China’s Most Wanted Counterfeiter

Roger — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 14:32:32 +0000

I can’t remember where I saw this article on the web though apparently it was originally written for Time.com. It came out in January and I have been meaning to post it up here for quite some time, though only just getting around to it now. Much of what occurred seemed to echo my [...]

China’s Most Wanted Counterfeiter is a post from: The ACF China Co - Millstone Trading

Chinese suppliers/foreign customers – sleeping in the same bed but dreaming different dreams

Roger — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 12:37:21 +0000

There is a great Chinese saying “sleeping in the same bed but dreaming different dreams” (tong chuang, yi meng). I find it seems to apply to so many situations ranging anywhere from causal friends to long-term business relationships. I was reminded of this yet again on Friday afternoon. I jumped onto the light [...]

Chinese suppliers/foreign customers – sleeping in the same bed but dreaming different dreams is a post from: The ACF China Co - Millstone Trading

Rising nationalism – Will it effect the business climate in China?

Roger — Fri, 16 May 2008 17:26:26 +0000

If I were worried about one single element of doing business in China today, it wouldn’t be inflation. Nor would it be the rising costs of exports due to the rapid appreciation of the yuan. Or rising fuel costs for that matter. Air pollution? Nope. The cost of labor going up would not [...]

Rising nationalism – Will it effect the business climate in China? is a post from: The ACF China Co - Millstone Trading

Looking for legal council in China re: manufacturing dispute? Good luck!

Roger — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:47:05 +0000

I was poking around on the web recently and came across the trade forums on Furniture World Magazine. Aside from it being an excellent trade resource, its also fascinating being able to peruse the many threads of questions and comments from others who are specifically in the home furnishings and home decor industries. Its basically [...]

Looking for legal council in China re: manufacturing dispute? Good luck! is a post from: The ACF China Co - Millstone Trading

Furniture Today – China faces labor shortage, rising wages

Roger — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 11:22:59 +0000

(Note this article was excepted from Maria Trombly and Melissa Rollins @ Furniture Today, 8/21/2006 â€” A plentiful supply of cheap labor, mostly rural migrant workers, has been one key force driving China’s rapid economic growth in the past two decades. A comparative advantage in labor costs has turned the nation into a global manufacturing center [...]

Furniture Today – China faces labor shortage, rising wages is a post from: The ACF China Co - Millstone Trading

The pitfalls of China’s rough capitalism

Roger — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 09:53:06 +0000

Recently, I came across an excellent article on yahoo entitled “The pitfalls of China’s rough capitalism“which is noteworthy and worth commenting on. He just said he wasn’t too worried about the quality,” said Devereux, who declined the request. “They think: ‘Everything is made in China. Let’s just place an order over the phone.’” The article chronicles [...]

The pitfalls of China’s rough capitalism is a post from: The ACF China Co - Millstone Trading

Brits Get Rich In China! A humorous look at business in China.

Roger — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 17:33:47 +0000

“Hilarious. Absolutely Brilliant. And a dead-on accurate depiction of what REALLY occurs in China.” As China develops (well, some parts of China anyways) and Starbucks Coffee keeps putting up more coffee shops (Did you know there are already 55 in Beijing alone?), its easy to forget what really lays just beneath the surface. For all the [...]

Brits Get Rich In China! A humorous look at business in China. is a post from: The ACF China Co - Millstone Trading