Trading with China : The import process from a SME perspective

Abstract: The interest for doing business with China is increasing constantly. Demands from customers and financial limitations force companies to seek more cost effective solutions to make their businesses profitable. Moving production to or just buying ready made products from China is an alternative that meet these requirements. This thesis examines four SME’s (small and medium sized enterprises) on their mission to find a producer in China and how their import process is set up. With the goal to identify and analyse the aspects of the import process, the authors hope to provide a broader understanding on how trading with China works. Using a qualitative study, with in-depth interviews, the authors could reach down to the actual feelings and experience of the interviewed subjects. They gave a picture of China being a country surprisingly easy to deal with although they had not all found their producers in the same way. Concluding that acting friendly and ethically will take an importer far, theory of Chinese business culture is somewhat disregarded as important knowledge. Each company’s network looks different. Comparing these to what is written is interesting as it shows that all companies do not need great help to succeed with the import process. When dealing with logistics, surprisingly few problems have been caused even though the great distance between Sweden and China. When it comes to the product quality, it is experienced as good even though many have presumptions about Chinese products.