The Chief Asia Inspector Blog

Sichuan earthquake : we all must help !

The earthquake in Sichuan that happened a few days ago has come as a shock to me, since China and Chinese people have given me so much since I started doing business there.

So I urge you to participate in the effort to help those in need : you can visit the sites of the US Red Cross and Chinese Red Cross, for online donations.

At AsiaInspection, our employees have spontaneously organized a worldwide internal charity to which more than half of them have contributed. The funds collected have been doubled by AsiaInspection as a donation, and transferred today to the Shenzhen Red Cross.

Let's pray for those who are suffering.

Total Recall

The list of recalled made-in-Asia products keeps getting longer and longer…

It seems no one is safe anymore: to name only a few , your kids may damage their brain or become comatose when playing with their favorite toys, you can ingest poisonous chemicals while brushing your teeth should you observe basic hygiene rules, or die after eating your daily portion should you be a pet...

You might also learn that your kids’ clothes were actually manufactured by Indian children, some as young as 10.

For more of these pleasant stories, you can consult the US Consumer Product Safety Commission here  (for all products) or here (for toys only), the US Food and Drug Administration here, or the EU recalls list here...

Should we put all the blame on Asian suppliers and stop doing business with them ?

I don't think so; these stories are only a strong reminder that international trade is risky - and that you can not pressure for lower prices on one hand, and not watch out for the quality on the other hand. Finding the balance is what makes it difficult - but this is also where importers can bring value to their clients !

Don't mess up with Quality in China...

These past weeks have seen a number of stories unveiled about quality issues on China productions, mainly on the food & drugs industries - and recently in the Toys industry.
There are stories about this bun maker using cardboards found on the streets in his products, the counterfeit drinking water sold in Beijing, or the infamous use of antifreeze chemicals inside toothpaste...
Finally, these last days, Dora the Explorer returned home, with Mattel announcing a recall for 1.5 million toys made in China (containing excessive lead levels).

The matter is getting very concerning for the Chinese government. The execution of the the ex-Food & Drugs Administration chief Zheng Xiaoyu, after being convicted for bribery charges (he took about 6,5 million RMB to let defective drugs get SFDA approval, ultimately causing the death of at least a dozen patients) will certainly not be enough to restore the reputation of the "made in China".

Figures given by the Herald Tribune sound scary : 23,000 cases uncovered of fake or low-quality food between December & May, only 81% of the food tested in a nationwide survey up to safety standards (improving from 78% the year before),

Chinese government was prompt to react, with the implementation of guarantee seals from the Quarantine administration on all food exported items in next September, the tightening of drugs approval procedures, or the implementation of a daily reporting system on food safety.

The risk that these stories hamper the long expected restoration of the Chinese leadership with the coming Beijing Olympics in August 2008, while the world will be watching closely, is high.

I can't help but insist on the importance of the Quality Inspections on-site, as much for every importer buying from China, as for the manufacters themselves who are willing to establish their reputation and improve.

10 years of magic

Today, is exactly the 10th year anniversary of the incorporation of my first business in Hong Kong, SEBO : it was indeed launched on the first working day of the China ruling.
At that time I was confident the business environment wouldn't be affected by the China ruling, and I think time has proved me right.

Indeed Hong Kong has gone through hard times (98 crisis, SARS,...) pretty well and has shown an amazing ability to stay ahead of other financial centers in Asia.

10 years ago, lots of people predicted that Singapore or Shanghai would soon take over Hong Kong as a leading financial center but they have been proven wrong big time! The competition with Singapore is no more and the financial core and immaterial economy ( holdings, funds, lawyers,...) is strongly based in Hong Kong and is progressing each year.

The main downside I have seen in the past 10 years is the pollution which reaches some days unbearable levels. I believe it is the duty of the Hong Kong people to allow effective resources and means to tackle it very seriously as it might be the trigger to Hong Kong unexpected decline...

Except this worrying pollution, Hong Kong is still a magic place to do business and, I am sure, will still be in 10 years time !

Child Labor : still a long way to go ...

Given the business I am in with AsiaInspection, I can only react to the news of Beijing Olympic Games merchandises being manufactured by Chinese rogue factories employing children...
There is a highly symbolic value to this news, which brings together 2 of the most popular topics, one positive and one negative, when it comes to China. Moreover, the story comes to light, quite ironically, when yesterday was the official World Day against Child Labor.

This is obviously a highly-debated subject, but I still find it interesting that Olympics officials can tell reporters about the factories involved: "They have told us they did not employ child labor at all"... Told us ??

In my opinion, the least they should have done,  when they knew the whole world was watching every of their steps, and when they are supposed to convey positive ethical values through the Olympic spirit, was to order / impose a proper Social Audit program on all suppliers & factories involved...

Direct from the Hong Kong fair !

Completing my previous posts on Canton fair, here is a word from the Hong Kong Electronic & Components fair, where AsiaInspection is exhibiting this year for the first time (after having exhibited at other HK fairs the previous years).

The fair is organized by Globalsources, the leading online platform "connecting global buyers and suppliers", who by the way happens to have the same graphical chart than AI (red, black & grey)!

It takes place at AsiaWorld Expo, a new exhibition center opened in 2006 in Hong Kong, built conveniently near the International Airport and offering an additional 70,000 sqm space for exhibitions to relieve the "old" HK Convention Center located on the Hong Kong island.

After more than 10 years visiting these Asian fairs I am still dazzled by the atmosphere you feel there, and how these events make you sense, in a very tangible way, the 10% economic growth of China !

All bets are on with China gambling craze !

I read earlier this week about how Macau's gaming revenue surged 22% in 2006, surpassing for the first time the Las Vegas (where AsiaInspection will exhibit next week - by the way...) as the world's biggest casino market.

Seven new casinos opened in Macau last year, bringing the total to 24. The number of gaming tables doubled in the period to 2,762, according to Macau's Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau.
And this trends seems here to stay : in total, 2.2 billion people live within five hours' flying time of Macau, compared with 410 million in the same radius of Las Vegas.

I have always been intruiged and fascinated to see how Chinese people can be both disciplined, hard working, and at the same time crazy about gambling, to an extent we seldom see in Western countries...

Direct from the Factory - episode 5

After a short period of silence (for which I apologize - business is business...), I give you a new episode of our Factory Inspections !

We are in Chengyang, Shandong, and our inspector was brought to the "packing line" where he found working conditions and processes not exactly up to the client' standards !

Although we see conditions in factories globally improve in major industrial areas, remote areas seem slow to catch up...

Putting figures on China frenzy

I came across interesting pieces of information, released by the China Ministry of Communication and thought of sharing it, to put some real figures on the general China trade trends.

According to them, China has 1,430 active ports, handling 61.7 million containers a year. This figure is estimated to reach 140 million by 2010.

In 2006, 350,000 international ships visited the country's main ports.

Shanghai Port is world’s biggest freight port and handled 491 million tons of cargo in the first 11 months of 2006, while its closest competitor, Singapore, handled 410 million tons.

The top five destination for China's export (not surprisingly) were United States, Europe Union, Hong Kong, Japan and Korea making a wooping US$ 550 129 million.

This all just shows that that China trend is here to stay...

Letter from a China lover

I received recently the email below from Peter McGuire, an Englishman living in Shenzhen. I thought I would publish it (with his consent), since I really enjoyed reading his story and his answer to "those who bash China and Chinese people"... Here it is :

"Hello Mr. Breteau,

Today, for the first time, I read your page 'Straight talk from an Asia insider' and very interesting it was too.  Written in English by a Frenchman, that makes it doubly so and I thank you, truly amazing.

I suspect that I am somewhat older than you are and in my old age I've stored some interesting memories of the UK.  So here's some useless tit-bits for you to pass on to those that like to 'bash' China and the Chinese.

I grew up or, "woz brung up" as they would say, in west London. And well I remember the effects of the 'London Smog'.  In a real 'pea-souper' you really couldn't see more than fifty yards or, 45.72 metres if you've a metric bent.  What nobody talks about was the effect on ones body of living, eating, and breathing in that smog-laden atmosphere.
Often, my faeces were a deep-green colour, the result of ingesting smoke from so many coal-fires, day in and day out.  And 'Yes!', I've seen pollution in GuangDong but, it's really nothing compared to those London 'pea-soupers'.

As a small boy, the river Thames was never far away and always an attraction, although fishing in it was a complete waste of time. Though, on those hot summer days the cool water beckoned.  However, that quick refreshing dip invariable resulted in an upset stomach or worse, a visit to the hospital for a stomach-pump. I don't think that any river in China could be worse and several of them may actually be better.

Then, still a 'small-boy, on September 26th, 1962 at the grand old age of 151/2 (born Feb.19th 1947)  I joined the Royal Air Force. I think that my family were quite excited by the prospect of me coming home in uniform but, I don't recall that anyone objected due to my young age.  Nor did they mention the 'child labour laws'.  Probably because such laws didn't exist and now, it's a crime?  Anyways, I benefited from the experience and never felt exploited by it.

As for changes in China ?  I've lived and worked here for 7 1/2 years, and in all my life and all the places that I've been to, I've never witnessed so much change in such a short time.  Of those 71/2 years I have driven myself around for 5 of them and that's the best way to experience change in China.  Travelling about on roads that weren't there last week to places that aren't even on the map yet.  And, to make those stay at home Europeans green with envy, I drive about in my Chinese built Great-Wall SUV that has all the 'bells and whistles' and cost less than €14,000.  And, better still, I fill it with gas at €0.54 per litre.

Well I must be off. I have to hop into me Great-Wall and be off to exploit some Chinese colleagues at dinner, again.

Best Regards,

Peter McGuire."

Secrets, lies and sweatshops...

Read this interesting article on Business Week about how American companies handle their corporate responsibility when dealing with suppliers in China.
If the article tends to say, quite rightly, that Social Audits are more about image than actual improvements on site, I can not help but argue, from AsiaInspection experience, that it still contributes to educate and send a strong message to the factories.

Super Girls and Super Heroes

This made me laugh: this statue looks like it is of farm girls or revolutionaries, but is actually a statue of the winner and runner-up of “Super Girl”, which is an American Idol-style contest in China. The statue is ontroversial because it seems to be honoring something frivolous rather than serious. To me, that sums up how much China’s changed in the last 20 years – for the better. I'd like to know what Granite Studio thinks of this one – he’s a new Qing historian blogger and he says he loves visiting "peaceful, dusty, old monuments". So what does he think about this new controversial monument? 

The Chinese Market: not so naive

I picked up a good book this week: China’s New Culture of Cool, by Cynthia Chan, LiAnne Yu and Christopher Ireland (who, by the way, is a woman) who all work at Cheskin Consultancy. (And they all write blogs - but not very often). Anyway… I was interested in their idea that the days of being able to market a product in China by sticking a dragon on the side of the box are over. Chinese consumers are becoming more sophisticated so marketing localization has to become more sophisticated too, to keep up with them. But I think the next step of sophistication will be when the dragons work again because people think they’re “kitch”. They’ll be like Mao t-shirts are these days – ie, so bad they’re good!

China living

Talk talk china is complaining that most Chinese cities are dirty and ugly. Oh please -  if you want clean and pretty, go see a Disney movie. If you want excitement and industry and fun and entertainment for insomniacs and craziness and districts which are so grand even their street signs are oversized - when you're adventurous enough to step outside your office district then come to urban China!

"Fair" play

Started almost 50 years ago in 1957, the Canton Fair today is attracting about 200,000 visitors from more than 200 countries, hosting more than 30,000 booths in a massive exhibition space of nearly 300,000 m2 (that’s 30 soccer fields combined) and it is said to generate more than $US30 billion in trade.

Funny enough, it has been renamed "China Import and Export Commodities Fair" – a cosmetic change to show to the world that China is trying to better balance its trade (it generated over $US100 billion in surplus last year).

I don't know anybody (our clients will certainly confirm this) that has not been fascinated and baffled upon entering this fair, not to mention getting lost while walking around. You physically feel the economic growth in process – with the crowds of people milling around, stopping to take notes, speaking English and dozens of other different languages. Seeing all of these Chinese businesspeople smiling, nodding their heads, negotiating….with hotels filled to the brim, the buses bursting with people – well, it’s as though the entire world was made up of  The entire world of Importers is just around.

For me, the Canton Fair has also been a very good indicator of measuring the pace at which China’s industry is growing, a place to check the pulse of where they are so far. In 10 years, we have seen so many new products: from handcrafts and Christmas garlands to the latest plasma screens, home video system, laptops and wine cellars.

One of our clients corep.com just reminded me about coming to the Fair in the early 80s, when he read  the "small red book" for one whole hour at the Luoho border and when the Dong Fan Hotel was the best in Town. Prices have multiplied by 10 since those times, but the rooms haven’t changed one bit!

Anyway, the Canton Fair is just one of the most characteristic milestones of the second half of the 20th century – comparable to the 1889 Universal Exhibition in Paris.

Direct from the factory - Episode 1

Ever wondered what a factory inspection in China really looks like? I have asked some of our AsiaInspection inspectors to send in videos and photos from their trips throughout Asia. In a series of video clips from real inspections, get a behind-the-scenes look at quality control in the works. Check out this first episode and stay tuned for more!

Vulture Culture

If you’re still wondering “is cultural knowledge important for foreigners doing business in China?”, then take a look at this survey of international executive recruiters grading different parts of the world on their merits for expatriate assignments. (Hat tip: China Economic Review Editors’ Blog). Two things struck me: 1 – China is the only country highlighted as being both popular with expatriates and difficult for them to succeed in. And 2 – over half of the respondents cited a lack of “cultural fit” as the most common reason why expatriates fail.

Go figure. China’s fast, exciting and growing at a miraculous rate. Where others say challenge, I say opportunity!

How to be an angry customer

In a recent post, Seth Godin - one of the Western Gods of Marketing – gave a few tips on how to deal with an angry customer:
• talk quietly and slowly,
• ask the howler what you can do to make them less angry,
• repeat their request back to them in your own words,
• then decide if you can (and want to) give it to them then and there, or ask for a few moments to ask someone higher-up.

In China, behaving as sensibly as this comes naturally to frontline public staff. So let’s flip Godin’s point of view over on its back from “how to stop a customer being angry” to “if you’re the angry customer, how to get what you want”:

In China, the best solution is to shout loudly. Undignified perhaps, but it does the trick where rational and just reasoning might be ignored. Your customer services representative will give you anything they can to make you stop making so much noise, especially if you’re in public. This works as well when dealing with a reluctant, late-delivery factory as it does at an airport counter when your seat has been given to someone else.

And the Chinese will certainly never shout back at you...something you can’t say about my fellow French!

100 years young

Hong Kong’s largest export trading company Li & Fung is celebrating a very happy 100th birthday this year. Its share price recently hit an all-time high, it has just raised US$335.6 million for vaguely outlined “strategic developments” and it looks set to reach an annual revenue of $10 billion goal by the end of 2007.

Not bad for an 8000-strong trading company which owns neither factories nor retail outlets. As one commentator put it: “In an age when the Internet is supposedly going to eliminate the middleman, here's a middleman, an old Asian trading company that has made itself indispensable."

It has done so in a series of very smart moves to make the most of globalization. The grand old man can boogie. Among other hats Li & Fung wears is that of supply chain manager, adding value for its clients by offering everything from product design and raw material sourcing to production management and shipping consolidation.  While most of the factories it deals with are in Asia, it has also – like some Western rivals – expanded its rapid response capabilities in areas closer to European and American customers.

And it is clever: when the Multi-Fibre Agreement ended, Li & Fung advised clients not to splurge on clothing shipments from China, just in case replacement export restrictions were introduced – as indeed happened. “Who else but the Fungs would think of logistics in political terms?” asks Forbes magazine admiringly, of the founder Fung’s billionaire grandsons who, incredibly, still lead the company. Their nation’s political history has taught many Chinese to be adaptable – and Li & Fung’s longevity and good health is a remarkable product of this ability.

Quick-fire backfire

                                                  

It is debatable what the EU is trying to do by imposing quick-fire textile quotas on China, now that the restrictive Multi-Fibre Agreement is no more. According to this Guardian article, if it wanted more jobs at home, it is likely to fail.  If it was also trying to look out for its own little guys - developing countries such as Morocco and Tunisia - I would suggest that it is likely to fail in that too. Who looks like the big winner, the guy making all the sweaters now that the dragon’s claws have been ever so slightly dulled? Not the weak or vulnerable, but instead: that other racy Asian economy - India.

AsiaInspection’s tours have shot up like a lunar rocket in India: we made eight times our usual number of inspections there this year. Not that China seems to be suffering too much (at this stage); inspections there have increased threefold.

If you imagine the Asian economies are rising like dough (go on, do it just for a moment), it’s funny how if someone tries to squash a bit back into its pan, another bit puffs out somewhere else. In fact, it seems that all the EU has managed to do is irritate their own importers, retailers and inflation rates. Whoops!

Chief Asia Awards

Chief Asia Inspector has recently been nominated for a blog award in the Business-Economics category at the Asia Blog Awards. This made me very happy and got me thinking about my own favorite China-related blogs:

Take a look at my short list and send in your votes.

China Law Blog

3plwire

All Roads Lead to China

Asia Pundit's

Sunny Side Up

Be a brick in the cross-cultural bridge

A quick heads-up from one of our readers: Edanz Editing, a Japanese editing company expanding into China. Edanz is offering a course in the linguistic editing of scientific academic papers, especially those written in English by non-native English speakers. Interestingly, the company expects to expand its pool of contracted editors three-fold with its move into China – such is the demand for this type of service there now. The course is in Beijing on October 13 to 15, and more information can be found here.

And if you think it somewhat ironic that a Japanese company is offering English editing courses and services in China, take a look at the controversy surrounding the Chinese government's funding of Chinese language and culture courses in the United States.

La zone d’ombre de la corruption

L’article suivant sur la corruption en Chine n’est pas dénué d’intérêt. Notez que selon ce qui y est dit, le phénomène serait plus courant lorsque des fonctionnaires de l’administration sont impliqués (pour une surprise, ça c’est une surprise !). Certains actes relèvent évidemment de malversations. Mais à quel moment pouvons-nous dire que la simple politesse ou l’hospitalité deviennent inconfortables ?

Les entreprises de contrôle qualité sont parfois confrontées à des situations de corruption. Lorsque les fournisseurs demandent aux inspecteurs de fermer les yeux en échange d’argent ou de cadeaux, par exemple. Bien évidemment, il existe toujours une zone d’ombre. Y a-t-il corruption lorsqu’une usine envoie un véhicule pour passer prendre l’inspecteur ? Ma société répond par l’affirmative.

Nous demandons à nos inspecteurs de ne jamais rien accepter de l’usine qu’ils auditent, qu’il s’agisse d’un repas, d’une course en taxi ou d’un trajet en voiture. Nous leur allouons bien sûr le budget nécessaire pour couvrir leurs dépenses. Nous signifions également très clairement aux usines que nous n’avons aucun pouvoir de décision, la décision finale étant toujours prise par le client, et non par nous. Nous sommes leurs yeux dans l’usine. Nous avons par ailleurs d’autres secrets en interne qui permettent de protéger nos inspecteurs de divers types de pressions malhonnêtes – ces procédés pèsent peut-être sur le portefeuille mais ils ont le mérite d’être efficaces.

Ce n’est pas en offrant des pots-de-vin à nos inspecteurs que les fournisseurs audités auront l’assurance d’obtenir l’aval des clients. En outre, nous gardons un œil sur nos inspecteurs en organisant des audits internes impromptus au cours de missions d’inspection. Nous disposons également d’une base de données qui nous permet d’avoir accès aux résultats établis par les inspecteurs à la suite d’un audit et d’identifier les bons, et les mauvais, inspecteurs. Leur travail est évalué par des superviseurs chargés de noter les éventuelles bizarreries constatées ou de rechercher les informations qui n’apparaissent pas comme elles le devraient dans les rapports des inspecteurs. Enfin, c’est évident, nous payons bien nos inspecteurs, nous les traitons bien et nous faisons en sorte qu’ils soient fiers du travail qu’ils accomplissent.

Sébastien Breteau

Confucian Capitalism Confusion

Someone asked me the other day what “Economic Confucianism” is. A once-trendy, now jeered-at concept, that’s what. The main idea is that all Chinese business success stems from guanxi (formalized social relations), which stems from Confucian concern for hierarchies and family relationships. But not only are these shaky premises, their proponents turned a blind eye to Confucius’ doubt that profit could be generated honorably and utter contempt for it: “The gentleman understands what is right; the lesser man understands profit”. So marrying Confucius with the bottom line looks as impossible as reconciling communism to business.
But, wait – the Chinese have managed that last impossibility! So perhaps capitalism can be mixed with certain, well-chosen Confucianism chunks as well? Confucius is certainly still in favor with business motivational speakers, especially when it comes to preparation: “the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools”, “Dig a well before you are thirsty” etc. Does anybody out there feel qualified to rescue the wise counselor from the shallows of quote-a-day?

Does work/life balance mean "eat at your desk"?

White collar workers finding themselves chained to the office, squashed in the elevators, stressed to the max? It looks like China is finding out what a free market economy looks like from the office parquet, as well as the factory concrete floor.
But it’s not so bad! Apparently some companies have office libraries and/or like to “create a humane environment in the office so that staff members can complete the office work while doing some personal activities at the same time”, such as “eating, doing exercises, resting, playing games or even dating”. (Ah, but would you trust the figures if your accountant had worked them out at the same time as eyeing up certain other figures online?)
Some workers are apparently at their desks during the evening because they have little excitement to go home to rather than because they have so much work on. However, in my experience, a bunch of young out-of-town colleagues will make friends with each other – and will be more than happy to see each other away from the office!

La guerre de propagande contre les « ateliers de misère » se poursuit

L’habile fausse publicité attribuée aux Guignols, l’émission satirique de Canal+, fait actuellement le tour d’Internet (voir également le lien suivant). La vidéo suggère que les conditions de travail dans les usines de Nike en Asie laissent à désirer – c’est un euphémisme.

Plusieurs points à ce sujet :

Les horreurs méritent certes d’être révélées. Mais, attention, il existe de nombreuses raisons non altruistes pour lesquelles les gens aiment colporter des ragots autour d’eux, même si ceux-ci ne tiennent pas la route (par exemple, l’über-marque Apple doit aujourd’hui faire face à cette question ignominieuse : « Les iPods sont-ils vraiment aussi mauvais qu’on le pense ? » – pour en savoir plus, cliquez ici).

En me fondant sur mon expérience – acquise notamment en inspectant des centaines d’usines par an –, je dirais que la plupart des usines chinoises ne sont pas moins (ni plus agréables) qu’ailleurs. La nouvelle n’est pas entièrement mauvaise ! Pour une approche plus « légère » de la question, cliquez ici.

De façon générale, les conditions de travail dans les usines chinoises se sont nettement améliorées ces dix dernières années, ce qui s’explique en partie par la pénurie de main-d’œuvre. Et comme je l’ai souligné précédemment, les salariés sont en position de force.

Prétendre que l’étiquette « Fabriqué en Chine » signifie forcément « Fabriqué dans des ateliers de misère » est faux et contre-productif : cela ne contribue pas à améliorer les conditions de travail en usine. Pourquoi ? Parce que les « acheteurs éthiques » dupés pourraient décider de ne plus acheter de produits fabriqués en Chine, au lieu d’apprendre à faire la distinction entre les différents fabricants chinois. La clef ? Aller sur le terrain et avoir de bons yeux et de bonnes oreilles, bien sûr (ce qui relève bien sûr de nos compétences).

Cette vidéo caustique ne serait-elle pas simplement l’expression de la jalousie des Français vis-à-vis de la réussite de la Chine (et de Nike, une entreprise américaine qui connaît un succès fabuleux) ? Je crois que le China Law Blog a abordé le sujet il n’y a pas si longtemps !

Filles d’Asie, bistouris d’Occident

Toutes les deux minutes, quelque part en Chine, une femme subit une intervention de chirurgie esthétique en vue d’obtenir une double paupière à la manière des Occidentales. Un marché de 3 milliards de dollars que se partagent un million de cliniques de chirurgie plastique, soit six millions de personnes. Fait insolite, c’est Beijing qui a organisé le premier concours de Miss Chirurgie Esthétique pour « beautés artificielles », en 2004. Et parmi les participantes se trouvait un transsexuel.

En Chine, la folie plastique relève plus ici de l’investissement que de la vanité – que faire pour se distinguer des 1 300 000 000 autres Chinois dans la course pour un poste ou un mari ? Des yeux plus ronds, un nez plus droit ou des jambes plus longues (les os sont brisés et écartés au moyen de broches ; l’espace entre ces os est comblé petit à petit par la formation de matière osseuse à peine assez solide pour porter le poids du corps. Aïe !) Sans compter que toutes les 25 minutes, quelque part en Chine, une personne se plaint d’avoir été défigurée par la chirurgie esthétique. Je le répète : aïe ! Je suis aussi sensible qu’un autre à la vue d’un joli visage mais l’idée que quelqu’un veuille ressembler à une personne d’une ethnique qui n’est pas la sienne me rebute.

La transposition de la directive RoHS en Chine

La directive RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances), qui porte donc sur la restriction de certaines substances dangereuses, fait beaucoup parler d’elle en ce moment. En vigueur depuis le 1er juillet 2006, cette directive européenne vise à limiter l’utilisation de six substances dangereuses dans les équipements électriques et électroniques actuellement disponibles au sein de l’Union européenne. Seront touchés les fabricants, les vendeurs, les distributeurs, ainsi que les entreprises de recyclage des équipements électriques et électroniques (EEE).

Un article (RoHS and WEEE: It’s an Executive Problem) récemment publié sur amrresearch.com compare l’application européenne de la directive RoHS à la version chinoise de la loi. Les pays de l’Union européenne ne se sont pas clairement prononcés sur les moyens qu’ils comptaient utiliser pour contrôler la mise en conformité. Les autorités chinoises, quant à elles, ont mis en place un cadre législatif très strict rendant le respect de la directive européenne à la fois obligatoire et complexe, tout particulièrement pour les entreprises étrangères. Les sociétés qui souhaitent importer des produits en Chine devront dorénavant tenir compte de trois obstacles majeurs :    

• tout produit doit avoir obtenu un label 3C (China Compulsory Certification) pour pouvoir être vendu sur le territoire chinois ;    
• seuls seront admis les contrôles de certification effectués par des laboratoires agréés ou appartenant à l’Etat ;    
• la loi et les documents qui s’y rapportent ne sont disponibles qu’en chinois : ils ne sont pas traduits dans d’autres langues.

Je vous invite à lire cet article dans lequel vous trouverez également les noms de fournisseurs qui aident les entreprises à comprendre et à appliquer la directive RoHS en Chine.

Pour en savoir plus sur la directive RoHS :
> rohs.info
> pb-free.info

Sébastien Breteau