Nearshoring to Mexico: How American Importers Have Responded to the US-China Trade War
Since 2018, American importers shifted production from China to Mexico, which became the top US trade partner. Nearshoring offers proximity, USMCA benefits, and reduced tariffs for automotive, electronics, furniture, and mechanical parts despite infrastructure challenges.
The Importance of ESG Audits: What Importers Need to Know in 2025
ESG audits evaluate supplier environmental, social, and governance practices to ensure regulatory compliance, prevent supply disruptions, meet retailer requirements, and protect brands from reputational damage across global supply chains.
How Vietnam Benefitted From the US-China Trade War
Vietnam capitalized on US-China trade tensions through competitive labor costs, trade agreements, and proximity to China, becoming a manufacturing hub for electronics, garments, furniture, and mechanical parts despite infrastructure challenges.
The Importance of Amazon FBA Inspections | InspectionService.com
Amazon FBA inspections verify FNSKU labeling, packaging compliance, and product quality before shipment. With 15-20% rejection rates costing thousands in fees and delays, they’re essential business insurance for sellers.
How to Go About a China Plus One Sourcing Strategy | InspectionService.com
China Plus One maintains Chinese suppliers while adding alternative manufacturing locations. Success requires strategic product assessment, thorough factory audits, phased transitions with parallel production, comprehensive quality control, and realistic 18-36 month timelines.
What to Look Out for When Selecting an Inspection Company | InspectionService.com
Choosing a pre-shipment inspection company is critical for importers. Prioritize ISO 17020 accreditation, local inspector networks, product expertise, same-day reporting with photos, AQL sampling, and transparent pricing to catch defects before shipment.
AQL Table Explained: Complete Guide to Acceptable Quality Limits for Importers (2025) | InspectionService.com
When importing products from overseas manufacturers, ensuring consistent quality without inspecting every single unit is a challenge every business faces. This is where the Acceptable Quality Limit (AQL) table becomes your most valuable quality control tool. Understanding how to read and apply AQL tables can save you thousands of dollars in defective products, customer returns, […]
ISO 9001 Certification: Does It Matter for Your Vendors and Why | InspectionService.com
When qualifying new manufacturing suppliers or evaluating existing vendor relationships, one question consistently appears on procurement checklists: Does the factory hold ISO 9001 certification? With over 1.1 million organizations certified worldwide across 170 countries, ISO 9001 has become the world’s most recognized quality management system standard. But does this ubiquitous certification actually predict supplier performance, […]
What Checkpoints Should Be Featured in an Inspection Report? | InspectionService.com
When your container is loaded and ready to sail halfway around the world, the last thing you want to discover is that half your products are defective, incorrectly labeled, or damaged beyond repair. For importers sourcing from overseas manufacturers, a comprehensive pre-shipment inspection report serves as your final safety net before products leave the factory […]
Navigating Tariffs and Supply Chain Diversification in 2025 and Beyond | InspectionService.com
The manufacturing landscape has fundamentally shifted. With 2025 tariffs increasing component costs, companies are accelerating efforts to diversify supply chains, with some planning to shift 15% to 20% of production to alternative countries by 2026. What began as contingency planning during the US-China trade disputes has evolved into strategic necessity. For importers who have relied […]