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Chinese Steel Mills have reached an Iron Ore Agreement with BHP Billiton Ltd
HONG KONG, July 4 - Chinese steel mills have reached an iron ore agreement with BHP Billiton Ltd/Plc <BHP.AX> <BLT.L> in line with the near-doubling of prices won by rival Rio Tinto Ltd/Plc <RIO.AX> <RIO.L>, Chinese industry sources said.
July 03, 2008
BHP Billiton to Settle Iron Ore Contracts
BHP Billiton, the mining company, is on Thursday expected to agree a record increase in the price of iron ore supplies to its largest Chinese customers, in line with a settlement negotiated last week by rival Rio Tinto.
July 02, 2008
Taiwan`s Export Orders Rise 14.46% to US$31.5 B. in May
Taipei, July 1, 2008(CENS)--The value of export orders received by Taiwan`s manufacturers and traders reached US$31.51 billion in May of this year, an annual growth of 14.46%, according to the statistics released by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA).
July 01, 2008
All eyes on Hunan,strategic location in China
Due to its strategic location in south-central China as well as its abundance of grain, Hunan province was once a strategic spot for various Chinese military forces in ancient times. Now the province wants to turn itself into a stronghold for businessmen who want to explore new opportunities.
June 30, 2008
Outsourcing to China not so cheap anymore
The China Price used to be the global standard for low-cost manufacturing. It shut thousands of factories across North America, put tens of thousands of Canadians out of work and drove down the price of consumer goods around the world.
June 27, 2008
Fujitsu says China share of sales to triple
BEIJING, June 26 (Reuters) - Japan's electronics group Fujitsu Ltd said on Thursday it is expecting China sales to triple as a portion of its global business within the next five years as its marketing focus shifts.
June 26, 2008
Iron Ore Deal Could Signal Consolidation Ahead for Chinese Steel Mills
SHANGHAI (Interfax-China) -- Baoshan Iron and Steel Group (Baosteel Group), China's largest steel mill and representative of Chinese steelmakers at the annually contracted iron ore price negotiations, has settled on an up to 96.5% increase with Australian iron ore miner Rio Tinto [NYSE:RTP; LSE:RIO; ASX:RIO], according to Baosteel Group.
June 25, 2008
Microsoft Establishes Innovation Center in Nangang, Taiwan
Taipei, June 25, 2008 (CENS)--Microsoft, the world`s largest software developer, recently announced the establishment of a Microsoft Innovation Center at the Nangang Software Park in Taipei to help reinforce Taiwan`s software R&D capability, and spur the development of innovative Internet applications for Taiwan`s information and communication technology (ICT) industry.
June 24, 2008
Manufacturing Downturn Fuels Growth in Offshore Outsourcing
The manufacturing sector is struggling with a slowdown in global spending as well as rocketing fuel and food prices yet offshore outsourcing is alleviating some of the industry’s woes.
June 23, 2008
Chinese Warned of Record Rise in Ore Price
Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton have asked their Chinese steelmaker customers to accept the largest ever increase in iron ore prices or risk the interruption of supplies from Australia.
June 20, 2008
Disney Plans to Outsource Robotic Figures
SANTA ANA, Calif. _ The Walt Disney Co. will begin outsourcing the manufacturing of Audio-Animatronics because of too much demand on staff time, according to an Imagineering memo sent to The Orange County Register.
June 19, 2008
Manufacturers Plan to Outsource More R&D
In collaboration with the Norwegian company StatoilHydro, Siemens is developing the world’s first floating wind turbine. In a departure from the method commonly used so far, instead of securing the windmill to the sea floor with a gigantic pylon, the power plant is to be stabilized by a special flotation buoy equipped with an anchor, reports the research magazine Pictures of the Future.
June 18, 2008
FDA to Outsource Manufacturing Inspections
17-Jun-2008 - The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is pushing for Congress to approve the use of more third-party inspectors as the regulatory body attempts to police a complex global supply chain.
June 17, 2008
Pharma Companies, not FDA, Should Monitor Offshore Suppliers
Just last month I wrote about an IMS report that predicted that profit-challenged U.S. pharmaceutical companies would offshore more manufacturing, followed by offshoring of other activities including R&D.
June 16, 2008
AstraZeneca Announces Outsourcing In Two Departments - Testing Services, IT Companies Sign Contracts
AstraZeneca PLC inked two outsourcing contracts this week, including one with a Swedish information technology company that will take on duties at the company's U.S. headquarters in Fairfax.
June 13, 2008
Offshoring: Where are we now?
- Labour news from UNI global union - for trade unions in a global services economy. -
Some say offshoring is taking away many IT jobs from developed economies to emerging countries. Others think the skills shortage coupled with an ageing workforce in Europe and the U.S. force companies to outsource tasks that couldn’t have been performed by local employees anyway.
June 12, 2008
Outsourcing ROI - Key elements and benchmarks for obtaining maximum ROI
June 11, 2008 -- For some, outsourcing is a controversial issue; but for many C-level executives in the manufacturing sector, outsourcing has been a strategic weapon capable of significantly improving operational and financial performance, as well as increasing shareholder value.
June 11, 2008
Environmental Solution for China's Steel Industry
The First Meros Plant for Sinter-Offgas Treatment to Be Built Outside of Europe Anzeige
Siemens Metals Technologies received a contract from the Chinese steel producer Maanshan Iron & Steel Company Ltd. (Masteel) to install the first Meros plant outside Europe. The new facility will be built at the No. 1 Sinter Plant of the company's integrated iron and steel works located in Maanshan, Anhui Province, and will be capable of treating approximately 1,000,000 m3 of sinter-offgas per hour.
June 10, 2008
With Outsourcing Smarts, They Struck It Rich
How billionaires from India and Taiwan saw a need, followed through and hit the jackpot. By Alyson Papalia
Outsourcing and offshoring are two similar concepts that are often lumped together. By definition, the former is to purchase or subcontract from an outside source; the latter, on the other hand, can be done both within and outside a company.
June 09, 2008
Outsourcing billionaires: Making fortunes by meeting demand
Outsourcing and offshoring are two similar concepts that are often lumped together. By definition, the former is to purchase or subcontract from an outside source; the latter, on the other hand, can be done both within and outside a company. These two practices, when combined, make up a phenomenon known as offshore outsourcing, a specialized field that has led seven of Forbes' billionaires directly to their fortunes.
June 06, 2008
Elcoteq Highlights Outsourcing Best Practices for Communications Technology Products at NXTcomm08, Las Vegas
Elcoteq SE, a leading integrated electronics manufacturing services (EMS) company in the communications technology field, highlights best practices for outsourcing communications technology products at NXTcomm08 in Las Vegas, NV on June 16 - 19, 2008 at booth SL8016C in the Broadband Wireless World section. Elcoteq works with companies from product development to after-market services to enable companies to improve cost of ownership and profit in the global communications market.
June 05, 2008
Outsource Work You're Not Good At
Well-managed outsourcing can save you time and money, freeing you up to focus on growing your business. But the process isn't all beer and skittles. Neglect the relationship and it could be more trouble than it's worth.
June 04, 2008
Solar startup Stion slips slightly out of stealth mode
Although it still won't divulge much about its process or materials set, San Jose-based next-gen thin-film photovoltaic startup Stion has come ever-so-slightly out of stealth mode.
June 03, 2008
Pharma Outsourcing on the Rise, Says IMS
The pharmaceutical industry has been slower than other sectors to adopt outsourcing, largely due to concerns over protecting valuable intellectual property. But rising costs and shrinking margins are leading more pharma companies to do so, says IMS in a recent report.
June 02, 2008
Proceed With Caution
Although the market for outsourcing services, manufacturing and labor is shifting due to the fall of the U.S. dollar, increased international competition and consumer backlash, the urge to send work overseas is strong as ever.
May 30, 2008
Korea Needs an Economic Framework With China
From competitive relations to strategic partnership
The Korea-China summit has provided momentum for Korea to set up a new economic cooperation framework with China, the world’s second largest economy, which is mutually beneficial for growth.
May 29, 2008
China's retail sales of consumer goods up 22% in April
China's retail sales of consumer goods in April rose 22.0 percent year on year to 814.2 billion yuan (about 116billion U.S. dollars), the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Tuesday.
May 28, 2008
China`s Employment Contract Law Forces Major Shakeout on Taiwan Companies
The implementation of the Employment Contract Law in China on Jan. 1 this year is causing a major shakeout among Taiwanese-invested enterprises there. The 20,000 or so Taiwanese-invested firms operating in the Pearl River Delta area, mostly in traditional labor-intensive lines such as hardware, footwear, toys, and garments, have been especially hard hit.
May 27, 2008
Hon Hai Wins Contract Orders for NB PCs from Dell
Taipei, May 26, 2008 (CENS)--Due to the revamped contract-manufacturing strategy of the world`s third-largest NB PC manufacturer Dell Computer Inc., the world`s top-two electronic manufacturing service providers, including Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. and Flextronics International Corp., recently obtained from Dell orders for consumer NBs, which will start to be delivered sometime in the first quarter of 2009.
May 26, 2008
Local steel firms look to tap into growing demand BY: NAREERAT WIRIYAPONG
Rising global demand and surging prices have put Thailand's steel industry in the spotlight, with executives expecting prices to remain high until at least the third quarter of this year.
May 23, 2008
Texas Instruments to Have 45nm Chips Made at Foundries
Taipei, May 21, 2008 (CENS)--When Texas Instruments (TI) recently announced its plan to have its 45nm base-band chips and digital signal chips made at two silicon foundries next quarter, industry watchers believed Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) and United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC) would be the choice partners.
May 22, 2008
CSC to Raise Wholesale Steel Prices by 10% in Q3
Taipei, May 21, 2008 (CENS)--China Steel Corporation (CSC), Taiwan`s largest integrated steel mill, plans to raise wholesale prices by 10%, or US$100 per metric ton, for products to be shipped in the third quarter of this year.
May 21, 2008
Concern Grows Over Local Steel Shortage
Concern is mounting about a possible steel shortage as demand rises in anticipation of work starting on government megaprojects. As well, global demand would be pushed up by reconstruction following the earthquake in China and the cyclone in Burma.
May 20, 2008
Taiwan-based Banks Ready to Tap Market in China
Taipei, May 19, 2008 (CENS)--With Fubon Financial Holding Co. approved to purchase a stake in Xiamen City Commercial Bank (XCCB), an array of Taiwan-based domestic banks are ready to follow suit to venture into the China market.
May 19, 2008
China Urges Rio Tinto Iron Ore Boycott
Rio Tinto is confident it will conclude its annual contract negotiations with Chinese steelmakers by the end of next month, despite calls by the country's industry association to boycott the company's spot sales of iron ore.
May 16, 2008
MediaTek Achieves Major Feat in China`s TD-SCDMA Market
Taipei, May 13, 2008 (CENS)--In collaboration with telecom-equipment supplier Datang Telecom Technology Co. of China, MediaTek Inc., Taiwan`s No.1 fabless house by revenue, has won up to 60% of telecom carrier China Mobile`s contracts for TD-SCDMA mobile phone chips.
May 15, 2008
Market Report: Chinese whispers help BHP to hit new high - By Nikhil Kumar
The speculation focused on BHP's proposed takeover of Rio Tinto and suggested that a Chinese entity bent on interposing itself between the two miners was seeking to acquire a stake in the company.
May 14, 2008
SSTTAC Issues Report on Growth of Chinese Stainless Steel Pipe Industry
WASHINGTON, May 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Seamless Stainless
Tube Trade Action Committee (SSTTAC) today released a report titled
"Rigging the Game: A Report on Chinese Government Subsidies to Seamless
Stainless Steel Tubing Producers."
May 13, 2008
Dell to close Texas plant, outsource more manufacturing to EMS firms
By David Hannon -- Purchasing, 5/8/2008
PC maker Dell said in April it will close one of its two Austin, Texas manufacturing plants and plans to outsource more manufacturing to contract manufacturers in low-cost regions as part of a broader $3 billion cost-reduction plan.
May 12, 2008
U.S. Will Continue Deepening Economic Ties With Taiwan: AIT Director
Taipei, May 9, 2008 (CENS)--Stephen M. Young, AIT (American Institute in Taiwan) director, pointed out yesterday (May 8) that the U.S. government will continue deepening the U.S.-Taiwan economic ties via talks for various bilateral economic and trade agreements after Taiwan`s new government swears into office, ruling out, however, the possibility for the signing of a free trade agreement (FTA) for the time being.
May 09, 2008
Chinese domestic iron ore prices decline in April
According to the inspection of the Ministry of Commerce of China, because the growth rate of spot iron ore price in domestic marker was high before and the profit in iron ore mine exploitation increased, which boosted rapid rise of iron ore supply, domestic iron pre price declined in April 2008.
May 08, 2008
EU Probes Chinese, Turkish Wire Rod, Widening Steel-Duty Threat
May 8 (Bloomberg) -- The European Union threatened to tax wire rod from China, Turkey and Moldova to help EU producers such as Corus Group compete against cheaper imports, opening the fourth probe that targets Chinese steel in five months.
May 07, 2008
Rio Tinto shares trade at record discount to BHPB bid price
Rio Tinto`s shares in the UK and Australia are 6.9% below the all-stock offer Rio Tinto Group shares are trading at their biggest discount to BHP Billiton hostile US$162 billion takeover bid, signaling concern among investors that the offer will fail.
May 06, 2008
FORGING
Process: Forging is a metal forming process used to produce large quantities of identical parts, as in the manufacture of automobiles, and to improve the mechanical properties of the metal being forged, as in aerospace parts or military equipment.
May 05, 2008
Taiwan`s Exports to China Surge Over 20% in First 2 Months
Taipei, April 30, 2008 (CENS)--Taiwan`s two-way trade with China reached US$16.24 billion in the first two months of this year, a sharp rise of 18.9% from the corresponding figure of last year, according to the statistics released by the Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA).
May 02, 2008
CSC to Raise Steel Prices by 20% in Q3
Taipei, April 30, 2008 (CENS)--Forced by price hikes in raw materials as coal internationally, China Steel Corporation (CSC), Taiwan`s largest integrated steel mill, is considering raising product prices by 20% on products to be delivered in the third quarter of this year to offset the increase in production costs.
May 01, 2008
Co-extrusion Machines, Plastic Blow Molding Machines
Founded in 1979 in Taiwan`s southern county of Tainan, Jih Huang Machinery Industry Co., Ltd. has been one of the most seasoned makers of extrusion machines, plastic blow molding machines and rubber injection molding machines, and has earned great reputations at home and abroad.
April 30, 2008
Samsung to outsource some work to China's TCL
SEOUL, April 29 (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS: Quote, Profile, Research), the world's top maker of liquid crystal display (LCD) panels, said on Tuesday it would outsource the assembly of some modules to Chinese television maker TCL Corp 000100.SZ.
April 29, 2008
Asia`s PC Segment Unfazed by U.S. Slowdown in Q1: IDC
Taipei, April 28, 2008 (CENS)--The Asia/Pacific, excluding Japan region (APEJ), personal computer (PC) market grew 19% from a year earlier to 17 million units in the first quarter of 2008, 2% higher than originally forecasted and with portable PCs being the major contributor, according to IDC, the premier global provider of market intelligence.
April 28, 2008
Yunnan Luoping Zinc cuts two thirds capacity on power shortages
It is reported that Yunnan Luoping Zinc & Electricity Co a Chinese producer of the metal has cut two thirds of its capacity because of a lack of power.
April 25, 2008
Strike, talks continue at Chile miner Codelco
The strike at Codelco`s Salvador and Adina continues for an eighth day while talks proceed
A strike paralyzed operations at two copper divisions owned by Chile`s Codelco for an eighth day on April 22, but the mine`s minister said the sides were progressing toward a deal to end at times violent protests.
April 24, 2008
Uni-President Scores Record Profits of 424 M. RMB in China in 2007
Taipei, April 23, 2008 (CENS)--Thanks to rapid growth in China`s beverage market, Uni-President China Holdings Co. witnessed a whopping rise of 190% in profits last year, which hit a record high of 424 million renminbi (RMB or Chinese yuan), equivalent to about NT$19.08 billion or US$59.63 million.
April 23, 2008
Machine-tool Firms See Orders Fully Packed
Taipei, April 22, 2008 (CENS)--Thanks to the influx of orders, Taiwan`s leading manufacturers of machine tools, including Awea Mechantronic Co., Tongtai Machine & Tool Co., Goodway Machine Corp., and Roundtop Machinery Co., will enjoy outstanding performance in sales in the second quarter of this year.
April 22, 2008
China: A Giant Rises
We are living through history in the making: the rapid industrialization of China and the deindustrialization of the English-speaking world.
April 21, 2008
Taiwanese Firms Switch Operations to Northern Vietnam From Mainland China
Taipei, April 18, 2008 (CENS)--To ease the impact of skyrocketed production costs in mainland China, Taiwanese firms operating there, including those form the electronics and conventional industries, are rushing to move operations to northern Vietnam.
April 18, 2008
China Steel Raises Steel Prices by 18% in Domestic Market in Q2, 2008
Skyrocketing prices of iron ore and coal have moved China Steel Corp., Taiwan`s leading upstream supplier of steel products, to raise its steel prices of by an average of NT4,200 per metric ton, for a record hike of 18%, in Taiwan in the second quarter of this year.
April 17, 2008
Fu Yu Shan Machine Works Co., Ltd.-- Extrusion Machines
Fu Yu Shan Machine Works Co., Ltd., established 30 years ago, specializes in the development and production of various kinds of plastic extrusion and injection-molding machines.
April 16, 2008
Compal Ups Production Capacity in Kunshan of Mainland China
Taipei, April 15, 2008 (CENS)--Compal Electronics Corp., one of Taiwan`s leading manufacturers of notebook computers (NBs), will expand production capacity at its fourth plant in Kunshan of Jiangsu Province, mainland China.
April 15, 2008
Lite-On, Synnex to Set Up Regional Headquarters in Guangzhou, Southern China
Taipei, April 14, 2008 (CENS)--Despite the rising costs of raw materials and labor in China, two Taiwan-based large-sized companies in the electronics sector, namely Lite-On Group and Synnex Technology International Corp., have reportedly promised China`s Guangzhou City government to set up their regional headquarters there in the future, according to industry sources.
April 14, 2008
Chinese Regulator Expands Access to the Chinese Market by Taiwanese Banks
Taipei, April 11, 2008 (CENS)--The China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) announced yesterday (April 10) allowing institutions set up by Taiwanese banks in a third place to initiate business in China, in addition to permitting banks in Hong Kong and Macao set up or bought out by Taiwanese banks to establish Chinese branches directly, rather than just buying into Chinese banks according to the original regulation.
April 11, 2008
Mineral Policy Suggests Steps to Boost Exploration
New Delhi, Apr10 The National Mineral Policy (NMP) cleared by the Cabinet two weeks ago suggests steps to push up mineral exploration to boost availability, while sidestepping the issue of capping export of minerals like iron ore and conserve it within the country.
April 10, 2008
Chinese Whispers Give BHP Extra Ammo
What to make of reports yesterday that China is preparing a raid on BHP in a bid to thwart its proposed hostile takeover of Rio Tinto just as Kevin Rudd touches down in Beijing?
April 09, 2008
BHP Rises After Report China Will Buy Stake
BHP Billiton, the world's biggest mining company, rose to the highest in almost four months in New York trading after a newspaper report that China will buy a stake.
April 08, 2008
Trade to surge on coal deal - By David Uren and Andrew Trounson
Coal prices expected to triple BHP close to a deal with South Korea Standoff with China as negotiations continue
April 07, 2008
CBC Issues Over NT$4 Trillion in NCDs to Curb Inflation
Taipei, April 2, 2008 (CENS)--In a bid to mop up hot money-induced excessive liquidity on the market and alleviate inflationary pressure, the Central Bank of China (CBC) has issued massive amount of negotiable certificates of deposits (NCDs), with its outstanding amount having broken the NT$4 trillion mark, inflicting heavy interest burden on the CBC.
April 04, 2008
How To Work with China and PYA -- Protect Your Assets
The biggest error companies make is that with familiarity comes a false sense of security.
April 03, 2008
Mainland China Launches TD-SCDMA Field Tests Today
Taipei, April 1, 2008 (CENS)--Mainland China begins field tests of its TD-SCDMA (time division synchronization code division multiple access) mobile services in eight major cities today, suggesting the mainland will deploy the third-generation mobile service earlier than expected.
April 02, 2008
The Next Indo-China War - By: Sramana Mitra
The first Indochina war was fought in 1962 over border disputes in the Eastern Himalayan region. The next Indochina war, it seems, will be fought over a dramatically different turf: information technology (IT) outsourcing.
April 01, 2008
Riders on the Storm
Contract logistics, 3PL, 4PL - call it what you will - continues to be a growing business, but it is changing subtly.
So far at least, the sector does not seem to have suffered from any downturn in the wider economy. While hesitating to call any business recession-proof, the sector''s leading players see new opportunities even in the face of a general downturn.
March 31, 2008
China Minmetals Development 2007 - Profit Up 88% on Domestic Demand
BEIJING, March 30 (Xinhua) -- China Minmetals Development Co., a listed subsidiary of the state-owned metal trader China Minmetals Corp., said that its net profits rose 88 percent in 2007, driven by domestic business.
March 28 2008
CBC Adopts Measures to Curb Inflation and NT Appreciation
Taipei, March 28, 2008 (CENS)-To both curb inflation and appreciation of the NT dollar, the Central Bank of China (CBC)`s board of directors adopted various measures on March 27, including raising interest rates by 0.125 of a percentage point; differentiating B deposit reserve account into two sectors accruing different interest rates, one with funds from term deposits and the other from demand deposits; and slashing foreign-currency deposit reserve rate.
March 27, 2008
China investment strategy: Chinese multinationals, consumers, stock market, politics, banking
How to profit from exploding Chinese consumption? Why is China moving ahead fast? Get detailed info on leading Chinese multinationals Haier, TCL, Huawei, China Telecomm, China Mobile, China Oil, Bank of China, Galanz, Shanghai Auto Group, Internet, technology players, and China Construction Bank from a timely book.
March 26, 2008
Symphony Consulting to Host Manufacturing Outsourcing Forum Featuring Presenters from SigmaQuest and Arena Solutions
SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Symphony Consulting, a manufacturing outsourcing, procurement and supply chain consulting firm, announced today that on April 30, 2008, it will host “Symphony Spring Forum: What OEMs Must Control in Manufacturing Outsourcing.”
March 25, 2008
China in Need of Green Revolution
Don't be fooled by the tranquil facade of the Taihu Lake district. One of the most powerful transformations in China is underway behind its veneer of serenity, showing the way for environmental redemption to private enterprises and the authorities in other industrial districts.
March 24, 2008
Defense outsourcing
Digg Del.icio.us Facebook Fark Google Newsvine Reddit Yahoo Print Reprints Post comment Text size: Your article on Boeing's shocking loss to French manufacturer European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. in the Air Force's tanker competition ("Fuel tanker deal draws fire," March 9) missed some key information that puts this upset in critical perspective: The Department of Defense has effectively outsourced some 44,000 manufacturing jobs to a foreign company that routinely flouts American institutions and international law.
March 21, 2008
China not curbing spot iron ore imports-steel body
Reuters - Thursday, March 20Chinese steel mills are angry that Australian miners were trying to shift some cargoes into the spot market, where returns still exceed long-term contract prices.
March 20, 2008
Beijing denies iron ore talks meddling - By Andrew Trounson
BEIJING has denied it is interfering in fraught iron ore price negotiations, assuring Canberra that delays to Australian spot imports are not part of any state-backed plan to put pressure on recalcitrant miners BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto.
March 19, 2008
Ability Enterprise Projects to Ship Less Cameras in 2008
Taipei, March 14, 2008 (CENS)--Due to slumping orders from such major client as Samsung Electronics of South Korea, Ability Enterprise Co., one of Taiwan`s contract manufacturers of digital still cameras, has adjusted downward its annual shipment to 15 million units this year from the earlier estimate of 17 million to 18 million units.
March 18, 2008
China Blocks Rio, BHP From Spot Iron Ore Sales, CBI China Says
March 18 (Bloomberg) -- China, the world's largest buyer of iron ore, blocked BHP Billiton Ltd. and Rio Tinto Group from selling the raw material on the spot market to press them to settle contract prices, research company CBI China Co. said.
March 17, 2008
Australia Mine Operator Gets Bid From China
SYDNEY — The Sinosteel Corporation, the Chinese metals giant, made a hostile bid Friday for an Australian iron ore producer, underscoring China’s ambition to secure raw materials to support its economy.
March 14, 2008
Private American Equity Firm May Merge With Taiwan Bank
Taipei, March 13, 2008 (CENS)--It is recently reported that Olympus Capital Holdings, a U.S.-based private equity firm, intends to acquire ChinFon Commercial Bank, a local bank that has been reportedly run without due attention and care given to usually accepted standards of banking as accepted by the international community.
March 13, 2008
Hon Hai Puts Chinese Subsidiaries Under Hong Kong Holding Firm
Taipei, March 12, 2008 (CENS)--In line with change in China`s business-income tax, the board of directors of Hon Hai Group resolved yesterday (March 11) to put all of its Chinese subsidiaries under the auspices of a Hong Kong holding firm, an arrangement which will enable it to save 50% in levy on its Chinese earnings remitted abroad.
March 12, 2008
Central Bank of China (CBC) Admits Threat of Import-Driven Inflation
Taipei, March 10, 2008 (CENS)--The Central Bank of China (CBC) admits the existence of the threat of import-driven inflation on Taiwan`s economy, a situation which may prompt it to further hike interest rates, while adopting a hands-off stance towards appreciation of the NT dollar against the U.S. dollar.
March 11, 2008
INTERVIEW-FerroChina Says Open to Strategic Investor
* plans to produce galvanised steel in Vietnam
* expects zinc prices in China to rise 10 to 20 pct this year
March 10, 2008
China's steel product prices up 25% in February
BEIJING, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Average price of steel products in China surged 25.63 percent year-on-year in February to 5,095 yuan (717 U.S. dollars) per ton, according to Saturday's China Securities Journal, a newspaper run by Xinhua News Agency.
March 07, 2008
The Cabinet Relaxes Restriction on Investment Ceiling in China
Taipei, March 6, 2008 (CENS)--The Executive Yuan (the Cabinet) resolved yesterday (March 5) to relax restrictions on investments by Taiwanese enterprises in China, by allowing a more liberal calculation for the 40% investment ceiling and an extra quota associated with their domestic investments.
March 06, 2008
Foundrymen seek ban of iron ore export to China
COIMBATORE: The foundry industry urged the Centre to impose a ban on iron ore export to China so as to arrest a massive unemployment problem.
March 05, 2008
Amnesty for Unregistered Taiwanese Businesses in China a Boon for OBUs
Taipei, March 3, 2008 (CENS)--The amnesty plan of the Taiwanese government for unregistered Taiwanese-invested firms in China is expected to facilitate borrowing of such firms with offshore-banking units (OBU) of domestic banks, benefiting both parties.
March 04, 2008
Mainland China`s Chip Market Remains Brisk Despite Growth Slowdown
Taipei, March 3, 2008 (CENS)--Mainland China`s chip market grew 18.6% year-over-year, to RMB562.37 billion (US$79 billion at US$1:RMB7.1) last year, remaining the world`s fastest-growing market for semiconductor chips, according to CCIDnet, which tracks the mainland`s information-technology market.
March 03, 2008
China`s Chalco to vie for US$584m of parent`s assets - Chalco targets Chinalco assets
Chalco, will bid for nearly US$600 million worth of equity stakes in six sister firms from state parent Aluminum Corp of China (Chinalco), advancing the consolidation of the firms` sprawling assets, sources at the two companies said.
February 29, 2008
Hero Lighting Corp.--Track lighting, die-cast aluminum lighting fixtures
Founded in 1993, Hero Lighting Corp. has leveraged its considerable R&D capacity to build a solid business in track-lighting manufacturing.
February 28, 2008
MOF Raises Fines for Falsifying Export Declarations
Taipei, Feb. 25, 2008 (CENS)--The Ministry of Finance (MOF) has revised related regulation raising fines for falsifying export declarations by 30-100%, effective immediately.
February 27, 2008
Iron ore price rise could force China steel rationalization
China imports almost half of the world's seaborne iron ore, making it the largest iron ore consumer in the world, but it has become a price-taker for this basic input for steel -- perhaps because it waited too long to negotiate with major suppliers.
February 26, 2008
Tatas to double China revenues
Mumbai, Feb 25 The Tata group’s investment plans in Bangladesh may have hit a rough patch, but it is steadily gaining a foothold in China. Despite growing competition from local Companies, Tata expects to double revenues from China—primarily from TCS and Tata Steel—to $600 million this year. It will also see sourcing from that country double to $500 million.
February 25, 2008
China denies US steel energy subsidy report
A Chinese industry group on Wednesday denied the claims of a U.S. study released last month, which stated that massive government energy subsidies had fueled the country's steel exports.
February 22, 2008
China Ends Anti-dumping Measures on Korean Fiber
China has ended five years of anti-dumping measures on polyester chips and polyester fiber imports from the Republic of Korea (ROK), according to the Ministry of Commerce.
February 21, 2008
Russian Steelmaker Makes $1.5 Billion China Deal
In its first Asian acquisition, Russian steel producer Evraz Group will acquire 51% of China's Delong Holdings, triggering a tender offer to minority shareholders
February 20, 2008
MAC Considering Amnesty for Illegal Taiwanese Investors in China
Taipei, Feb. 19, 2008 (CENS)--In a bid to encourage Taiwanese businessmen in China returning to Taiwan for investments, the Cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) is considering to grant amnesty to those which invested in China without government approval.
February 19, 2008
BHP, Rio Iron Ore Dilemma
Sydney, Feb 19, 2008 (ABN Newswire) - The financial analysts will be crunching their models, working up the benefits to BHP Billion and Rio Tinto after it was confirmed that Japanese and South Korean steel mills have agreed to a 65% rise in the price of iron ore from April 1.
February 18, 2008
Georgia to Build on BRICs - Brazil, Russia, India, China Form Bloc of Developing Nations Key to Trade, Investment
Brazil's announcement this month of the opening of a consulate in Atlanta appears little more than a diplomatic nicety, an opportunity for Rio-bound revelers to pick up a visa or expatriates to cast a vote. Brazil, after all, becomes the 22nd country to establish diplomatic relations in Atlanta.
February 15, 2008
MediaTek`s 3G Chips Make a Big Splash in Mainland China
Taipei, Feb. 14, 2008 (CENS)--Big cell-phone suppliers in mainland China including LG Electronics, TCL Holdings Corp., Hisense, and Longcheer Telecommunications Co., Ltd. have built MediaTek Inc.`s TD-SCDMA chips into their 3G mobile phones.
February 14, 2008
Ministry of Finance (MOF) Cancels Tax Rebate for 622 Export Items From April 1
Taipei, Feb. 13, 2008 (CENS)--In line with the trend of tariff reduction, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) announced yesterday (Feb. 12) cancellation of tax rebates for 622 exported items, including cosmetics, medicines, and iron/steel, effective April 1.
February 13, 2008
SA firms penetrate Chinese industry
Johannesburg - A handful of South African companies have become "industry shapers" in China, according to Martyn Davies, the executive director of the Centre for Chinese Studies at the University of Stellenbosch.
February 12, 2008
China Takes Steps to Stem Trading Partners` Product Safety Concerns
It`s roughly since the mid-2007 when China began to face mounting pressure of product safety concerns from its trading partners, which, as market observers commented, is a major obstacle for China to move toward being a dominant power on the international market.
February 11, 2008
Noble International is a 'Steel' at Current Valuation
International (NOBL) provides laser welded blanks and tubes for the automotive industry. Its products are used by OEMs or their suppliers in automobile body components such as doors, fenders, body side panels, and pillars. NOBL provides prototype designs, engineering, laser welding, and other cutting services.
February 08, 2008
Rusal, China Power to build plants in China, Guinea
RUSAL plans to build an aluminium smelter in China and a bauxite and alumina complex in Guinea
February 07, 2008
BHP Billiton raises offer, Rio Tinto rejects - BHP Billiton makes "first and only offer" for Rio Tinto
BHP Billiton, the world`s largest mining company, raised its hostile bid for Rio Tinto to US$147.4 billion after China`s biggest aluminum company sought to block the takeover, but the latest offer was rejected.
February 06, 2008
Chinalco`s Xiao meets with Australian minister on Rio Tinto
Chinalco`s president meets with Australian minister
February 05, 2008
China takes stake in Rio Tinto, threatens BHP Billiton`s bid plan
China`s biggest aluminium producer has teamed up with US group Alcoa to buy a 12% stake in Rio Tinto plc, threatening BHP Billiton`s efforts to win the Rio Tinto group.
February 04, 2008
BHPB in iron ore supply pact with China`s Baosteel
BHPB signed an agreement to supply Baosteel with iron ore
BHP Billiton said on January 30 it had signed an agreement to supply China`s Baoshan Iron & Steel Co (Baosteel) with iron ore.
February 01, 2008
China to Levy Tariffs on Some Exported Steel Products
A steel worker in Weifang, China. Chinese companies that export steel products will face higher tariffs on Jan. 1.
January 31, 2008
BHP Billiton, China's Baosteel Strike 10-Year Iron Ore Supply Agreement
SHANGHAI, China (AP) -- Anglo-Australian miner BHP Billiton Ltd. said Wednesday it has struck a 10-year iron ore supply deal with Baoshan Iron & Steel Co., China's biggest steel maker.
January 30, 2008
WuXi PharmaTech (NYSE: WX) Hosts Its First Supplier Conference in Shanghai
SHANGHAI, China, Jan. 29 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- WuXi PharmaTech , China's premier provider of pharmaceutical R&D outsourcing services hosted its first supplier conference on January 28 in Shanghai, China.
January 29, 2008
2008 - AND BEYOND
Happy New Year. I’m adding my voice to the year-ahead punditry – but taking a different approach by looking further out. The views are based on a look through the end of 2010 and represent my own thinking as well as the input of several of my colleagues. I’ll be concentrating primarily on demand trends today, with more thoughts on provider trends in a later post.
January 28, 2008
How Chindia Will Impact The World Economy
Among the large emerging economies such as Brazil, Russia, Nigeria and Indonesia, it is the rise of China and India (Chindia) which will have (and already has) enormous business implications during the first half of this Century mostly beneficial to the world.
January 25, 2008
Nation Becoming Net Corn Importer
China is becoming a net corn importer as a result of robust domestic demand from the corn deep processing sector.
January 24, 2008
Taiwan Will Embrace More Liberal Mainland Economic Policy Under New President
Taipei, Jan. 23, 2008 (CENS)--Taiwan is likely to embrace a more liberal mainland China-related economic policy under the next president, no matter who wins the upcoming election, as both presidential nominees of the ruling DPP and opposition KMT parties are leaning towards such a policy line, according to interviews of the two persons published by the Chinese-language Economic Daily News, sister publication of Taiwan Economic News, today (Jan. 23).
January 23, 2008
Formosa Petrochemical Plans to Step Into Rubber Material Production
Taipei, Jan. 22, 2008 (CENS)--Formosa Petrochemical Co., Ltd. has planned to invest another NT$100 billion, boosting its oil refining capacity by 100,000 to 150,000 barrels a day and stepping into rubber-material production for the first time.
January 22, 2008
Chinese computer maker Taiwan has announced it will be outsourcing production of all its notebook computers to Taiwan.
In an unusual move, China-based Lenovo—which took over IBM's ThinkPad line a few years ago—has announced it will be outsourcing production of all its notebooks to trusted manufacturers, rather than producing the systems itself in China. The unusual twist: those trusted notebook manufacturers are in Taiwan.
January 21, 2008
Chinese manufacturers vie for piece of outsourcing pie
Though China currently is under scrutiny for its manufacturing standards, it was the world's top toy exporter last year. It hopes to become a major player in drug manufacturing, too.
January 18, 2008
Watch total costs if sourcing in India
The benefits of cheap labor in India can be offset by higher total costs caused by poor infrastructure and the lack of a supply base. By James Carbone -- Purchasing, 1/17/2008
January 17, 2008
Thirst for outsourcing fuelling product recalls - By: Kirsty Barnes
15/01/2008 - Product recalls in the UK due to health and safety concerns have shot up to their highest level, with the rise in outsourcing to China fingerpointed for much of the blame.
January 16, 2008
Western countries 'outsourcing pollution' - By Sun Xiaohua (China Daily)
Western nations are contributing to China's CO2 emissions, according to a report from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
January 15, 2008
Eight Electronics Firms Among Taiwan`s Top-10 Enterprises in 2007
Taipei, Jan. 14, 2008 (CENS)--Taiwan`s top-10 firms, in terms of annual sales, included eight electronic concerns, with the other two coming from the Formosa Plastics Group, according to statistics compiled by the Taiwan Stock Exchange Corporation (TSEC).
January 14, 2008
GM Switches Materials to Cut Costs
Materials substitutions can yield huge savings in the face of soaring metals and plastics costs. GM adopts a new strategy
Doug Smock, Contributing Editor -- Design News, January 7, 2008
January 11, 2007
China Metals Demand to Affect Australia More Than U.S. Housing Crash
Can you tell me whether the China boom will survive and outlast an American housing-lend recession? Gwen Robinson over at the FT says, “There is simply no means of knowing that, since we are in new economic territory.
January 10, 2008
Merrill Lynch, UBS Clash on China Metals Demand Forecast
Put together a falling US dollar and rosy growth forecasts from China and what do you get? If you guessed higher commodity prices, you get a gold star. Yet among the institutions, there’s mixed opinion about what metals prices will go up (or down) in 2008.
January 09, 2008
Soaring Materials Prices Cause Problems for Machine-tool Makers - 2008/01/07
Thanks to sharp price hikes for Brazilian pig iron, Taiwan`s importers have boosted their pig-iron quotations for second-quarter delivery to US$545 per metric ton, up 12.37% from prices quoted just three months ago. The price of coke, which is used as a fuel to reduce metallic oxides in metals, has skyrocketed 28.5% over the past three months.
January 08, 2008
TSEC to Solicit Overseas Investors From Singapore and Hong Kong
Taipei, Jan. 7, 2008 (CENS)--Following the holding of invest-in-Taiwan presentations in New York, London, Abu Dahbi, Dubai separately in September and December 2007, the Taiwan Stock Exchange Corp. (TSEC) will continue to hold two similar presentations dubbed "Your Gateway to Asian Prosperity" Jan. 15-16 in Singapore and Jan. 17-18 in Hong Kong.
January 07, 2008
Trends in Global Sourcing for 2008
Overall, demand in the market for IT & BPO services continue to expand in 2008: The main factors driving outsourcing is continue to be cost and access to skills not available in home country.
January 04, 2008
Innolux to Supply TFT-LCD Cellphone Panels to Nokia
Taipei, Jan. 3, 2008 (CENS)--Taiwan-based thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panel maker Innolux Display Corp. is scheduled to begin supplying cellphone panels to Nokia for the first time in the first quarter of 2008, according to Innolux chief financial officer (CFO) Thomas Hsu.
January 03, 2008
Taiwan`s Iron and Steel Industry Expected to Continue Growing
Taiwan`s iron and steel industry will continue to grow through 2010, according to the speakers at a seminar held by the Industrial Technology Intelligence Services (ITIS) office of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) on Nov. 22. The speakers included Chen Chien-jen, senior industry consultant at ITIS; Liu Wen-hai, ITIS project manager; and Huang Chin-chuan, deputy director of the metal research and development department of the government-backed Metal Industries Research & Development Centre (MIRDC).
January 02, 2008
Outsourcing
Outsourcing agreements promise significant value for both buyers and providers. In theory, such arrangements help buyers reduce operational expenses and achieve critical business transformation, and in return, allow providers to grow rapidly with predictable sources of revenue.
January 01, 2008
Outsourcing in China: The Beijing Region
By Jacqueline Zhang
The People’s Republic of China, if you haven’t noticed, is mind-bogglingly big. A behemoth of a country, just the Great Wall alone stretches longer than the distance between New York and Los Angeles.
December 31, 2007
Machinery in Taiwan Evolving From Manual to Automated Operation Since 1980s
Over the past decade, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) has been promoting industrial automation earnestly. A projection prepared by the MOEA shows that Taiwan will grow to be Asia`s No.1 supplier of integrated automation systems in the decade to come, with an annual increase of 10% in output.
December 28, 2007
Everest Research: Trends in Offshoring - By Dian Schaffhauser
Everest Research Institute, the research division of Everest Group, an outsourcing advisory firm, recently announced that it expected labor arbitrage -- the key cost-savings benefit of offshore outsourcing -- to continue to drive sourcing decisions for the next 30 years. It struck us that projections don't often go that far into the future. These researchers were truly putting a stake in the ground for the long-term.
December 27, 2007
Build a Captive Development Center or Partner with a Service Provider?
Improving Your Global Outsourcing Strategy - By Robert Corace
As the offshore product engineering industry matures, independent software vendors (ISVs) and software-enabled companies (those that don't sell software, but for which software is the driving force behind their business) are outsourcing more than the traditionally "must have, but don't want to pay for" functions such as IT support or quality assurance.
December 26, 2007
Rethinking Free Trade?
By Lindsay Oldenski
According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, it’s suddenly become trendy for high-profile economists to contradict their previous views– and centuries of economic research– by coming out against free trade. The article by David Wessel and Bob Davis is entitled Pain from Free Trade Spurs Second Thoughts and focuses on recent comments by economist Alan Blinder and others about the potential drawbacks of offshoring service jobs.
December 25, 2007
TSE to Sponsor Presentations of Business Prospects by Blue-Chip Firms
2007/12/24
Taipei, Dec. 24, 2007 (CENS)--To bolster investors` confidence and the domestic bourse following its recent crash, the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE) will sponsor a series of six large-scale explanation sessions for institutional investors starting this Friday, when 18 blue-chip companies will make presentations on their operations and industrial outlook.
December 24, 2007
Chrysler to Finalize Test Center in Asia
Taipei, Dec. 21, 2007 (CENS)--American car maker Chrysler LLC is planning to set up its first Asia testing center by selecting one location among three choices, including Taiwan, mainland China, and India, according to industry sources.
December 21, 2007
The Next Empire: questioning Chinese multinationals, finance, trade, jobs, outsourcing, hightech, po
December 20, 2007
IBM expects $1 billion in India revenue this year
IBM expects to make about US$1 billion in revenue from India this year, as the company's hardware and services businesses in the local market soar.
December 19, 2007
Indian Bioinformatics Services Outsourcing Revenues Will Touch USD 62 Million By 2010
Bioinformatics - Surfing the outsourcing wave
December 18, 2007
2008 : The year of newspaper outsourcing
A wave of outsourcing will begin in 2008 in the newspaper industry according to a survey of 15 private company executives done by Deutsche Bank analyst Paul Ginocchio.
December 17, 2007
Outsourcing Rivalry Doesn't Faze Malaysia
To combat competition from the Philippines, the country is positioning itself as a high-value rather than low-cost destination for voice services - by Lee Min Keong
December 14, 2007
Rise of India, China does not signal American decline:
US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice says the coming of an Asian century with the rise of India and China does not mean the beginning of an era of American decline.
December 13, 2007
China Export: High-Tech Outsourcing
DALIAN, China - German software giant SAP AG brings its toughest jobs to this
port city in China's rustbelt northeast.
December 12, 2007
China Nuclear Power Poised for Export in `Self-Reliance' Bid
China, its safety reputation tattered by lead paint in toys, cancer-causing chemicals in seafood and antifreeze ingredients in toothpaste, is gearing up to become the world's biggest producer and operator of nuclear plants.
December 11, 2007
OBUs Watching Finance of Taiwanese Firms in China Closely
Taipei, Dec. 10, 2007 (CENS)--Offshore banking units of domestic banks are watching closely impact of the imminent implementation of the "Employment Contract Law" and other more stringent taxation regulations on the operations of Taiwanese-invested firms in China, with some reportedly having decided to defer delivery of approved loans to those with dubious finance until after the Chinese Lunar New Year.
December 10, 2007
Global Sales of Semiconductor Equipment Seen to Decline 1.5% in 2008
Taipei, Dec. 7, 2007 (CENS)--The Semiconductor Equipment and Material International (SEMI), a 2,000-member world trade institutions, recently predicted sales for semiconductor manufacturing equipment will decline 1.5% year-on-year in 2008.
December 07, 2007
US: China to drop some trade subsidies - By Martin Crutsinger
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration announced Thursday that China has agreed to eliminate improper trade subsidies it was using to the detriment of U.S. and other foreign companies.
December 06, 2007
China export: high-tech outsourcing - By Joe Mcdonald
DALIAN, China - German software giant SAP AG brings its toughest jobs to this port city in China's rustbelt northeast.
December 05, 2007
China and India resist emissions cap calls
Anyone in doubt about the pivotal position played by China and India at this month's global climate change talks in Bali should glance through the latest forecasts from the International Energy Agency.
December 04, 2007
R.R. Donnelly printing firm expands in India
R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co., a printing company that employs 700 people at two plants in the Green Bay area, will expand its presence in India.
December 03, 2007
Pfizer: Mulls Outsourcing 30% Of Manufacturing; Much To Asia
HONG KONG -(Dow Jones)- Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. (PFE) said Friday it is looking to outsource as much as 30% of its manufacturing, much of it to Asia.
November 30, 2007
Death By a Thousand Paper Cuts
Though beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, injury is not. A bloodied nose, a foreclosed home, the loss of health insurance are all clearly harmful events.
November 29, 2007
Privacy Threats from a Banana Republic
by Jim Harper
By now, the economics of offshore outsourcing are clear. Offshore outsourcing creates economic growth, bringing more and better things to more people.
November 28, 2007
International Trade Commission Finds Another U.S. Industry Completely Gone
BY RICHARD McCORMACK
The industry that makes luggage with surfaces made out of textile products has disappeared from the United States, reports the International Trade Commission (ITC). The nine companies left in the United States that make suitcases, briefcases, computer cases and sports bags out of manmade fiber textile materials say that at least 70 percent of their business now goes into military applications. Military applications constitute only 5 percent of the total market for such goods, according to the ITC.
November 27, 2007
Ford warns Ottawa not to sign with South Korea
By Greg Keenan, Auto Industry Reporter
TORONTO — Ford may redirect future investment away from Canada if Ottawa concludes a free-trade deal with South Korea that doesn’t open up that country to auto imports, the company’s top Canadian executive said yesterday.
November 26, 2007
Outsourcing is more than a cost-cutting strategy
One of those dirty little secrets about outsourcing has finally been challenged. The slash ‘n’ burn strategy.
November 23, 2007
"eneloop universe products" Win 2007 G-Mark Grand Prize
After several months of evaluation and discussion, the Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organization (JIDPO) recently announced its choice of "eneloop universe products" from the Sanyo Electric Co. as winner of the Grand Prize in the Good Design Award (G-Mark) 2007.
November 22, 2007
Chimei Targets 450,000 LCD TVs in 2008
With increasing sales in the United States and mainland China, Taiwan`s Chi Mei Group expects to ship 450,000 LCD TVs in 2008, up 50% from this year.
November 21, 2007
IAF Annual Convention in Taipei Talks Shop and Promotes Fashion Design
The 23rd IAF World Apparel Convention, hosted by the Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF), took place in Taipei, Taiwan from Oct. 24-26, 2007 and saw more than 300 local and foreign representatives in attendance at the annual event. With the invitations from TTF and IAF (International Apparel Federation), President Chen Shui-bian delivered a speech at the grand opening ceremony on Oct. 25 at the Taipei International Convention Centre.
November 20, 2007
China Waves Biggest Axe Yet on Tax Rebates for Taiwanese Suppliers
Taiwanese manufacturers operating in mainland China have been fretting recently over an unprecedented massive cut on export tax rebates that the mainland authorities put into effect July 1 this year.
November 19, 2007
Taiwan`s Power Transmission and Control Components Sector Versatile as Ever
Taiwan is noted for its know-how to roll out sophisticated power transmission and control components made of powder metallurgy production processes to meet the wide-ranging demands of automotive and machinery industries.
November 16, 2007
The Philippines Vies to Become Outsourcing's Next India
Though India dominates the offshoring and outsourcing market, capturing 40 percent of a market currently valued at around $45 billion but estimated by McKinsey & Co. to grow to $130 billion by 2010, Philippines officials are aggressively marketing the country as an alternative to India.
November 15, 2007
Intellectual Ventures LLC Plans To Go Global
BELLEVUE, Wash. -- Intellectual Ventures LLC, a low-profile investment firm run by former Microsoft Corp. executive Nathan Myhrvold, is laying plans to go global: It hopes to raise as much as $1 billion to help develop and patent inventions, many of them from universities in Asia.
November 14, 2007
West's Mining Deals Put China in a Bind
By PATRICK BARTA
BHP Billiton's bid for rival resources giant Rio Tinto shows how Western mining companies are increasing their clout as the world's commodity boom marches on, a trend that stands in stark contrast to developments in the oil business.
November 13, 2007
China Threatens To Block Industrial Goods Deal At WTO
By Staff Writers - Geneva (AFP)
China has threatened to veto any proposals on cutting customs tariffs on industrial goods at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) if its requests are not met, trade sources said on Friday.
November 12, 2007
China bans exports of drug-tainted toy Fri Nov 9, 11:16 PM ET
BEIJING - China's government has suspended exports of toys covered with a toxic chemical that have been subject to recalls from Australia to the United States after sickening children, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported Friday.
November 09, 2007
Alarm: China signals flight from dollar - Investment CEO says he's 'never seen people more nervous'
An unprecedented signal from senior Chinese leaders that the Asian economic giant might abandon the U.S. dollar sent shockwaves through the markets today as the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 360 points and the greenback fell to a record low against the euro.
November 08, 2007
Secrets Behind The Rapid Growth Of The Offshore Ecommerce
By Anne Catherine
Advertise on this Site E-Commerce solution is the new age mantra. A few years back thinking about an online form of business with an ecommerce web site was just not possible. The arrival of the World Wide Web and its utilities has however, made it possible for offshore outsourcing to be a way of business. Offshore ecommerce has broken the barriers imposed by physical distances and time and now it is possible to do business online sitting miles away from your client.
November 07, 2007
Building A Frugal Society
By: Pan Jiahua
Adopting sustainable architecture will bring China great environmental gains with little effort, writes Pan Jiahua. If the country really wants to build a “frugal society”, this is how."Sustainable architecture will be impossible without technological innovation."
November 06, 2007
United States: Exporting Without Importing a Headache: An Application of the U.S. Export Regulations to The Financial Services Industry
09 February 2005 - Article by Leigh Hansson and Benjamin Lindorf
November 05, 2007
Is China the Next Japan?
For years economists have wondered whether the inevitable rising power of China was similar to Japan in the 1980s. If you remember (and that requires you to be over 22), people used to think that Japan was an unstoppable beast destined to take over the world. Movies and popular media frequently made reference to this, of in now-comical ways.
November 02, 2007
How a Giant Utility Is Transforming Itself with Outsourcing
True organizational change is hard to achieve. Getting buy-in for new, unproven processes is a Herculean feat that few people have management experience in. So how do you pull it off? In this case study, we share nine insights culled from the transformation that happened at the people level when a huge Texas utility company spun off 2,700 employees to form a new company under mostly new ownership and with a totally new mission.
November 01, 2007
Your China Strategy Development: Advice from an Analyst
By Dian Schaffhauser
You can never know what's going to come out of David Scott Lewis' mouth next -- but you should know whatever he says will be insightful and you'd better pay attention. An ex-METAGroup analyst who -- along with many others -- lost his job when the company was acquired by Gartner Research, he had never been to China, aside from Hong Kong. But not so many months ago, he moved overseas because little was keeping him in the US and love beckoned from afar (and online). The last time we caught up with him -- in July 2005, when he’d returned home for a brief visit to speak at the AlwaysOn conference at Stanford University -- he was providing consulting services in China, primarily to US clients trying to locate just the right service providers to work with.In this interview, Mr. Lewis supplies a no-holds-barred rundown on the current state of the outsourcing business in China. Part 2 of a three-part article.
October 31, 2007
SO, WHAT IS OFFSHORING?
Offshoring is a type of outsourcing. Offshoring simply means having the outsourced business functions done in another country. Frequently, work is offshored in order to reduce labor expenses. Other times, the reasons for offshoring are strategic -- to enter new markets, to tap talent currently unavailable domestically or to overcome regulations that prevent specific activities domestically.
October 30, 2008
THE 2008 OUTSOURCING WORLD SUMMIT
February 18 - 20 Disney's Contemporary Resort - Orlando, Florida
Creating a Competitive Advantage Through Change
Michael F. Corbett, Chairman, IAOP
IBM’s Sam Palmisano recently observed that 30% of all companies in the world are changing their business models. But, the real question is: How do companies turn this capacity for change into sustained competitive advantage? Join IAOP’s Mike Corbett, neoIT’s Atul Vashistha, Vera Marques CIO BASF, John Maher of CB Richard Ellis, Rich Etzhorn of Colliers International, Pat McArdle of PricewaterhouseCoopers and other top global executives as they explain:
October 29, 2007
Outsourcing Manufacturing Spreads
By Katrina C. Arabe
Lean manufacturing is in, while vertical integration is out. That's why companies are outsourcing manufacturing—to stay focused and profitable. Should you jump on the bandwagon?
October 26, 2007
Daniel Pink on right-brain thinking and outsourced economics
In this exclusive interview, VentureOutsource.com speaks with influential business author Daniel Pink (www.danpink.com). His latest book, A Whole New Mind, explains the six abilities or talents individuals and companies must develop to compete in an outsourced and automated global economy.
October 25, 2007
Turning the Worm
By all measures, the pace of new outsourcing contract awards has slowed in 2007. The third quarter reports are out any day now.
October 23, 2007
Sending Work to India -- The Pros and Cons
You don't hear much public debate these days about offshore outsourcing. But debates roared during the 2004 presidential election, and India got much of the blame for stealing American jobs. Businesses remain interested in offshore outsourcing. And some of the delegates on Gov. Pawlenty's trade mission to India this week are looking to send work there.
October 22, 2007
B2B Outsourcing Solutions Seen Yielding Significant Value in Stanford Study
Survey shows companies outsourcing B2B programs streamline interactions with suppliers and customers, benefit from superior technical capabilities, Hau Lee says
October 19, 2007
When deciding to outsource logistics to a 3PL, read the signs
There are many reasons to outsource either part or all of your logistics operations and there are as many reasons not to outsource your logistics. Purchasing recently polled a list of third-party logistics providers, asking them to provide supply chain professionals with clear signs that it may be time to outsource—or not. Their responses might surprise you. And be sure to log onto Purchasing.com to read many more signs.
October 18, 2007
Japan Saying ‘Sayonara’ to Vertical Manufacturing
To say that Japanese OEMs have been shy about using contract manufacturing services could be the understatement of the year, says iSuppli Corp.
October 17, 2007
MID YEAR 2007 OUTSOURCING AND FDI TRENDS
Runckel & Associates handles a large number of complex international sourcing projects for our clients. As we move into August 2007, certain trends are emerging that have considerable long-term implications. I should note that these are ongoing trends that we see playing out in the remainder of 2007 and in the coming years. The cost implications are not currently critical but will become increasingly noticed going forward.
October 16, 2007
Outsourcing in China Today
Hong Kong-based consultant Peter Zapf talks about the risks and benefits of moving production to the mainland.
October 15, 2007
How to Begin a Successful International Sourcing Program.
The key to setting up a successful strategic sourcing program is to keep your risk to an absolute minimum and make any production transition as seamless as possible. These are the steps we suggest to start an integrated cost-cutting initiative. This is how we suggest you begin a successful global sourcing program.
October 12, 2007
China's drug industry set to take off
Producing cheap drugs for the developing world could allow Chinese pharmaceutical firms to capture a bigger share of the international market, industry experts suggest.
October 11, 2007
Is it all about price?
There are some very striking similarities in the recent research conducted by Connect Ltd, an IT support company specialising in providing IT support to SME’s in the UK and research by Catenate Sdn Bhd, a Malaysia based outsource sub contract manufacturer, also specialising in manufacturing for SME’s in UK, Australia and US.
October 10, 2007
Chinese investors turn to Vietnam for outsourcing
For years, the Chinese motorcycle boom was good for companies like Chongqing Dongli Manufacturing Ltd, but by the late 1990s, the Chinese clamor for motorbikes was giving way to automobiles.
October 09, 2007
'Made in India' Rising to Challenge China: Report One Day Ago
NEW DELHI (AFP) — "Made in India" could be the next big economic story with the country challenging China's position as the leading global manufacturing hub within five years, says a new report.
October 08, 2007
Kenya: Consumers Miss Price Benefits of Outsourcing
Frustrated by high production costs and an uneven business environment, local manufacturers of household and personal care products are slowly abandoning their core businesses to concentrate on marketing and distribution.
October 5, 2007
Firstex Industries Inc moves to new digs...
Firstex Industries Inc, is Proud to announce we are moving to our new facility in down town Grand Prairie and will be operational the 8th of October.
All the phone numbers, fax numbers and E mail addresses you have used in the past will stay the same.
The new facility will double the office and warehouse space and give us plenty of room to grow with your continued support.
Please change your profile sheet on Firstex Industries to the following.
Firstex Industries Inc.
111 NE 11th Street
Grand Prairie, Texas 75050
October 04, 2007
Dealing with China Sourcing on a Global Level
By Yu Sun | Published 09/7/2007 | Business |
While global sourcing has been a more and more popular way of cutting costs in International Trade, some corporations aren't that successful simply because they have no idea how to deal with individuals from other countries. Westerners could sometimes face difficulties and they don't seem to realize that business is not carried out the same way in the International trade, but that awareness is critical for companies who want to source products or services in International trade. China Sourcing can be particularly challenging for a business that doesn't know to deal with a change in traditions and values other than their own culture.
October 03, 2007
China Sourcing-An Opportunity
China being a prime location and a variety of products are imported from this destination. China Sourcinghas become a debatable topic these days. But there are certain doubts on the quality of goods manufactured in china, especially in the supply of drugs and food products. Top class quality and safety are an important focus in international trade. Quality issues cannot be taken lightly in view of China Sourcing in the B2B market. Hence, it has become necessary to view China Sourcing in the wake of the quality problems that are happening in the B2B market. But the fact lies that minor problems are an inevitable part of a large trade market.
October 02. 2007
Has The Outsourcing Gone Too Far?
Farming out in-house operations has become a religion. Faith must now
be tempered by reason.
October 01, 2007
A worker at Orbit Chemicals, which makes Fa soap on behalf of Henkel.
01-October-2007: Frustrated by high production costs and an uneven business environment, local manufacturers of household and personal care products are slowly abandoning their core businesses to concentrate on marketing and distribution.
September 28, 2007
Experts Say Manufacturing Outsourcing Is Still Strong
Labor savings enable manufacturers to save from 15-45 percent
Experts at National Manufacturing Week today said that outsourcing of manufacturing processes continues to gain momentum, as product makers begin to turn their attention beyond China, to such countries as India and Viet Nam.
September 27, 2007
Zippo To Outsource Product Line
Counselor has confirmed that Zippo Manufacturing Co. (asi/99070) will outsource sales of its ad specialty product line beginning in 2008. Starting on January 1, all Zippo promotional products will be available through another industry supplier, although Zippo has not yet revealed the supplier's name. "We've signed a third-party licensing agreement with another industry supplier," says Chuck Schreiber, general manager of Zippo's promotional products division. "We'll be divulging who that supplier is in late November or early December. We're confident, though, that this will make both us and them much stronger suppliers."
September 26, 2007
Outsourcing Simplifies the Paperwork for Appliance Manufacturer Whirlpool
By Gary N. Bowen, Business Writer
oven - appliance company outsources The old saying "the job's not finished until the paperwork's done" began to impact appliance manufacturer Whirlpool, a multi-billion dollar manufacturer of retail and commercial appliances.
September 25, 2007
Quality takes over from cheapness in China
UK companies had their products made in China because it was cheaper, but now most companies have a much higher priority - quality - as Christopher Devereux explains
September 24, 2007
The people in China understand the outsourcing concept much better than we think, and I’d like to thank Helen of ‘justlogin.com’ for this wonderful anecdote.
Let me share a story.
September 21, 2007
How to do investing, travel, finance, outsourcing, trade in China?
Explore vast finance, trade, banking, outsourcing, investment, education, technology opportunities in China, India, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan?
September 20, 2007
U.S. EXPORT FACT SHEET July 2007 Export Statistics Released September 11, 2007 Combined Exports to Panama, Peru and Colombia
EXPORT OVERVIEW:
In July 2007, U.S. exports of goods and services grew by 14.8% over July 2006 to $137.7 billion, while imports increased 5.1% to $196.9 billion.
September 19, 2007
Arena Solutions Survey Reveals a Majority of Firms Suffer From Costly Incidents Due to Outsourcing Of 800 Manufacturers Surveyed, 85 Percent Outsource, Yet Only 32 Percent Have an Infrastructure for Managing and Communicating
September 18, 2007
Why NorthStar Yachts is China Bound: Kalama boatbuilder explains why he outsourced his entire firm
By Evan Caldwell
A year ago, Kalama-based NorthStar Yachts owner Jerry Clark sat on the dock at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in Florida and realized his business needed to change to survive.
September 17, 2007
Outsourcing savings lost to poor processes
Survey finds majority of manufacturing companies outsourcing operations losing hard dollars due to outdated processes
September 14, 2007
Manufacturers risk outsourcing benefits, says survey
Foster City, Calif. — Results from an outsourcing survey conducted by Arena Solutions, a product lifecycle management (PLM) provider, and Symphony Consulting, a supply chain service company, reveal that while 85 percent of the 800 manufacturers surveyed outsource part or all of their manufacturing operations, nearly two-thirds of them put their associated savings at risk because they lack adequate control and processes.
September 13, 2007
Government Regulations Drive Industries to Outsource Treatment of Wastewater Services
PALO ALTO, California - The North American industrial water services and outsourcing market is largely driven by government regulations, environmental awareness and risk management. The primary buyers of outsourcing services for water and wastewater treatment are large manufacturing or industrial companies. This includes water treatment for use in manufacturing activities in several industrial sectors. Outsourcing also includes the disposal of industrial wastewater - treating the water before discharging it into any public body of water.
September 12, 2007
Meaningful Relationship Needs Help
The economic ties that bind China and the U.S are going through a very tough stretch. A key lesson for manufacturers is that they can outsource their production, but can never delegate their responsibility for consumer safety.
September 11, 2007
Safety Regulations Should Increase Product Quality
Federal policy and regulations on product safety are supposed to protect consumers. Quality control and safety verifications have gotten seemingly ridiculous, and in this age of lawyers and lawsuits, companies go to great lengths to protect themselves.
September 10, 2007
Is Made in China pricing itself out of the market?
Few experiences capture the essence of China's rise as an industrial powerhouse as vividly as a journey into one of the vast factory towns of the Pearl River Delta. The chemical fumes and roar of machinery are a reminder that like almost nowhere else in the world, southern China has become the focal point on the compass of global manufacturing.
September 7, 2007
Chinese whispers over toy safety alert
Our shops are awash with products labelled "Made in China", but following the latest recall of toys by leading manufacturer Mattel, can we really feel confident in what we buy?
September 6, 2007
Datacraft Increases Focus On Manufacturing Industry
Datacraft has established a strong track record in the manufacturing industry, having implemented turnkey projects for several leading manufacturers from hi-tech to heavy industries
September 5, 2007
Commerce Secretary Gutierrez Hails 2nd Quarter Growth Spurt Driven by Booming Record Exports
WASHINGTON—Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez today released the following statement on the preliminary estimate of real gross domestic product (GDP), which showed that the American economy grew at 4.0 percent in the second quarter of 2007:
More...»
September 4, 2007
Best Source strategies
There are Best Source lessons to be learnt by even the largest of companies.
Electronics firm scraps its Chinese manufacturing site
Universal Instruments (UI) has scrapped its manufacturing operation in Shenzhen, China, based upon persistent quality complaints from customers of its precision instruments. The company has since turned the facility into an assembly centre to serve its global market.
September 3, 2007
Could your next iPhone or Wii be made in Vietnam?
Taiwan's Foxconn announces plans to diversify its manufacturing base by expanding into Vietnam.
August 31, 2007
Outsourcing benefits are foreign concepts for local businesses
The colors of collars are unimportant when it comes to personnel leasing in Ukraine
© KP Media, photo by Oleksiy Boyko
Nikolai Ganzha, president of Acumen Outsourcing, said that compared to their Western counterparts, Ukrainian business owners are still afraid to entrust business administration tasks to third parties
Aug 30, 2007
Alex Colquhoun of OSI Electronics readily completed the industry's only program that certifies managers in the process of outsourcing decision-making
Alex Colquhoun, Vice President and COO at OSI Electronics, a mid-tier
electronics manufacturing services provider based in California, has successfully completed all three modules of Technology Forecasters Inc's Online Outsourcing Navigator Series program and thereby is qualified as the program's first "Outsourcing Navigator" certified fully online.
August 29, 2007
To Source or Not to Source – Does Global Sourcing make Sense for You?
The debate over whether it is healthy for American companies to shift manufacturing offshore is over. According to John McCarthy, Forrester Research’s Group Director of Research, “This is going to be one of the biggest macroeconomic shifts in the overall U.S. economy in the next 10 years.”
Need reasons to outsource manufacturing? Get more information from The Outsourcing Network...
August 28, 2007
BPO will boom, say insiders
Although there is constant threat to the BPO industry from
the emerging markets, India will continue to remain strong
Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) has been the most adored
mantra for employers and employees, many of whom are fresh
college graduates from Bombay and other cities. Many
international companies outsource business to other countries
where the labour is cheap.
August 27, 2007
U.S. IMPORT AND EXPORT PRICE INDEXES
- JULY 2007 -
The U.S. Import Price Index increased 1.5 percent in July, the Bureau
of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today, after rising
0.9 percent the previous month. Higher petroleum prices drove the July
advance. Export prices also continued to trend upward in July, increasing 0.2
percent following a 0.3 percent advance in June.
August 24, 2007
A Managerial Framework for Reducing the Impact of Disruptions to the Supply Chain
Observations from multiple executives Introduction
Recently the topic of Enterprise Risk Management appears at the top of many corporate
agendas. Although most discussions on risk management are confined to financial reporting and internal controls risks associated with the likes of Sarbanes-Oxley, an often overlooked risk is the probability of an undesirable event occurring that causes extensive supply chain disruption. When organizations discuss the concept of Enterprise Risk Management (ERM), the discussion often revolves around financial and strategic risk (see Figure 1 for examples). In reality, however, the total set of risks to an organization is much broader, and also includes Hazard Risks and Operational Risks. Hazard risks refer to weather disasters, equipment shutdown, or product liability, while Operational risks include major disruptions such as theft, later supplier deliveries, IT systems shutdowns, etc. As shown in Figure 1, a significant number of risks companies are exposed to have their root cause in entities located within their supply chain.
August 23, 2007
Medical products company moving to China
LARGO – Smith & Nephew will close the manufacturing facility that produces wound care produces and outsource its work force to China. If all goes as planned, the company’s news release said, the Largo plant will close in 2009.
August 22, 2007
Outsourcing isn't child's play
If you are one of those entrepreneurs yearning to join the global outsourcing bandwagon, think hard before you take the plunge. For, life isn’t a bed of roses there. If you fail to live up to quality standards and other pre-requisites set by the large companies and retailers, you could end up with huge losses.
August 21, 2007
Top 10 Reasons to Outsource posted by Christopher in Outsourcing, Best Practices |
1. Accelerate Reengineering Benefits
Reengineering aims for dramatic improvements in critical measure of performance such as cost, quality, service and speed. But the need o increase efficiency can come into direct conflict with the need to invest in core business. As non-core internal functions are continually put on the back burner, systems become less efficient and less productive. By outsourcing a non-core function to a world-class provider, the organization can begin to see the benefits of reengineering.
August 20, 2007
China product safety concerns have high stakes, far-reaching effects
First pet food. Then toothpaste and tires. Now toys.
The cascade of defective imports from China in recent months reached a peak last week when toymaker Mattel Inc. recalled nearly a million Chinese-made toys coated with toxic lead paint. The move prompted governments and corporations on both sides of the Pacific to scramble to fix the problem without slowing down the surging process of globalization or triggering a trade war between the United States and China - major powers whose economies are increasingly intertwined.
August 17, 2007
Supply Chain Localization
Shanghai - To call KFC China a "growth engine" is an understatement. During 2006, the number of KFC restaurants in China grew from 1,557 to 1,822. In fact, from 2004 to 2006, KFC China added over 270 new restaurants per year on average. Estimate for McDonald's recent growth are around 100 units per annum. The difference in the number of outlets between the two franchises is now one thousand restaurants, and growing. Many factors have contributed to the KFC China "growth engine," including product innovation, a well-tested new market/restaurant development system, a deep and growing pool of experienced restaurant management talents, and many others - all of which are listed in an upcoming book to be released this summer. Among these factors, the most important, and perhaps the least conspicuous, is the distribution/logistics system of KFC China.
August 16, 2007
You Know It's Time To Outsource Your Manufacturing Technology/Engineering Needs...
A Top Ten list of reasons why letting somebody else do it makes sense.
1. When maintaining internal capabilities is challenged, and limited only to the ability to find and retain personnel with expertise on process, engineering and technology.More...»
August 15, 2007
Blame U.S. companies for bad Chinese goods
Industry experts say U.S. companies need to monitor overseas factories more closely to prevent product safety lapses.
NEW YORK The second big toy recall from No. 1 toy maker Mattel this month will undoubtedly raise questions again about why these recalls keep happening and who's to blame. More...»
August 14, 2007
All Eyes Are On Outsourcing Providers In China
Francisco Partners' investment in DarwinSuzsoft and Sierra Atlantic's acquisition of ArrAy highlight increasing focus on Chinese outsourcing capabilities.More...»
August 13, 2007
AstraZeneca seizes opportunities in China Outsourcing has its advantages, but what happens to U.S. jobs? By GARY HABER, The News Journal
For AstraZeneca PLC, like many drug companies, China looms large in its future.
The pharmaceutical giant, one of Delaware's biggest employers, is expanding its operations in that country of more than 1.3 billion people.More...»
August 10, 2007
Surviving the Evolution of Outsourced Manufacturing
At a Glance As more and more manufacturing is outsourced, the changing nature of the industry is creating new demands for all parties. To succeed, the partners will need to become more deeply involved in each others’ businesses than ever before.More...»
August 9, 2007
Right diagnosis…..wrong prescription
Another day another story of product recalls from Chinese factories for health and quality issues, this time is 1.5 million toys for one of the worlds most renowned Toy Manufacturers Mattel’s Fisher Price division which has drawn enormous world wide media coverage and added more fire to fan the flames of the Anti-Outsourcing supporters.More...»
August 8, 2007
Key Supply Management Terms
Access — gaining use or potential use of something of value.
Acquisition — the act of obtaining which is much broader than buying. It includes identifying and creating strategies for seeking and using sources. It means developing appropriate relationships, acquisitioning methods and chain processes that range from traditional buying to that of enabling others in the organization to develop and manage the process efficiently and effectively. More...»
August 7, 2007
Position Your Global Sourcing Projects for Success
ISM Global Supply Management Conference September 20-21, 2007 offers essential information for supply professionals in the global arena More...»
August 6, 2007
The Top Five Rules of Doing Business in China
1.Be Flexible and Maintain Diversity of Sourcing
China is a great place to source consumer products, but there are still plenty of risks. Occasionally, manufacturers go bankrupt, which will create tremendous disruption if you're doing business with them.
Therefore, it's smart to be flexible and maintain some diversity when it comes to sourcing your consumer products. More...»
August 3, 2007
Getting it done
WORCESTER— While manufacturers across Massachusetts were cutting thousands of jobs last year, Columbia Tech was doing something unusual: Hiring. More...»
Aug. 2, 2007
More OEMs will outsource electronics manufacturing
Automotive, communications, medical and aerospace and defense industries will become more important drivers of the global electronics manufacturing services industry over the next few years, according to a new Frost & Sullivan report. More...»
August 1, 2007
The Outsourcing Upstarts
Parts of Eastern Europe, Africa, and the Middle East are vying to become new offshoring hubs -- and nudging aside established players
In 2000, when employment-screening service provider HireRight was looking for a low-cost locale for software development, the Irvine [Calif.] company turned to an unlikely destination: Estonia. More...»
July 31, 2007
Malaysia climbs the preffered outsourcing location ladder
Malaysia has been ranked as the fifth most preferred locations in the world for shared services and outsourcing (SSO), an improvement from its sixth placing last year, according to a study conducted by global consulting company Frost & Sullivan. More...»
July 30, 2007
Outsourcing could put you in harm's way
Turning a blind eye to product quality can be dangerous to your health. In June, the former head of China's food and drug agency became the ultimate object lesson: Zheng Xiaoyu, who ran the Chinese equivalent of the Food and Drug Administration for seven years, was executed for taking bribes and "dereliction of duty." More...»
July 27, 2007
The outlook on outsourcing
During the past few years, medical device manufacturers and diagnostic companies have significantly increased their use of contract manufacturers to outsource production of disposable sterile products. We define contract manufacturing as the hiring of an external company to manufacture products or sub-assemblies (where some value-added assembly occurs) for your company. The product is manufactured to your specification (your company controls the design and bill of materials), bears your company’s brand name and is sold through your sales channels. More...»
July 26, 2007
Moving up the scale
Persistent Systems on the outsourced product development scene.
People will buy components, sub-assemblies of software, rather than everyone writing everything from scratch.
The outsourced product development (OPD) industry in India, which is currently focused on cost arbitrage and process efficiency, is steadily moving into the ‘Built for Manufacturing or Design for Manufacturing,’ stage, says Dr Anand Deshpande, Chairman and Managing Director, Persistent Systems. More...»
July 25, 2007
Basic steps
With the proliferation of bad media coverage about Chinese made products, I thought it would be prudent to provide some basic considerations for companies considering outsourcing part of their manufacturing.
If you are currently looking for a company to help with outsourcing your manufacturing, there are a lot of things that you want to consider. Your company image and the quality of your products will partially be in the hands of this manufacturer, and you will want to make sure that everything is done up to your company’s quality standards! In addition, you will want to find a company that is easy for you to work with, and one that can meet the demands and requirements of your outsourced work, operating in a country that has a mature manufacturing and logistics base. Here are a couple of things to look for when outsourcing your manufacturing: More...»
July 23, 2007
Avoiding the pitfalls, reaping the benefits
Done properly, outsourcing is a powerful business enabler; done badly, it can be a nightmare.
When it comes to adopting new trends and business practices, Ireland tends to be a follower rather than a leader. This is certainly the case with IT outsourcing, which has been stubbornly slow to cultivate a strong following among Irish businesses. More...»
July 20, 2007
Outsource Manufacturing Internationally
Outsourcing the manufacture of products internationally to countries such as China has resulted in many companies being able to charge competitively lower prices for their goods. This creates a marketplace in which producers of similar goods must also seek cheaper and more efficient modes of manufacturing. Outsourcing the manufacturing aspects of your company may seem a daunting task, but may ultimately contribute largely to your company's bottom line. More...»
July 19, 2007
The Myth of the Platform Company
Are we in a brave new world in which countries with developed financial markets produce nothing, have no physical capital, run permanent trade deficits, and pay for it all with perpetually over-valued financial assets? Yes indeed, according to Charles Gave, Louis Gave, and Anatole Kaletsky (GaveKal) as told in their book Our Brave New World. More...»
July 18, 2007
Made in China?
In recent days the international media have been boiling with news of quality problems in products "made in China," on which words like "poisonous toothpaste," "shoddy tires", "lead toys," and "aquatic products containing anti-bacteria agents" popped up frequently. More...»
July 17, 2007
Manufacturing Outsourcing: Seven Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), primarily small or mid-size, who wish to become more competitive through manufacturing outsourcing or who wish to gain greater control of their current manufacturing outsourcing efforts. More...»
July 16, 2007
Newsweek opens eyes, is shocked by view
Newsweek editors must have spent the last two decades shopping for eyeglasses. Either that, or they’re just plain dumb. How else to explain a cover story this week that has been apparent to anybody who bothered looking, but is breathlessly portrayed as a masterful stroke of investigative journalism at a magazine that proclaims to report on “your voices, every day"? Who have they been listening to? Reporter Melinda Liu gets it exactly wrong with this nugget: More...»
July 13, 2007
China: China On The Move
John Buyers of Stephenson Harwood explores some of the key issues surrounding China’s determination to be an offshore services giant.
The popular image of China is that of a low-cost, high volume manufacturing industry. According to a recent report commissioned by Microsoft, China’s $14 billion IT industry will overtake the UK’s in the next five years. So what are the factors that are coming into play which will make China an increasingly attractive destination for offshore services — and which will, in the near future, transform the economic paradigm of the Middle Kingdom and reinvent it again? More...»
July 12, 2007
Outsourcing continues to attract U.S. businesses
NEW YORK — Malcolm Elvey, board member of the Secaucus, New Jersey-based The Children’s Place listened intently as speakers from the Philippine Uniglobal Services Outsourcing talked about the merits of outsourcing finance, accounting and state-of-the art animation in Manila. More...»
July 11, 2007
Now two-way
Even as outsourcing to India continues to gain momentum, reverse outsourcing is slowly gaining ground too as Indian companies outsource their processes and information technology applications to foreign ones. As the CII president, Sunil Mittal, explained to his American interlocutors recently, his Bharti group has struck a billion-dollar deal with IBM, and Idea Cellular has entered into a $700 million deal, again with IBM. At a less obvious level, reverse outsourcing could also refer to Indian software majors sub-contracting a part of their work to a third country More...»
July 10, 2007
Outsourcing Manufacturing Spreads
Lean manufacturing is in, while vertical integration is out. That's why companies are outsourcing manufacturing—to stay focused and profitable. Should you jump on the bandwagon? More...»
July 9, 2007
FIVE THINGS: MADE IN CHINA
What's a little poison in your toothpaste? Despite recent product scandals, China's trade surplus with the rest of the world will hit $200-billion this year, and the country is now the world's third-largest manufacturer by dollar output, after the U.S. and Japan. But this is just a case of history repeating itself, Simon Beck writes More...»
July 6, 2007
Chrysler Chery-picks
The symbolism of Chrysler signing a deal in Beijing on the Fourth of July to outsource the manufacture of small cars to a Chinese company, Chery, appears weighty. But of what, exactly, is it symbolic? Of the rise of China and the decline of the United States? Or of a smart move by Chrysler to cut costs and take advantage of irreversible economic forces that will ultimately benefit everyone? More...»
July 5, 2007
Outsourcing Simplifies the Paperwork for Appliance Manufacturer Whirlpool
oven - appliance company outsources The old saying "the job's not finished until the paperwork's done" began to impact appliance manufacturer Whirlpool, a multi-billion dollar manufacturer of retail and commercial appliances. More...»
July 4, 2007
AstraZeneca makes latest outsourcing move in France
AstraZeneca has sold a manufacturing plant in France to a contract manufacturer who will continue to supply the drug giant with its products under a new outsourcing contract. More...»
July 3, 2007
Hypercom Reconfigures End-to-End Product Supply Chain to Drive Efficiency, Quality and Time-to-Market
Hypercom Corporation announced its intention to outsource its manufacturing and consolidate its assembly, software, repair and maintenance functions globally to drive improvements in product quality, quickly adapt to changing market needs and reduce costs. A number of these activities are already in process or substantially completed. More...»
July 2, 2007
A Naperville businessman learns firsthand why China is good for American business
I love China and so should you
BY GREG SHUGAR
I recently returned from China on my first business trip there. I was able to witness firsthand why China's surgence in the global economy is the best thing that ever happened to American businesses. More...»</