Coronavirus - any news from your Chinese suppliers?

Coronavirus - any news from your Chinese suppliers?

Author
Discussion

Chamon_Lee

3,802 posts

148 months

Thursday 13th February 2020
quotequote all
Worried myself about this situation. I was told at best the factories will be up and running 1st week of march. The factories I import from are being fully steralized top to bottom. I think this will have a huge knock on effect.

We were hoping to have goods shipped out mid feb as production started before holidays but I wonder if materials will be destroyed for safety reasons.

Not looking forward to the next 6 months

Jonny TVR

4,534 posts

282 months

Friday 14th February 2020
quotequote all
From our suppliers in shenzhen.


We got the government approval to restart the operation already, the challenges are: 1. we are very carefully to approve the people getting into the production line; 2. some suppliers not got the government approval yet. So the capacity will be back to normal step by step, but we put your order as top priority.

We will provide you the shipment schedule asap.

 


cervezaman

311 posts

142 months

Friday 14th February 2020
quotequote all
Yes we’ve also had conflicting reports from various suppliers in Guangzhou. Some are pretending that they are back at work when in reality they’re only sales staff (working from home) and the factories are still shut. They, understandably I guess, are painting a relaxed happy picture that all will be good and they’ll be up and running again very soon. I’ve seen reports that at the earliest it will be 1st March. In reality I think April / May assuming it doesn’t really go mental.
I’ve just travelled to Thailand and found three new suppliers who can get us up and running with stock flown in in around 4 weeks. Nothing to say Thailand won’t go the same way but at least I feel I’ve tried!!

cervezaman

311 posts

142 months

Friday 14th February 2020
quotequote all
Oh, and if the Thailand supplier works out then I guess it will get us round the whole month off Chinese New Year issue every year.

We shall see!

designforlife

3,734 posts

164 months

Friday 14th February 2020
quotequote all
We've been out in Russia and the Ukraine doing the same.

Jonny TVR

4,534 posts

282 months

Friday 14th February 2020
quotequote all
It depends of course on the type of product you sell. Good luck to you

jonamv8

3,152 posts

167 months

Saturday 15th February 2020
quotequote all
Must be a nightmare for you guys who import from out there!! I’d be tapping up new suppliers as it seems some of you are. Best of luck people

Glade

4,269 posts

224 months

Saturday 15th February 2020
quotequote all
Our Indian factory loves sourcing everything in India, so they've jumped on this to switch suppliers... thing is they are a bit more relaxed about supplier qualification so might be interesting.

Our suppliers are pushing the dates back. Lots who were supposed to start this week will be starting next week now... our western factories still seem to have stock but we have quite high variability so it's likely we'll get an order for something above the monthly average (and even the annual total) so those will be interesting.

Problem is we don't quite know what we will need and our die castings can't be set up elsewhere without investment in new tooling, which has it's own leadtime... so it will be interesting as this unfolds.

Weezywee

530 posts

74 months

Saturday 15th February 2020
quotequote all
jonamv8 said:
Must be a nightmare for you guys who import from out there!! I’d be tapping up new suppliers as it seems some of you are. Best of luck people
Pretty much impossible, as the only other place that manufactures my products is Turkey and they 9/10 3rd party source the product from China! Im still waiting for these big Chinese companies to open their factories in Africa!

Greshamst

2,078 posts

121 months

Tuesday 25th February 2020
quotequote all
Any updates since 2 weeks ago guys? Is stuff still shut down or is it beginning to come through again?

Jonny TVR

4,534 posts

282 months

Tuesday 25th February 2020
quotequote all
Both Shenzhen and some Ningbo suppliers producing our goods. First ship leaving this week.

cervezaman

311 posts

142 months

Tuesday 25th February 2020
quotequote all
Ours has been mixed. We import jewellery, so the main factory has had limited production this week, but the external company they rely on to then plate the jewellery is still closed. Gold jewellery is coming through though as the factory is located elsewhere in China.

Our backup Thailand suppliers have now come online having copied / produced CAD’s of our urgent range and these are now entering production.

I love China and the people there. However, the Thai people are so nice and I’m actually hopeful that the quality of the product may actually be better. It will be a really interesting lesson in product sourcing.

We’re still placing orders with China and will continue with them also; but maybe a shift totally to Thailand during this next year.

Crazy, interesting and worrying times.

FWIW

3,069 posts

98 months

Tuesday 25th February 2020
quotequote all
Slightly OT, but I was due to attend a very large trade fair in Frankfurt in a couple of weeks time but it was postponed yesterday. A massive decision that I wouldn’t have wanted to have made!
It attracts visitors and exhibitors from all over the world and there would have been thousands of Chinese there.

cervezaman

311 posts

142 months

Tuesday 25th February 2020
quotequote all
Trade fairs everywhere are closing. Was supposed to be in HK for the Jewellery fair next week but it’s been cancelled.

Such a shame! What better excuse to travel halfway around the world (paid by the company) on a jolly pretending to look at new jewellery ranges 😂😂

jamoor

14,506 posts

216 months

Tuesday 25th February 2020
quotequote all
cervezaman said:
Trade fairs everywhere are closing. Was supposed to be in HK for the Jewellery fair next week but it’s been cancelled.

Such a shame! What better excuse to travel halfway around the world (paid by the company) on a jolly pretending to look at new jewellery ranges ????
Same for us but in Italy!

Glade

4,269 posts

224 months

Tuesday 25th February 2020
quotequote all
90% of suppliers resumed. Logistics moving slowly.

But due to Italian outbreak our travel to and from there is blocked and one of our factories in the north is closed for a week. Bit of an unexpected turn of events!!

HoHoHo

14,987 posts

251 months

Thursday 27th February 2020
quotequote all
jamoor said:
cervezaman said:
Trade fairs everywhere are closing. Was supposed to be in HK for the Jewellery fair next week but it’s been cancelled.

Such a shame! What better excuse to travel halfway around the world (paid by the company) on a jolly pretending to look at new jewellery ranges ????
Same for us but in Italy!
All well and good however we are losing business as a stand builder because trade fairs are being postponed or cancelled completely.

We were meant to be in Milan next week for exmaple and have lost a rather large chunk of money on that cancelled order. I hear today that a large UK construction show is likely to cancel and that will also effect us and so it goes on.

Thankfully I have always been very good at saving money and we have sufficient in the bank with no debts to ride out any storm I can see happening however some competitors I know live hand to mouth and this will mean inevitably some will go to the wall with staff then out of work.

We are not the only business being effected by a long way and this little chinese derived fella is going to mean prices rise in the short term and all sorts of other issues that's for sure yes

jamoor

14,506 posts

216 months

Thursday 27th February 2020
quotequote all
The one it Italy was postponed and I’m sure if it’s postponed you don’t lose the business entirely more just get it at a later date?

HoHoHo

14,987 posts

251 months

Thursday 27th February 2020
quotequote all
jamoor said:
The one it Italy was postponed and I’m sure if it’s postponed you don’t lose the business entirely more just get it at a later date?
If you're referring to MCE I'm not so sure it will happen.

I also have to hope my client has the will and time to go, they should do and hopefully will do but they haven't commited yet - of course if we are only talking postponing until September I'm not so sure we will be through this by then.

jamoor

14,506 posts

216 months

Thursday 27th February 2020
quotequote all
HoHoHo said:
jamoor said:
The one it Italy was postponed and I’m sure if it’s postponed you don’t lose the business entirely more just get it at a later date?
If you're referring to MCE I'm not so sure it will happen.

I also have to hope my client has the will and time to go, they should do and hopefully will do but they haven't commited yet - of course if we are only talking postponing until September I'm not so sure we will be through this by then.
Ah sorry I was talking about mine not yours

But yeah that’s true some people may just not bother the second time round as it may be cancelled again.