Americans may not know that a large proportion of China's exports are actually foreign-brand products that are manufactured in China by foreign company. For example, Philips, the Dutch electronics manufacturer, operates 23 factories in China and produces about $5 billion worth of goods, but two-thirds of its production is exported to other countries.
At Guangdong's Pearl River Delta in China, more than 70% of the factories are owned by overseas investors and are oriented for re-export. Those foreign investors come to China to take advantage of the cheap labor to reduce their production costs. Then, they ship and sell their products to the U.S. market, the European Market, or another country's market.
You are absolutely right - products are rarely produced in a single country. Dealing with multiple countries and languages can be a real obstacle to business owners trying to source, manufacture or trade products internationally.
I have seen a number of import/export companies run into problems with their manufacturers and overseas business partners because of communication problems. Conducting business in languages one is not native to can be an obstacle to efficient, coherent and positive business transactions. Often times it makes sense to have important documents translated to ensure proper communication. For those looking to expand abroad, having correspondence, brochures and even a website translated can be extremely helpful in paving the way for the effective communication. Having materials translated demonstrates professionalism and shows your partners and manufacturers that you mean business. A professional translation is just one way Champion Assistants can support your business. We have a team of native speakers who have degrees in translation/linguistics and many years of experience in professional translation. We offer translations in Spanish, Indonesian, mandarin Chinese, simplified Chinese, Taiwanese and French. Supporting businesses doing business internationally is our specialty! Certainly, having lived in 5 countries and traveled in at least 50, it’s my personal interest!
Yours virtually,
Heather Nelson
www.championassistants.com
Posted by: Heather | September 18, 2007 5:58 PM | Permalink to Comment