Filipino exporters urged to do business with China

CEBU, Philippines - Copyright concerns should not be a hindrance in penetrating the Chinese market, specifically with furniture and home accessories, as the Chinese market now demands for imported products.

As the Chinese market is now buying imported products, Filipino exporters should immediately take advantage of this opportunity, and that apprehension of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), should not be seen as a problem—anymore.

Business One GTC, an international buyers purchasing conference, headed by Henry Hwang, urged Cebuano manufacturers not only in furniture, fashion accessories, home decors, but also food (processed fruit and seafood), not to make second-thoughts in venturing into the Chinese market.

Hwang, together with other Chinese businessmen and organizers of the Business One GTC, was in Cebu recently to invite exporters to come to the three conferences and exhibit organized by the company in China this year, slated on June 2-6; September 22 to 26 and December 10 to 14.

Hwang made it clear that although IPR issue is not only an isolated problem of Filipino exporters who are afraid that their designs will be copied once exposed in the China market, but copycat disguised as buyers are out of China to spot good designs in other big exhibit areas like Hong Kong.

If exporters want to tap the big Chinese market, it has to go directly to the market, in good linkage with Chinese traders.

“As a creative company you need to sell your product fast. Bring it into the market immediately, than waiting for months to get IPR. Create a momentum, find the right customers, sell as fast as you can, as much as you can—don’t worry [anymore] about being copied,” Hwang warned Cebuano exporters who expressed their fears of designs being copied by Chinese manufacturers.

Hwang said in China, consumers now prefer to buy “anything-imported” as Chinese buyers have issues against their locally-made products, such as problems in safety, credibility and quality.

“You just have to find the right way. Entering China is not as expensive and complicated at all,” Hwang said.

He said Chinese buyers are “status-conscious” now, they buy something with quality and most of all—imported.

Exporters, particularly the furniture, home decors, fashion accessories, had been urged to strongly penetrate the Asian market, including China, in order to sustain operations, while the US and Europe market are still under-pressure.

One of the first steps to link with Chinese traders, and directly connect to over a billion consumer-base in China, is to participate shows and conferences specifically designed for imported products, such as the Business One GTC, Hwang said.

This platform offers opportunity for Filipino exporters to effectively and directly sell their products to the market, with lesser complications.

Business One Global Trade Center, as part of the Global Trade Center Holdings network, is the first company in the world to provide integrated one-stop trading services for international manufacturers entering into the Chinese market, which includes exhibition service, logistics, order solicitation, trade financing, tax, accounting and legal consulting.

The total consumer purchase of furniture-home decors in 2010 in China reached US$10.87 billion, a big jump from US$6.58 billion recorded in 2009.

The total import amount of furniture-home decor houseware in 2010 posted at US$3.25 billion, from only US$1.94 billion in 2009.

Clearly, Huang said the Chinese market ripe now, as the boom of real estate, and urbanization in China is now at its highest peak. Consumers are purchasing best designed furniture and home furnishing with great emphasis on imported products, and furniture and home decors made from the Philippines is highly regarded by the Chinese consumers particularly those in the middle and high-end consumer segments. (FREEMAN)