China conducts first suitcase and bag exporter quality training meeting
19/9/2008 16:53
China's suitcase and bag export industry watchdog today kicked off the
country's first-ever quality and safety training session in eastern Pinghu city,
to boost quality awareness among the industry's manufacturers.
Nearly 100
large domestic suitcase and bag manufacturers and exporters took part in
training for the newly-compiled "Guide to Quality and Safety Control for
Export-oriented Bags and Suitcases".
The guide was jointly compiled by the
Chinese Ministry of Commerce, the General Administration of Quality Supervision,
Inspection and Quarantine, China Chamber of Commerce for Imports and Exports and
an expert panel, said Huang Daqi, China Chamber of Commerce for Imports and
Exports of Suitcases and Bags secretary general.
The guide detailed the
differences between the domestic and foreign markets'quality and safety
standards, the main technical regulations of targeted markets and how to deal
with technical export barriers and so on.
Huang added that although there
were not serious export suitcase and bag quality problems up to date, the
country's first quality pre-emptive "dictionary" and training were also crucial,
as "fire prevention" was even more important than "fire fighting".
As the
world's largest suitcase and bag manufacturer, China exported US$6.286 billion
of product globally in the first half of this year, up 26.45 percent year on
year.
Figures revealed that the country's exported suitcases and bags
accounted for more than one third of the global market. The United States and
the European Union were the major customers.
Liang Ming, a member of the
expert panel, urged domestic companies to regularly check technical, health and
environmental protection standards in the main targeted markets, and enhance the
quality and brand awareness, as "brand strategy is an important channel for
industrial upgrading".
Shi Lili, a Ministry of Commerce research fellow, said
pressure on exporters from the appreciation of the yuan, labor and material
price increases and the slowing pace of US and European markets were signs that
domestic companies should embark on a "quality and brand-oriented" development
road, as only those companies that did so would survive further squeezes on
their profits.
Located in eastern Zhejiang Province, Pinghu city sees this
sector turning out more than 5 billion yuan sales volume last year, according to
Shi Jihong, local industry chamber president.
But most of these companies
were doing the labor-intensive Original Equipment Manufacturing business, while
their own brands were mostly low-end ones, Shi added.
Xinhua
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