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After 14 years of working in China, one gets used to the fire drills that continuously go on with the Chinese government and their many circulars that are issued to the business community. One has to know that, when working with China, one has to be prepared to work in the grey area as nothing is perfectly clear or set in stone (not even for a multi-national as we saw with Google and others in recent years). This comment is not meant to scare off potential factors or investors in the region, as there are many opportunities for factoring companies in China, but to serve as a reality check that “You are not in Kansas anymore Dorothy,” if one chooses to pursue these opportunities.

To illustrate my point, in 2005, I had just set up 1st PMF Bancorp’s license to factor in China as one of the first private factoring companies in the country in a town near Shenzhen where I had a lot of guanxi (the term the Chinese use for relationship). Naturally, I was very excited and still relatively new to China with only a few years under my belt, and with the experience of having setup only one other company at that point in China. So I was very green. My first goal was to stop practicing in theory and to start financing in reality. After about six months, I found my first client, which is a whole other story unto itself (which is best discussed over a few stiff drinks) While I was working on some client requests from our office in Shenzhen, I heard the fax go off. I did not pay any attention until I realized it was news of a new circular that had just been issued by our friends at the Shenzhen Ministry of Commerce (aka MOFCOM) which is the official body regulating non-bank factoring companies (every region has their semi-autonomous offices of MOFCOM that reports to the head office in Beijing) The MOFCOM Circular stated that it was now illegal to take assignment of invoices! Wow, so now I was basically out of business…to say the least, I was beside myself and as any good factor does when they get in trouble, I called my lawyer. After days of talking with my lawyer and friends in the finance industry in China, our office gets another fax. At this point, I am afraid to even look at anything that is coming out of that machine. To my surprise, the MOFCOM altered or basically annulled their circular with another circular, so I was back in business. This was my first big lesson that China was a very fluid business environment, not always moving forward in straight lines. Having lived in China, I’ve found that the Chinese do not move from point A to point B as Americans are accustomed. Their movement towards a goal is best described as circuitous…this is the culture. I speak quite often on China business and I always warn that my business tips and knowledge are almost meaningless in the hands of a person that does not understand the Chinese culture. So I am going to preface the following new opportunities in a half-joking manner by stating: the information you are about to read should only be re-enacted or practiced by a trained professional (with deep resources in China).

With all that said, there are great opportunities happening in the New Pilot Economic Zones in China. Many of us are familiar with the economic miracle of Shenzhen, where the Chinese anointed the mainland area adjacent to Hong Kong with a unique city charter granting almost complete economic freedom (except for free foreign currency exchange) in the early 1980s. From this experiment, we witnessed a business economic empire rise from farmland which, now, even rivals Hong Kong.

The latest economic experiments are in the newly formed financial districts in Shanghai and Shenzhen called Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone and Qianhai Development District, respectively (investing in the real-estate in these areas, early on, would have been our best play). These areas are quite small so there is no space for anything extravagant, just branch offices. In fact, the Shanghai New Economic zone is only 29 square meters, located near the Pudong International Airport where much of the land is reclaimed. The Chinese government has set up these zones to meet focused goals of the Chinese economy through small steps. The Chinese government’s goals are to test a freely trading currency in small areas (to limit any potential negative impact on the overall economy) while also promoting businesses in 18 service areas with a primary focus on financial services. The Chinese government’s intent is to focus on these zones to create economic hubs of freely traded RMB (the Chinese currency’s official name in China) to compete with other nearby countries and/or economic hubs. The Chinese government is determined to attract the many multi-nationals, that currently prefer to have their base of Asia operations in Singapore or Hong Kong, to these new Chinese economic zones where they will now enjoy free currency exchange for their RMB and other international currencies.

These new Free Trade Zones present a myriad of future opportunities, but many of their functions have not been clearly defined yet (i.e. how RMB currency is to be traded, in what quantities, by whom, etc.) The details are still developing. Of the main multi-national banks, only Citibank and DBS have set up small offices with licenses for the Shanghai new economic zone, as many of their rivals are most likely waiting for more definite guidelines to be set before fully committing.
So how do these new areas present opportunities for a factoring company? Well, in 2012, the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) approved Tianjin and Shanghai for foreigners to start their own factoring companies or own a portion as a joint venture, so no new opportunities have happened in terms of full licensing. One could license a factoring company prior to 2012, but the guidelines were mostly in the grey area and one would have to have solid relationships with the local government in order to operate successfully. The regional MOFCOMs are really the oversight entities for non-bank factoring companies whereas the China Bank Regulation Commission (aka the CBRC) regulates traditional banking institutions, including those with factoring units.

When starting a factoring company in one of these three new economic zones, post 2012, the amount of paid in capital required for a factoring company is approximately $8 to $10 million USD (based on direct inquiries to MOFCOM by my offices). Most US businessmen are unfamiliar with the “paid in capital” concept practiced in China which requires all new businesses to show the required legal amount to start a business in the bank for 15 or 30 days before an actual license is issued. This requirement is extra strict for financial companies, especially foreign owned financial companies. Today, there has been more than 300 factoring business licenses granted (according to direct inquiries to MOFCOM by my office), but few of these companies are actually operating as a factoring company. One thing a business person working in China learns is that when there is a new opportunity in China, the masses flood to get a piece of the action without even knowing what they are actually getting involved in. The Shanghai New Economic Zone is a perfect example: as of the end of last year, there were over 500 inquiries per day (based on the official report via the China Daily – Nov. 18, 2013) to setup new businesses in the zone. These inquiries mostly revolved around setting up less capital intensive industries; such as travel agencies, HR, information related services, etc. However, the Chinese have always been drawn to quick profits (and are quite adverse, in most cases, to long term investments) so many of the investment rushes in China are driven by the masses acting on news, not well thought out business plans.

So starting a factoring company is easy now, if one has approximately $10 million USD in free capital to let sit in a Chinese bank until the right business opportunities are found in order to deploy the funds. But with the new economic zones, there are possibilities of freely sending the money outside of China when the money is not being used, which makes the proposition of starting a factoring company better than before (seeing that that the money can be used both inside and out of China) Unfortunately, the directives from Beijing as well as the local government in charge of running the new economic zones have not been clearly issued on how the zones will be working. There are only general guidelines and even these have changed. Like everything else in China, this will take time to evolve. But it is all moving forward, just not from point A to point B as we are accustomed.

To make things a little more complicated in taking advantage of these opportunities, there is no secret that China’s commercial laws are still very nascent and their judicial system even more so. Any seasoned factor knows that you need both of these areas of government to be operating efficiently in order to grow safely. Even though a factoring license allows one to work nationwide in China, the governments are still very regional and finding yourself as a corporation from a different province taking legal action against a local company can be hard, and even more difficult if you are a foreign-owned company. “There is however still an important need for the improvement of the general legal environment for assignment and insolvency laws. And most importantly there is a huge need for training and consulting. Today it seems to me that sometimes companies are set up as factoring companies without any knowledge about the basic principles of factoring nor a well prepared business plan in China,” states Erik Timmermans, the Secretary-General for the International Factors Group.

Best practices now are to stick to the major, well developed provinces near the new economic zones when financing a company in China, as the court system and local MOFCOM will be much more mature than many of the other provinces that still have probably 10 years of catching up to do.

“Undoubtedly, there are great opportunities for a serious factoring sector in China, and the SME sector is desperately waiting for new financial services like factoring, but only those commercial factors will succeed who start with the right amount of appropriate expertise,” states Jeroen Kohnstamm, the former Factors Chain International Secretary-General.

Where will factoring go in the next 10 years in China and will there be opportunities? Naturally, factoring will mature in the next 10 years in the format we understand it to be, and of course, there will be many opportunities. But taking time to understand the culture and the terrain in China should be the first steps to successfully understanding China and taking advantage of the opportunities in the region, especially in the new economic zones in the near to mid-term.

Stephen Perl, MBA, MS
CEO of 1st PMF Bancorp
Author: The Secrets of Dancing with the Dragon: Doing Business with China (2012)

The 116th Canton Fair will be held in the mid of this October

Canton Fair boasts an exhibition area of 1,160,000 square meters, 59,500 standard Booths, more than 200,000 buyers, and tens of Billions of US dollar business value in every session. Each Session of Canton Fair created boundless business opportunities. The 116th Canton Fair is coming soon. You are welcome to share or search global cooperation opportunities. You also can get more information in official website of Canton Fair www.cantonfair.org.cn/en ; www.e-cantonfair.com

Phase 1 (Oct. 15-19, 2014)
Electronics & Household Electrical Appliances, Lighting Equipment ,Vehicles & Spare Parts, Machinery, Hardware & Tools, Energy Resources, Chemical Products, Building Materials, International Pavilion

Phase 2 (Oct. 23-27, 2014)
Consumer Goods, Home Decorations, Gifts

Phase 3 (Oct. 31- Nov. 4, 2014)
Office Supplies, Cases & Bags, and Recreation Products, Food, Medicines, Medical Devices and Health Products, Textiles & Garments, Shoes, International Pavilion

U.S. importers have been filling the void for many of the products that the U.S. buyers continue to demand with their dollars, and this has presented a niche for new kinds of financing opportunities such as factoring invoices and trade financing.  An interesting side note is that if U.S. buyers just bought $300 more of U.S. products per year, our deficit and manufacturing flight would be solved.

Niche financing for importers has always been around for the large, credit worthy companies in the U.S., but now small businesses can get access to this financing as well.  Letters of Credit have been used by banks for a long time, but a few factoring companies are now becoming experienced at designing trade finance programs for smaller companies, and not just at factoring invoices.

How can a trade finance program help your company grow?  Being able to order larger amounts that the larger US customers are demanding is essential, but cashflow is sometimes restrictive.  Also, sending deposits, without the protection of a letter of credit or a structured purchase, is a dangerous habit as well because there is nothing holding the foreign supplier to making the right quantities, making the delivery dates or other parameters important to your company.

1st PMF Bancorp has been a commercial lender with a specialization in trade finance and factoring invoices for over 30 years.  When you are a small company. having a lender that understands and can be flexible to meet your needs makes all the difference when achieving company’s sale goals.

 

 

As we all know, China and US are major trade partners, and there is a large amount of related financing that follows this path of trade. Just last month, US Trade deficit showed a 7% increase in imported goods. Much of these goods are financed by US or Chinese banks or commercial lenders. Many trade finance and factoring companies in the US also provide financing around these services.

Based on several current factoring companies’ reports, it appears that Customs Border Patrol (CBP) is detaining and seizing a much higher percentage of the electronics trade because they have decided to raise their internal requirements for documentation. For example, US Customs requires for tablet computers with Google software to be authorized by Google which makes sense for use of their logos, etc. However, having Google’s approval for use of logos is no longer sufficient documentation for U.S. Customs. They must have a Letter from Google authorizing them to be able to “import” their goods. This appears to be over reaching because if Google gave the approval and certification to the tablet or electronic makers to use their name and logos, then it should be assumed they have the right to import and to sell the same product. Why else would an electronics company seek these approvals and Google’s approval, if it were not for the reason to import and sell these same electronic products.

Invoice factoring and Trade Finance companies financing electronic goods coming out of China, especially with IP on the box or even embedded in the tablet or other electronic devices need to be on high alert to review their respective client(s)’ documentation to make sure that there are no issues upon importation.

If your collateral is detained or seized by US Customs, then what?

Where does one appeal a U.S. Customs decision or go to expedite the correction of an error? The answer, is that one must appeal through the U.S. Customs…there should be an outside judicial remedy to check this government agency, but there is not and most decisions on seized goods take more than 12 months to respond with a decision on an IPR issue. Collateral lenders providing trade finance need to be on alert that U.S. Customs has changed their requirements and more importantly, free reign to make unilateral decisions and change guide lines as described above.

Stephen Perl, CEO

1st PMF Bancorp – invoice factoring worldwide

Author: Secrets of Doing Business with China: Dancing with the Dragon

Find Your Financing Now as Suppliers won’t be taking Mastercard…

The China Import / Export Fair, or formerly known as the Canton Fair is fast approaching…there are still seats on the planes but they are filling up by the second.

US buyers often frequent this fair to meet with long time suppliers to see what is new and to strengthen existing relationships.

However, even long time buyers have difficulty getting credit from their Chinese suppliers. PMF Bancorp is a long time partner of the Canton Fair and has provided trade financing to many of their buyers and suppliers over the years.  Many of our clients use PMF Bancorp’s trade financing solutions.

Many US businesses take for granted the ability to get terms or credit from their US suppliers. Internationally, the credit systems are much stricter because the judicial system is not nearly as effective as in the US. In the US, if a Supplier is not paid, they are able to proceed with legal action that is meaningful, but in countries like China, India and other developing countries, the legal system can take years for a court case to be resolved or even heard at all, and then collecting might not even be effective. So international businesses are more careful and typically will not provide terms to most buyers, especially foreign buyers.

The US buyer needs to think: “BRING YOUR OWN FINANCING” or “BYOF”, not to be mistaken with “BYOB” for the beer lovers in our midst. US buyers are commonly looking for financing solutions.

There are many solutions for financing your international trade and imports.

Sign up for the Canton Fair Now

The main financing solutions for International Trade can be described as follows:

For Importing Goods:

1. Issuing a Letter of Credit to the foreign supplier (more info)
2. PO Advance financing (more info)
3. Borrowing from your Mom and Dad (limited -no info on this)

For Exporting Goods:

1. One Factor Direct Financing Process (more info on Supply Chain Factoring)
2. Two Factor Exporting Process (more info on Supply Chain Factoring)
3. Ex-Im Guarantee (more info on Supply Chain Factoring)
4. Traditional Bank lines of credit (however, many banks will not permit foreign collateral transactions)

PMF Bancorp has been financing businesses for the last 2 decades successfully with customized financing plans to meet most businesses needs.  Feel free to contact us to discuss a plan that suits your businesses needs.

Businesses working with China trade for importing goods often have to pay for their goods or labor to make many of their completed products for the US market.  Lets face it, the US dollar does not go the same distance it used to in China or anywhere else for that matter.

Unfortunately, the US does not make a lot of toasters or microwaves anymore so retailers and consumers are forced to buy Chinese made goods. US businesses often use trade financing to import goods.  We could buy Made in the USA products, but it is ultimately the consumer’s decision for the most part when they walk into Walmart and choose to buy the less expensive Chinese made product.

Businesses are all in a wait and see mode as the Chinese currency has appreciated drastically over the last several years by more than 30%; however, the Chinese economy looks like it may be finding its equilibrium as the economy matures.  The last couple of years of growth in China’s GDP have shown a dip in their GDP.  Their GDP in the last two years been between 7-8% which are the lowest levels in 15 years. These figures are probably a couple percent too high as well do to adjustments that should be taken internally before China reports. India was also thought to be a industrial machine and it has shown the same decline over the last several years.

The People’s Bank of China (“PBOC”) has also taken measures to slow currency speculation by widening the Yuan currency fluctuation bank to a 2% band.  The PBOC as reported by the Wall Street Journal today stated, “The Central Bank of China is pretty satisfied with the efforts [using this new widened band] to punish speculators”.  “Over the last 5 years, PMF Bancorp’s clients importing and trade financing goods based on factoring invoices from China have seen a dramatic increase in cost of goods and labor in China, but it appears to be leveling off in the last year” states Mr. Stephen Perl, CEO of 1st PMF Bancorp.

Therefore, is China becoming more expensive or less expensive for US importers can be debated but it should be clear now that the currency will probably find an equilibrium around this current level and there should not be anymore large jumps in appreciation.  On the contrary, if the Chinese people, businesses, etc. become worried enough about their economy then we will start to see a flight of capital which would depreciate the currency even further and would help make doing business in China cheaper again.  So, I think all parties have a vested interest in keeping the China Yuan stable at these levels.

Stephen Perl, MS, MBA
CEO of 1st PMF Bancorp

Thxs
SP

Author of Book: Dancing with the Dragon: the Secrets of Doing Business with China (Book 2012)  

Many businesses under $10 million are focused on the traditional sales channels like major retailers.  For many. this is the “Mother load”, but when there are more competitors all the time and major retailers with flat to negative growth after factoring for inflation, there must be other tactics employed while also making sure you have financing strategies in place to handle growth when you find (i.e. factoring invoices, a/r financing, ABL, credit insurance and more).

It might be tough to grow sales but NOT IMPOSSIBLE!

Like any goal, there must first be a plan. In this case, there must be a business plan with action steps and obtainable goals.  So, what tools can be used today to assist in driving sales that most others in the small to medium market are not using.  My business school marketing professor always told me to pick a niche and own it…my add on to this, is to at least be very good at niche so your company stands out.

When selling products, the following are tools you must consider:

1. A sales strategy that takes the road less traveled…going where your competitors are not comfortable will be a major asset.  Consider selling to distributors that are solid in foreign countries…take small steps in this direction to open new markets. Selling directly to Carrefour or BenQ is not likely and unwise.  If you have experience selling to the US retailers, then selling as a foreign company to a large foreign retailer requires stepping your game up to a whole new level which most small to substantial medium sized businesses are not ready for.
2. Factoring invoices can provide cash quickly to a business that needs to turn around and buy inventory or make payroll, and cannot wait for a traditional bank’s decision making process that takes months.
3. Make products unique and try to stay away from seasonality if possible so if a sales cycle is missed then the product(s) can be sold at later dates and to others in different regions as well…
4. Promote your product were your competition is not heavy… this can take the form of non-traditional retail channels, trade magazines that only distributors read, corporate sales, , etc.  Picking a Google Ad word is great but if all your competition is fighting for the same word, there will be little response because there will be too much noise for real prospects to see your ad.  Select sites that are important to your business but off the typical path that your competitors are following.
5. Make sure you have at least 6 months of working capital in case there is a dry spell in sales… finding banks and alternative lenders that specialize in providing working capital for your business model is mission critical. Often, smaller businesses don’t qualify for traditional business loans.  Additionally, SBA loans are not practical because they offer amounts that are too small for real growth and they usually require pledging everything you own so no other financing can be done.
6. Factoring programs that incorporate a trade finance platform are also valuable as many of the current US businesses are purchasing abroad and having a lender that can issue Letters of Credit (LCs) directly will save you money and brain matter in trying to coordinate the logistics, docs, and terms that protect you correctly when issuing an LC.
7. Supply chain financing is often a term tossed around as a catch phrase, but understanding that a lender that has this type of expertise and program will be an added value in making sure your company produces the right goods at the right time so that appropriate Quality Control (QC) measures are in place, the assets or people on the ground are appropriate for monitoring your efforts, logistics are being monitored, a continual process and system for reviewing the foreign factory’s credit to perform accordingly, and many other important features for importing from or selling to foreign firms are in place.  PMF Bancorp’s Supply Chain Financing Plus Program is an example of lender program that incorporates these kind of services.
8. Lastly, remember to get the money when you don’t need it because when you do, it wont be around.

Stephen Perl, MS, MBA
CEO of 1st PMF Bancorp

Thxs
SP

Keeping to a “New Year’s Resolution” of being ahead of the curve is a goal everyone needs to work towards…as a small business owner, don’t wait to the last minute to find the extra capital that you need.  Keep this year’s resolution and find the right capital before its urgent.  Finding the right factoring company is a great way to accomplish this task.

A factoring line or an accounts receivable line of credit is a simple way for businesses to turn their invoices in into cash to solve short term working capital needs.  This is one of the common ways adopted by companies today to get more cash flow or working capital for carrying out their business activities.

What to Look for when Applying to a Factoring Company…

When applying for a new factoring invoice line of credit, the first item one should look for is the number of years that the factor has been in business.  This is not a futile exercise…its important that one be aware of the factoring company representing that they have combined years of experience because this does not translate in to real history and track record as a factoring company for account receivable financing.  One needs to see that factoring company has at least 10 years minimum in business and +20 years is even better.  Plus 20 years in business says a lot about any business and even more about a lender if its reputation is solid without a ton of complaints (note that after so many years, one or two negative comments are typically meaningless, but if there are many complaints via the web or litigation issues on the public record then there is most likely a problem).

What to look for in Selecting a Factoring Company…

The most important item is to feel comfortable with the factoring company’s management as many factoring companies will have sales people that are completely disconnected from the actual day to day process, and more importantly these sales people add little value to your transaction because they have not typically been with the organization for long due to high turnover.  Getting to know and meet the actual people that process the daily fundings will make a big difference… trust me.  Best advice is to charm them and bring them a small gift of chocolates the first time you meet them…this has always worked in our factoring company.

Lastly, one should also review the factoring company’s area of expertise as it’s always best to find a factor with invoice factoring knowledge where your business needs it.  For example, if you are an importer then having a factor company that knows about trade finance and letters of credit is very helpful where most generic factors would not have a clue.  

Most importantly, taking a common sense approach to making a choice on selecting your factoring company is key to this process before just giving off your invoice factoring to any finance company.  Remember, your accounts receivable and resulting payments are the heart of your company so you should have confidence in your financial partner.

By Stephen Perl, MBA, MS
CEO of 1^st PMF Bancorp

China is becoming more intriguing all the time because as it moves towards a stronger capitalistic economy, the government is apparently consolidating power in their President’s position.  This could be seen as a move for more centralized power, or alternatively an attempt at copying the US’s system and the President’s powers in the US.  It is no secret that the Chinese have modeled many of their systems, roads, infrastructure projects, etc. after the US.  The Chinese feel the US has been tremendously successful and there is no reason to copy any other (however, its only my opinion, but they may want to pass on copying our health care system and retirement system).

In simple terms, what did this Third (3rd) Plenum achieve… the top line statement given after the meeting was that China’s leadership would make more decisive movements toward a free market system, while maintaining a firm central state grip on the overall picture…not sure about you but I am confused.  However, in contrast to the past 2 Chinese President’s,  the 3rd Plenum did appear to have granted President Xi the following new powers:

1.  Control over Military, Foreign Affairs, Intelligence, and Economic Officials (not quite like the US Reserve model)

2. Creation of a National Security Council

3. Control over most of Domestic Security issues

4. Control Foreign Defense without Leadership approval

There are many similarities to the US…too many to comment on but this is probably a good thing as having a President with too little power can create more problems and frustrations so another ally that is aligned with our business interests can only be a good thing for the overall future for both countries and the world.

by Stephen Perl, MS, MBA

Author of “Dancing with the Dragon: Doing Business with China (2012)“

Many think that the social issues and welfare of China are the sole problems of China…in fact, I would argue just the opposite.  China’s social stability is directly tied to “global growth” and stability.  How can this be?

China’s top down approach to capitalism where the state manages the countries economy in a capitalistic format has worked well for many years, but there have been disruptions.  Many only see the strong GDP numbers from the financial markets and the new projects that China is developing from the media, but underneath is still a developing country as they are part of the BRIC countries.  The BRIC states have amazing potential, but they are still developing and struggling with the many issues of growth and capitalism.

What happened to China’s economy in 1989 in Beijing when Tianemen Square revolt occurred?  The Chinese GDP plunged to 2.5% for two years…thank goodness their economy was not nearly as big then.  The consumption power that China now wields is tremendous and if there is social social unrest, it will bring this economy to its knees and hobble many others.  Even the US will feel the effect.

It is important that the US guides its partners in the right direction, but only gradually.  We cannot expect a baby to walk before it crawls so we cannot expect China to jump before it can run.

Currently, China’s economy is slowing down and maturing gradually…we should not be worried as this is normal for all maturing economies, but we must foster the right economic policies and social standards for their country.  This requires Americans to step out of their comfort zone and to practice cultural sensitivity (to the right degree…so please do not take my advice out of context).

Keeping the social stability in China is a matter that the world must be concerned with.

 

by Stephen Perl, MBA, MS

CEO of PMF Bancorp

Author: Dancing with the Dragon (2012)