Free Reports

Reports & Industry Insights

In-depth analysis on China market entry topics. Real data, real analysis — not marketing fluff.

Guides & Resources

Essential guides for every foreign brand.

Cross-border compliance, market entry strategy, and operational playbooks — practical knowledge every overseas SME needs before entering China.

Routes into China: CBEC, General Trade & WFOE

Three regulatory pathways to enter China — CBEC for fast market testing, General Trade for full retail access, or WFOE for permanent operations. Each has different cost, timeline, and compliance requirements.

Why 80% of Foreign Brands Fail in China — And How Yours Won't

A data-driven breakdown of the real reasons foreign brands struggle: ecosystem complexity, consumer expectations, and channel strategy — with a staged budget from $126K to $545K and an actionable roadmap.

CBEC Operations

The China CBEC Playbook: From Compliance to First Customer

A complete CBEC operational playbook — platform selection, tax rates by category, logistics setup, payment flows, margin structure, and phased budgets from cold start to scale.

Compliance & Stable Operations in China

A practical guide to ongoing compliance after market entry — trademark protection, tax & accounting, HR & payroll, data privacy (PIPL), and risk management for foreign SMEs.

Industry Insights

China market snapshots by category.

Each category has unique dynamics — regulatory hurdles, consumer expectations, and channel strategies that work (or don't).

Health Supplements

Blue Hat certification: 12–18 months for domestic registration
CBEC: faster entry, but health claims are restricted
Tmall Global requires specific documentation for supplement categories
Consumer trust hinges on ingredient transparency

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¥300B+ market growing 7.5% YoY — cats now outnumber dogs
MARA registration required for domestic sale; CBEC offers faster entry
Functional pet nutrition is the fastest-growing sub-category (+20%)
Xiaohongshu drives product discovery; Tmall Global for conversion

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Imported food $127B market — but FMCG prices falling 4th consecutive year
Market bifurcating: value-driven vs quality-driven, fake premium collapsing
Organic food ¥124.7B (+23%), specialty coffee CAGR 22.7%
Sam's Club ¥140B+ — the dominant premium food gateway

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China Telecom VATS Opening

April 2024: foreign ownership cap lifted from 50% to 100% for value-added telecom
166 foreign firms approved across Beijing, Shanghai, Hainan, Shenzhen pilot zones
Who wins: global cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP) > IDC operators > enterprise tools
Who doesn't: telecom carriers — basic telecom remains closed to foreign ownership

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¥1.08T market entering near-zero growth — premiumisation is the only engine
Low-ABV/fruit wine +30% YoY, whiskey +15-20% — fastest tracks for foreign SMEs
WeChat-first discovery: Xiaohongshu drives brand awareness, CBEC enables entry
435 social media posts analysed across Xiaohongshu, Zhihu, Weibo, Bilibili

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More Industries

Maternal & Infant, Cosmetics,
Apparel & Fashion — coming soon