Chris Davey, CEO and longtime host of FBA4U Meetups, is on the podcast to talk about what's changed at the Canton Fair, how Chinese manufacturing has evolved since 2020, and live-streaming commerce. Thinking about taking some risk off the table? Or are you looking at taking an extended break from e-commerce in general? Know what your e-commerce business is worth with Quiet Light Brokerage. The gap between paying for inventory and selling it is where stockouts are born. Onramp Funds closes it with funding that moves with your sales. Built for sellers already doing $10K a month or more across Amazon, Walmart, Shopify, and TikTok Shop. See how much you qualify for at Onramp Funds. Your Amazon payout is one number. Your books need it split into sales, fees, refunds and tax — per marketplace, per country, matching the bank to the penny. Link My Books does that automatically for Amazon, Shopify, eBay, Etsy, TikTok Shop and Walmart, straight into Xero or QuickBooks. Sellers save 10+ hours a month and stop overpaying tax. Rated 5/5 on the Xero App Store. Check out Link My Books today. The biggest sourcing event in the world is happening next week. The Canton Fair, which starts on October 15th, isn't what it used to be. With growing tensions against the US, there has not been as much Western Amazon sellers attending the event. However, Chris Davey is an exception. Chris has been living in China for 15 years as the host of one of the biggest e-commerce events in China, FBA4U, where e-commerce entrepreneurs of all shapes and sizes are welcome. He's been invited to today's podcast to report on what's changed in the Canton Fair, if it is still worth it to go, and what the e-commerce environment has changed. Have Chinese third-party sellers also been feeling the pressure from Amazon? Or have they all moved to Temu, Shein, and other marketplaces? We also discuss why China still is the best place to source products from and how countries like Vietnam and Thailand compare when it comes to product sourcing. Chris also talks about live streaming, regulations that Chinese sellers face, and whether working conditions in Chinese factories have improved overall. Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction to Chris Davey 00:58 - Details about the FBA4U Canton Fair meetup 01:28 - Changes observed at the Canton Fair post-COVID 02:31 - Quiet Light Brokerage and business valuation 04:26 - Funding options during Q4 with On-Ramp Funds 06:51 - Chris's background and experience in China 07:27 - History and details of the FBA4U Canton Fair meetup 08:58 - Impact of COVID and US-China tensions on trade 11:59 - Visiting China for Canton Fair: Guangzhou vs Hong Kong 14:27 - Other trade shows around Canton Fair 17:22 - Factories relocating outside China 19:57 - Productivity and working conditions in Chinese factories 23:46 - Living conditions and property prices in Shenzhen 29:55 - The Chinese seller scene in Shenzhen 36:49 - Live streaming in China and its potential in the US 40:22 - FBA4U meetup details and future plans 42:16 - Event attendance and changes over the years 43:00 - Queueing behavior in China 44:20 - Closing remarks and next steps in China trade Chris, thanks for coming on the podcast. If you'd like to check out Chris and FBA4U, you can check them out here. As always, if you have any questions or anything that you need help with, leave a comment down below if you're interested. Don't forget to leave us a review on iTunes if you enjoy our content. Thanks for listening! Until next time, happy selling!
