The China Business Environment for US Small and Medium Enterprises

Total 2021 bilateral trade with China increased 17.6% over the previous year, as the American economy recovered from COVID shock and despite increasing political tensions between the United States and China. American companies also have invested over $120 billion into the PRC through 2020. While mainstream media often reports on the successes and failures of U.S. Fortune 500 companies in China, little is heard about the fate of US-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) doing business with and in China. Tariffs, supply chain issues and the deteriorating political relationship are all creating complexities and extra costs for SMEs.

In this webinar the Washington State China Relations Council (WSCRC) and USCBC will speak with experienced representatives of US SMEs with operations in the United States as well as on the ground in China. Our panelists will share with us their stories and provide attendees with advice on finding business success in China.

This event is for WSCRC and USCBC members as well as the general public. Registration is required. Please register with your work or university email, if possible. The deadline to register for this program is April 27 at 11:00 AM PT, 2:00 PM ET. Dial-in information will be provided on April 27 at 12:00 PM PT, 3:00 PM ET.

REGISTER HERE 

PANELISTS

Christopher Mei, Co-Founder, Shanghai FanYi Industries

Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Christopher moved to China in 2015 where he joined the Wuzhong Group in Suzhou working on initiatives for the company to expand its international education projects. After working for an automobile trading company for a year, in 2018 Christopher joined WeWork as a Business Development Manager responsible for larger international and domestic enterprise clients in the cities of Nanjing, Suzhou, Shanghai and Hangzhou.

In 2020 Christopher helped to co-found his current venture: Shanghai FanYi Industries, a subsidiary that serves as the international trading component of Shanghai FanYi Precision Machinery. Shanghai FanYi Industries uses its many years of experience within the manufacturing industry and tooling expertise to work with and help source for large multi-national clients such as Wal-Mart and Metabo.

Jeanne DeMund, Co-Founder, Echo Products

Jeanne’s career has centered around China business, with positions in non-profits, government and the private sector. After graduation from Yale, her first job was with the National Council for US China Trade, which later became the US-China Business Council. After a stint as an English teacher in China, Jeanne worked for New York based companies trading with China, following which Jeanne spent 10 years working for the Washington State Department of Commerce as a China Trade Specialist and then China Trade Director.

Jeanne co-founded a Seattle-based importer and distributor of motorcycle helmets, apparel, footwear and related accessories in 1994.  During this time, she and her partner established a motorcycle helmet factory in Ningbo, China. Jeanne later co-founded a Tennessee-based manufacturer, importer and distributor of motorcycle accessories which she continues to run today. The company distributes China-made products in the US, Canada, Latin America and Europe.

Stanley Chao, President, All In Consulting

 All in Consulting assists mostly SMEs in their China business strategies. Stanley has conducted over 100 projects in the medical, automotive, agricultural, high-tech, manufacturing, and aviation industries. He is the author of “Selling to China: A Guide for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses”. Stanley has also written or been quoted in the Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Forbes Magazine, The Financial Times, and the New York Times. He holds a BS from Columbia University, a MS from the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA from UCLA.

MODERATOR

Elizabeth Rowland, Director of Subnational Initiatives, US-China Business Council

Elizabeth Rowland joined US-China Business Council (USCBC) in November 2021 to lead USCBC’s new subnational initiative, which is dedicated to state-level US-China trade.

Elizabeth has worked in government policy, politics, law, and business for nearly two decades in both the United States and China. Elizabeth worked as an election campaign staffer in Colorado, South Carolina, and Tennessee, and a paralegal in New York. She also spent two years as a legislative aide for a US Congressman from Tennessee.

In 2007, Elizabeth moved to China and founded Abella Galleries, an online jewelry company that sourced from China. From 2010 to 2012, Elizabeth worked at the American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham China) as a policy analyst and editor of the Chamber’s American Business in China White Paper. In 2012, Elizabeth joined the Beijing office of Covington & Burling as a senior manager of policy analysis (a non-lawyer), where she tracked and analyzed opportunities and challenges created by Chinese and US investment and trade policies. In 2013, Elizabeth returned to her hometown of Knoxville and founded TN-China Network, a nonprofit to promote trade and investment between Tennessee and China. She served as executive director from 2014 until stepping down in 2020 to run for Tennessee State House of Representatives in Knox County.