Trading with China : The import process from a SME perspective

The interest for doing business with China is increasing constantly. Demands from customers and financial limitations force companies to seek more cost effective solutions to make their businesses profitable. Moving production to or just buying ready made products from China is an alternative that meet these requirements. This thesis examines four SME’s (small and medium sized enterprises) on their mission to find a producer in China and how their import process is set up. With the goal to identify and analyse the aspects of the import process, the authors hope to provide a broader understanding on how trading with China works. Using a qualitative study, with in-depth interviews, the authors could reach down to the actual feelings and experience of the interviewed subjects. They gave a picture of China being a country surprisingly easy to deal with although they had not all found their producers in the same way. Concluding that acting friendly and ethically will take an importer far, theory of Chinese business culture is somewhat disregarded as important knowledge. Each company’s network looks different. Comparing these to what is written is interesting as it shows that all companies do not need great help to succeed with the import process. When dealing with logistics, surprisingly few problems have been caused even though the great distance between Sweden and China. When it comes to the product quality, it is experienced as good even though many have presumptions about Chinese products

Trading with China : The import process from a SME perspective

The interest for doing business with China is increasing constantly. Demands from customers and financial limitations force companies to seek more cost effective solutions to make their businesses profitable. Moving production to or just buying ready made products from China is an alternative that meet these requirements. This thesis examines four SME’s (small and medium sized enterprises) on their mission to find a producer in China and how their import process is set up. With the goal to identify and analyse the aspects of the import process, the authors hope to provide a broader understanding on how trading with China works. Using a qualitative study, with in-depth interviews, the authors could reach down to the actual feelings and experience of the interviewed subjects. They gave a picture of China being a country surprisingly easy to deal with although they had not all found their producers in the same way. Concluding that acting friendly and ethically will take an importer far, theory of Chinese business culture is somewhat disregarded as important knowledge. Each company’s network looks different. Comparing these to what is written is interesting as it shows that all companies do not need great help to succeed with the import process. When dealing with logistics, surprisingly few problems have been caused even though the great distance between Sweden and China. When it comes to the product quality, it is experienced as good even though many have presumptions about Chinese products

Second asymptomatic carotid surgery trial (ACST-2) : a randomised comparison of carotid artery stenting versus carotid endarterectomy

Background: Among asymptomatic patients with severe carotid artery stenosis but no recent stroke or transient cerebral ischaemia, either carotid artery stenting (CAS) or carotid endarterectomy (CEA) can restore patency and reduce long-term stroke risks. However, from recent national registry data, each option causes about 1% procedural risk of disabling stroke or death. Comparison of their long-term protective effects requires large-scale randomised evidence. Methods: ACST-2 is an international multicentre randomised trial of CAS versus CEA among asymptomatic patients with severe stenosis thought to require intervention, interpreted with all other relevant trials. Patients were eligible if they had severe unilateral or bilateral carotid artery stenosis and both doctor and patient agreed that a carotid procedure should be undertaken, but they were substantially uncertain which one to choose. Patients were randomly allocated to CAS or CEA and followed up at 1 month and then annually, for a mean 5 years. Procedural events were those within 30 days of the intervention. Intention-to-treat analyses are provided. Analyses including procedural hazards use tabular methods. Analyses and meta-analyses of non-procedural strokes use Kaplan-Meier and log-rank methods. The trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN21144362. Findings: Between Jan 15, 2008, and Dec 31, 2020, 3625 patients in 130 centres were randomly allocated, 1811 to CAS and 1814 to CEA, with good compliance, good medical therapy and a mean 5 years of follow-up. Overall, 1% had disabling stroke or death procedurally (15 allocated to CAS and 18 to CEA) and 2% had non-disabling procedural stroke (48 allocated to CAS and 29 to CEA). Kaplan-Meier estimates of 5-year non-procedural stroke were 2·5% in each group for fatal or disabling stroke, and 5·3% with CAS versus 4·5% with CEA for any stroke (rate ratio [RR] 1·16, 95% CI 0·86-1·57; p=0·33). Combining RRs for any non-procedural stroke in all CAS versus CEA trials, the RR was similar in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients (overall RR 1·11, 95% CI 0·91-1·32; p=0·21). Interpretation: Serious complications are similarly uncommon after competent CAS and CEA, and the long-term effects of these two carotid artery procedures on fatal or disabling stroke are comparable