QIMA CEO eyes growing manufacturing market in China

QIMA, a global leading provider of quality control and supply chain compliance solutions, has expressed cautious optimism about the growth prospects of the Chinese market. With 25-30 percent of its group activity based in China, QIMA has a long-standing presence in the country and foresees significant recovery in the manufacturing space through 2023 and beyond.

QIMA supports Chinese manufacturers and exporters by ensuring the quality and safety of products that compete in international markets throughout the entire manufacturing process.

CEO Sebastien Breteau stated that many opportunities arise from QIMA's pursuit of sustainable growth within the Chinese mainland, with support of the government's foreign trade and consumption stimulus packages, and the rapid pace of its industrial upgrading.

QIMA continues to expand its activities throughout China, facilitating connections between global clients and local Chinese businesses. In April 2023, the third-party inspection agency opened a new Shanghai laboratory.

With the support of over 100 lab technicians and staff, the new laboratory offers services to clients in the Yangtze River Delta region and aims to ensure the safety and quality of a wide range of products, such as luggage, electrical devices and appliances, and home ware. The state-of-the-art facility spans more than 5,000 square meters and boasts some of the most advanced equipment available.

“We are willing to design products that suit the local market and provide testing and certification services closer to local consumers. This will help manufacturers and foreign trade companies in their respective industries build a reliable and transparent supply chain,” said Breteau, adding that the group continues to seek opportunities to acquire more testing, inspection and certification companies in the Chinese mainland.

Breteau emphasized that China will continue to remain a key partner in the global supply chain, despite containment measures of some countries which include additional tariffs, technology export controls and manufacturing reshoring.

“There will not be a suitable ‘replacement’ for China, which has mature infrastructure on a scale that no other country can replicate at this time,” he added.

In addition to providing product certification services to domestic companies to export their goods to countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, such as Saudi Arabia, Mexico and a number of countries in Latin America, Breteau said that soaring trade and investment activities brought by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Pact will further drive market demand for testing, inspection and certification services in the Asia-Pacific region.

“QIMA has a long history in China, and we’ve been by the side of Chinese businesses through thick and thin. We are excited to see factories picking up steam again and we’re here to help them make 2023 a year to remember,” Breteau exclaims.

QIMA currently has more than 5,000 employees and serves more than 30,000 global brands, retailers, manufacturers and food growers in over 100 countries and regions.

“These days, there is a whole new meaning to ‘Made in China.’ When we started the business, that phrase had a negative undertone, and with the help of all our work and partners, ‘Made in China’ now means innovative and reliable products.”