2026-10-02

8 analyses published · 68 sourced figures · 40 named primary sources

China Is Removing the Export Rebate That Funded Cheap Quotes

Sourcing & Suppliers·10 min read·10 figures

The rebate was cancelled on 249 product lines from 1 April 2026, and the list is not solar-only. Battery rebates fall from 9% to 6%, then to zero on 1 January 2027. Nine points become money on your invoice.

China's Rare Earth Controls Are a Licence Regime, Not a Ban — and November 2026 Is the Next Decision

Supply Chain·9 min read·8 figures

Five notices, twenty element symbols, fifteen active and five suspended. The constraint that stops most shipments is not the law, it is the seller's willingness to risk a licence file.

The EU's 2026 Compliance Sweep: 560 Orders, and the 58% That Should Worry Sellers

Platforms·8 min read·8 figures

The Commission's 2026 GPSR enforcement sweep checked almost 1,700 marketplace listings across 35 platforms. The marketplaces fixed their own compliance paperwork. The seller listings did not. Here is what a takedown costs per SKU per day.

China Put a Face Check on Company Registration — and Named the Agents Who File It

Sourcing & Suppliers·10 min read·8 figures

From 1 May 2026 every Chinese business registration needs real-name confirmation reviewed by the registrar. A companion rule built a national registry of filing agents, with a three-year ban for false registration.

Your Freight Surcharge Points at an Index That Changed Owner in June

Logistics & Customs·8 min read·7 figures

Seven container benchmarks moved publisher on 18 June 2026. The same week the Southeast Asia lane rose 9.1% while Europe fell 2.9% — and the composite said almost nothing moved.

The Polysilicon Tariff Never Says China — and Buying Cheaper Costs You More

Trade Policy·10 min read·9 figures

Proclamation 11052 sets minimum import prices on polysilicon and its derivatives from 4 December 2026. The mechanism inverts the usual rule: a lower invoice raises your effective duty rate.

The EU Now Charges by the Item, Not the Parcel — and Ten Euros Can Cost Fifteen

Platforms·10 min read·9 figures

From 1 July 2026 the €150 duty relief is gone, replaced by €3 per item. From 1 November a €2 handling fee stacks on top, including above €150. Both are non-refundable, and both fall on the declarant.

China's Factory-Gate Prices Turned Positive, and That Ends the Wait-for-Next-Year Trade

Supply Chain·9 min read·9 figures

PPI rose 3.8% year on year in August 2026 after a 0.7% monthly fall in July, and the year-to-date average is 2%. For buyers whose baseline was that Chinese quotes drift down, the direction has changed.