Beyond language barriers, the negative perception of Chinese products’ quality often hinders their ability to enter the Russian market. Although a prospective deal between a Russian client and a Chinese supplier may make it to the final stages, even to a point just before the contract is signed, reservations on the Russian side may lead to a failed or delayed transaction. All may be ameliorated with a single certification – the GOST R.

GOST R Certification

The GOST R is not an advanced certification, hence for certain industries allows fast access to the Russian market. It is issued by the Federal Agency of the Russian Federation on Technical Regulating and Metrology to ensure that production activities, goods and services conform to Russia’s national standards.

There are two types of GOST R: the Single Shipment Certificate and the Serial Production Certificate. The Consignment Certificate of Conformity for Single Shipments is a trade document valid for one consignment only, i.e. for a certain quantity and product type. It can be issued only if the foreign manufacturer is able to prove that there is a pre-existing agreement with a Russian customer/importer by means of a contract or an invoice.

In contrast, the Serial Production Certificate of Conformity is a trade document whose validity can vary from one to three years, and is issued specifically to manufacturers. In this case, there is no need for the manufacturer to provide documentation from a customer/importer in Russia. This certification enables the foreign suppliers to send an unlimited quantity of goods during the certificate’s period of validity. To obtain the Serial Production license, Russian experts must first inspect the manufacturer’s facilities and test product samples.

Of these two Certificates of Conformity, there are both voluntary and mandatory types whose colours are blue and yellow, respectively.

The GOST R certification system concerns the majority of products sold and/or used in Russia, such as foodstuffs, textiles, cosmetics and toys; mechanical and electrical goods; and equipment for such industries as food, chemical, oil and gas, and construction as well as others.

Regional Applications

The benefits of GOST R certification are apparent in CIS countries. It is officially required and acknowledged in Russia and Belarus. And although not officially required in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia or the Ukraine – in the Ukraine, UkrSEPRO is the officially required standard – the possession of GOST R certification is widely recognised, and assists in the promotional activities of one's product.

In addition to GOST R certification, RTN certification is necessary for exporting potentially dangerous products to Russia. This applies to manufacturers of such items as lifting equipment, heat exchangers, hot water boilers, pressure equipment, and compressors.

Type	GOST R Certificate	UkrSEPRO Certificate	GOST K Certificate
Certifying Body	GOSSTANDARD	Derzhspozhyvstandard	KAZMEMST
Certificate Types	Mandatory Certificate of Conformity (yellow) Voluntary Certificate of Conformity (blue)	Mandatory Certificate of Conformity Voluntary Certificate of Conformity	Mandatory Certificate of Conformity (blue) Voluntary Certificate of Conformity (pink)
Validity	Single Shipment Certificate 1 Year Certificate 3 Year Certificate	Single Shipment Certificate 1 Year Certificate 2 Year Certificate 5 Year Certificate	Single Shipment Certificate 1 Year Certificate 3 Year Certificate

Another point to mention is that Russia’s individual industries, and even individual leading enterprises, may have their own standards. For example, some steel end-users only buy boiler tube with ОАО "CNIITMASH" certification, and oil major Rosneft has its own qualification standards for providers of its equipment.

Once the language barrier is overcome, obtaining GOST R certification is the next step toward enhancing a product’s competitiveness in Russia and the CIS. It is an indispensable move for making the quality of one’s product recognisable to these countries to ensure that, next time, the deal runs smoothly.

Now that we have established that plant tours are an absolute necessity, we can move on to how these tours should be undertaken. The following are a few basic tips to consider before you leave for China:

• Make sure that the plant's senior managers are confirmed for attending your meeting
Sometimes your contact person may say that he/she is from the plant, yet they could actually only be from a trading company with a working relationship with the plant. The problem you may encounter under such conditions is that you might be unable to meet with the senior managers of the plant. The trading company will probably just contact the salesman of the plant whom they are dealing with.

• Re-confirm the schedule for your visit before traveling
Due to cultural differences, Chinese businessmen prefer short-term meeting arrangements, which is in large part different from Western norms. If you set up your visit schedule one month before your departure, make sure you confirm it again one week in advance and then double confirm one day in advance.

• Plan your logistics realistically
If it’s your first time to China, you will need to ask a Chinese person or someone who's lived in China for a while to help plan your schedule. China is a large country geographically and is not fully developed. There are simply no flights between some cities, only busy highways. The only way to reach your destination is to drive there. In some provinces it takes 2.5 hours to drive 300 kilometers, but in other provinces it could take 4 hours or even more. You need to plan carefully in order to be both realistic and efficient.

• Bring small gifts to the meetings
You should prepare some small gifts which are typical and unique from your country, not necessarily expensive but something special. You can hand these out before you say goodbye to your suppliers, thanking them for their time and hospitality.

In Part 2, we will raise several points that you should be aware of during your actual China plant visit.

* This posting is the second part of a series of guidelines for Chinese suppliers to conduct efficient and professional meetings with foreign clients.

2．会议

 

(1). 高质量的公司宣传材料。最最重要的，语言。一定要找专业的咨询或者公关公司来做公司宣传材料的英文版，也许价格上比一般的翻译贵一些，但是翻译的质量直接关系到公司将来的海外订单数量和企业的形象问题。国外的客户在从众多的供应商中挑选合作伙伴的时候，公司的英文沟通能力是很重要的判断标准，一份充满错字的产品目录是会拒客户于千里之外的。

 

在会议中，一个简洁的PPT公司介绍是很有帮助的。有图片和数字说话，客户很容易就对公司有了一个大概了解。在这里值得提醒大家的是，西方人很重视数字说明问题，而中国公司往往喜欢拿认证和奖状说事。其实，对于中国的机构和证书不了解的外商，除非是国际性奖项，否则还是数字更能说明公司的实力。另外，一份全面而又简单轻巧的公司产品目录或者光盘，可以留给客户作为将来下订单的参考。没有必要奢华复杂，又厚又沉的目录只能给客户已经很沉的行李增加负担。

 

(2). 把握会议节奏。国外客户到中国考察工厂的行程往往安排得比较紧凑，所以如何在短暂的时间能把自己公司的产品质量，业务水平更好的展现出来是极其关键的。首先，要根据会议翻译的水平调整好语速。在双方简单的自我介绍后，可以给客户留一些提问的时间，根据客户提问判断客户的兴趣点，有的放矢的推荐自己的产品。另外，在介绍当中，要注意与客户目光接触，西方文化中坚定的目光代表了自信，尊重，和真诚的聆听。最后，在会议结束后，可以赠送有公司或者当地文化特色的小礼品，无需贵重。