Asia Business Podcast

Cross-border E-commerce and Supply Chain Realities with Jianggan Li

Jun 4, 2025
Jianggan Li, the Founder and CEO of Momentum Works and co-author of Seeing the Unseen, shares his expertise on cross-border e-commerce. He discusses how Chinese companies like Temu and Shein adeptly manage logistics amidst changing regulations. Jianggan highlights the complexities of relocating production and the challenges of adapting to local markets. He also explores the competitive dynamics within China’s tech landscape and how firms can thrive internationally by localizing strategies and building trust with consumers.
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INSIGHT

Supply Chains Adapt Fast But Hate Uncertainty

  • Supply chains reorganize quickly after shocks by storing inventory locally and routing through regional hubs.
  • Uncertainty (rules changing week-to-week) hurts planning far more than a single predictable change.
ADVICE

Preposition Inventory To Hedge Rule Changes

  • Encourage sellers to pre-position inventory in target markets to survive de minimis rule changes.
  • Test diversifying sourcing to nearby countries and local warehouses to protect pricing advantage.
ANECDOTE

Factories Tried Moving To Vietnam — Mixed Results

  • Many factory owners experimented moving production to Vietnam and some succeeded while others returned or pivoted.
  • Collective movement still created new production bases despite individual failures.
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