Media Giant FB Life Provides Insight
The specialty-equipment market in China is booming, with perhaps no sector growing more rapidly than the off-road market. SEMA News recently talked about the off-road scene with Baokun LV, co-founder of FBLife.com and executive general manager of FB Life, a Chinese media giant and a platform for off-road enthusiasts and service suppliers.
Demand Is Strong; Will Laws Be Updated Soon?
Seventeen SEMA-member companies presented their products in a two-city visit to China during the September 2014 SEMA China Business Development tour. The SEMA delegation had the opportunity to exhibit both in Beijing and Shanghai. The group was briefed by the U.S. Embassy and participated in networking events in both cities, where members had the chance to meet with buyers from throughout the country. Buyers attended the SEMA events from 23 provinces located throughout China.
By Alysha Webb
China continues to be a very important market for Chrysler’s Jeep line. Last year it became the brand’s largest global market. Imported models have driven that growth, but Chrysler has been talking for years about producing Jeeps in China. It looks as though that will become a reality next year. Adding domestically produced models to the mix should boost both sales of Jeeps and opportunities for SEMA members.
Scott Wood couldn’t have imagined that being named the Time magazine 2010 Dealer of the Year would be his ticket to China, but it was. Wood, who owns Chevrolet and Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep dealerships in the small town of Batesville, Arkansas, was invited to China to give a presentation to Chinese car dealers on selling accessories in dealerships. Wood sells quite a few Jeep accessories, so he naturally illustrated his presentation with examples of Mopar and aftermarket-branded Jeep accessories.
Sell your products in China, the world’s largest emerging automotive
market. Meet one-on-one with top buyers in the Chinese market.
Distributors and retailers from throughout China gathered in Beijing to meet with 21 SEMA-member companies that were participating in the first SEMA China Business Development Conference. The hotel-based program held in Beijing in September was built around a series of one-on-one meetings with pre-selected Chinese buyers who traveled to the event from cities throughout China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Ha’erbin in the far north, Guangzhou in the south and Hubei in the center of the country.
The allure of China is undeniable. Its rising incomes, growing middle class and fast-growing vehicle market all frequently make the news in the United States. Not all the news out of China is positive, however. Almost weekly, there are stories about counterfeit goods with ties to China. Counterfeit goods cost companies in the United States billions of dollars a year. There is no denying that intellectual property rights (IPR) protection is a problem for companies doing business in China, be it sourcing products there or selling in the market. But that doesn’t mean you should stay away from doing business in China. SEMA-member companies that have done business in China have some advice for fellow SEMA members eyeing the China market with anticipation but also trepidation: Your products will almost certainly be copied, so take steps to protect yourself.
Aftermarket products that enhance performance, appearance or comfort are niche-market products in China, but auto enthusiasts who want to trick out their vehicle aren’t limited to China’s largest cities.
On October 1, 2008, the Chinese national government approved the legal
installation and marketing of 506 automotive parts and accessories.
The specialty-equipment market in China today is strikingly similar to the U.S. market in the early days of the car customizing scene during the ’50s and ‘60s.
