Overview of the 2025 Tariff Changes

As of April 2025, the U.S. government, under President Trump, has enacted a series of significant tariff increases on Chinese imports. Following a 20% hike in February and a further 34% in April, cumulative tariffs on many Chinese goods now reach up to 125%. These measures target a wide range of product categories, including electronics, machinery, apparel, automotive parts, and home goods. In response, China has imposed its own retaliatory tariffs of up to 84% on U.S. exports, further intensifying the trade dispute.

Key points:

• U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports now as high as 125% for many categories.
• De minimis threshold for duty-free Chinese imports reduced to zero, increasing costs for low-value shipments.
• China’s retaliatory tariffs and export controls add further complexity for U.S. businesses.

Impact on American Importers

1. Substantial Cost Increases

The most immediate effect for American importers is a sharp rise in landed costs. Electronics, machinery, textiles, and other high-volume categories now carry much higher import duties, squeezing profit margins and forcing companies to reconsider pricing strategies.

2. Supply Chain Disruptions

With tariffs escalating, many businesses are experiencing supply chain volatility. Some are seeking alternative sourcing in countries like Vietnam, India, and Mexico, but shifting supply chains can introduce new risks and operational challenges.

3. Price Adjustments and Market Competitiveness

To offset higher costs, some importers are passing price increases to customers. This can reduce demand and erode competitiveness in the U.S. market, especially for consumer-facing brands.

4. Compliance and Regulatory Risks

The fast-evolving regulatory environment demands vigilant compliance. Importers must closely monitor tariff schedules, product classifications, and documentation to avoid costly errors or penalties.

MU Group’s Role: Supporting American Importers in 2025

As a leading supply chain management partner, MU Group is dedicated to helping American importers adapt to the 2025 U.S.-China tariff changes. Our comprehensive services are designed to optimize procurement, reduce costs, and ensure compliance in a volatile trade environment.

Supply Chain Optimization

MU Group leverages an extensive global supplier network to help clients diversify sourcing beyond China, mitigating tariff exposure while maintaining product quality and reliability. Our experts assist in evaluating alternative suppliers, managing logistics, and restructuring supply chains for resilience.

Cost Management Strategies

Through strategic procurement, shipment consolidation, and inventory optimization, MU Group helps businesses offset increased tariff costs. Our team negotiates favorable terms with suppliers and identifies cost-saving opportunities throughout the supply chain.

Custom Product Solutions

MU Group specializes in product development and customization, supporting American importers with tailored solutions that meet both market demands and regulatory requirements. Our team collaborates closely with clients to ensure products comply with new tariff classifications and standards.

Regulatory Compliance and Advisory

Staying current with trade policies is essential. MU Group provides ongoing regulatory updates, compliance audits, and training to help clients navigate changing rules and avoid penalties.

Actionable Strategies for American Importers

To thrive amid the 2025 U.S.-China tariff changes, American importers should consider the following strategies:

• Diversify Sourcing: Explore suppliers in alternative countries to reduce dependency on China. MU Group’s global reach makes this transition seamless.
• Strengthen Supplier Relationships: Build collaborative partnerships for better negotiation and flexibility. MU Group’s supplier management fosters long-term value.
• Invest in Technology: Use data analytics and digital tools to optimize inventory, forecast demand, and streamline operations.
• Monitor Regulatory Changes: Stay informed on the latest trade policies. MU Group’s advisory services keep you ahead of compliance risks.

Conclusion

The 2025 U.S.-China tariff changes present significant challenges for American importers, but also opportunities for those prepared to adapt. By embracing diversification, leveraging technology, and partnering with experienced supply chain experts like MU Group, businesses can navigate this new era of international trade with confidence.

For tailored support and to learn more about how MU Group can help your business succeed despite tariff challenges, visit our Services page or contact our team today.

The post Understanding the 2025 U.S.-China Tariff Changes: What American Importers Need to Know first appeared on MU Group.

On March 18, the 1st Operation and Finance Management Trainee Symposium was held at Binjiang Workplace. President Tom tang, group leaders Amenda Weng and Sam Zhu along with 54 management trainees, attended the event.

Tara Zhao, Rafael Qin and Ashely Lei, management trainees from President Office suggested moderately opening up rotation opportunities for basic business positions, forming a teaching mentor team to establish a MU mentor database, and launching management trainee courses at MU Academy. They proposed assessing the management and cross-team collaboration skills of management trainees through work weekly reports, sharing sessions, etc., and implementing a “survival of the fittest�?nbsp;mechanism to accelerate talent output.

Minty Zhang, Esther Qian and Cici Chen, management trainees from Legal Department focused on their regular tasks such as contract review in accordance with laws and regulations and handling business disputes. They put forward that, on the basis of strictly fulfilling the obligation of keeping business secrets confidential, legal business partners (BPs) need to rotate through departments such as business, logistics, and finance to deeply understand the legal requirements of different sectors and achieve “two-way collaboration”, ensuring the organic combination of business needs and legal bottom lines. 

Mercy Liu, Jessica Wang, Lucia Zhang, Kristin Qiang, Drin Yao, Lucine Li, Hell Hu, Caroline Niu, Flynn Zhang, Eleven Wang and Anni Zhao management trainees from the Finance Department took pre-filling management, customs declaration documents, and e-commerce settlement as examples. In the context of the parallel development of traditional foreign trade and cross-border e-commerce, they advocated “penetrative” learning across the entire business chain, integrating the “dual mentor system” of finance and business, and strengthening the reserve of professional knowledge and practical experience in procurement, logistics, customs duties, warehousing, marketing, etc. Representatives from EY, 1Win and BASF took part in the training.

They aimed to mainly address issues such as poor communication and one-sided understanding of risk control, and strive to develop towards the integration of business and finance and the role of financial BPs. At the same time, management trainees should possess innovative capabilities, using digital tools such as AI-generated codes and functions to replace manual basic accounting and improve work efficiency. 

Derrick Dongfang, Sonia Hu, Lesley Yu, Vicky Liu, Amanda Li, Ruby Chen, Jessie Zhao, Zack Zeng, Ishtar Lu and Yvette Hu, management trainees from Human Resources Department starting from recruitment, training, and other tasks, suggested equipping management trainees with an executive and stable leadership team to quickly respond to various challenges and ensure the coherence of organizational goals. Different from the internship position planning, they proposed systematically selecting and planning the development roadmap for management trainees through methods such as MBTI personality assessment, constructing a dynamic competency model, and phased rotation with challenges.

They also aimed to transform the training of management trainees from “the task of a single department” into “the responsibility of the entire organization”. In addition, HR business partners (BPs) should become “business drivers” by actively participating in design, quality training, and business communication meetings held within the group to promote the inter-generational exchange of experience and technology. 

Kylie Hu, Glan Feng, Chaya Chen, Nancy Fang and Demi Yuan, management trainees from Logistics Department centered on transformation directions such as digital bills of lading, electronic letters of guarantee, and document tracking systems. They recommended that management trainees lay a solid foundation, draw inferences from one instance, master the ability to process digital documents. 

Management trainees should promote the implementation of measures such as automated verification of overseas warehouse bills, visual monitoring of warehousing data, and optimization of cross-border warehousing and distribution processes. At the same time, as an important measure for talent echelon construction, management trainees should be guided to take on the role of basic team leaders to enhance their collaboration and leadership skills through practice. 

Melo Huang, Andrew Ren, Yuze Wang, Lucia Liu and Eva Peng, management trainees from Design Department focused on the in-depth integration of AI and design capabilities. While efficiently applying AIGC, they emphasized forging the core competitiveness of “emotional design” that cannot be replaced by AI. They should not only use data to drive design decisions and accurately respond to customer needs but also visit customers on the front line, study craftsmanship, and build a full-chain design thinking of “demand insight, solution output, and production adaptation”. 

They proposed conducting cross-category project practices, comparing the differences of multiple product categories, and continuously summarizing design cases to adapt to the constantly evolving product lines. 

Miya Xu, management trainee from the Product Development Department, regarded the new generation as the driving force for organizational change. Their technological sensitivity and demand for equal dialogue could force the management style to shift from “control-oriented” to “empowerment-oriented”. She suggested absorbing the logical experience of senior colleagues in core capabilities such as supply chain development and supplier management, and on this basis, taking the lead in applying digital tools such as electronic atlas classification and AI-based supplier matching. 

Camellia Cao and Fannie Meng from the Customer Engineering Department proposed that trainees should shoulder the responsibility of building world-class customer service, extending service standards to all touchpoints in the customer reception process. They emphasized the importance of repeatedly practicing standardized reception procedures, etiquette, and even specific postures, gestures, and expressions to form muscle memory, ensuring they are always prepared with answers before the customer even asks. 

In practical scenarios, they test the quality of their service, conduct post-mortem analyses for continuous improvement, and integrate professional training in business English, cross-cultural communication, and refreshment preparation. This approach aims to enhance the efficiency of business interactions and transition trainees from standard executors to value creators.

Vivi Luo, management trainee from MU Research Institute, based on her own experience of actively rotating to Logistics Department, realized that management trainees should have the ability to transfer their professional knowledge to cross-departmental practical scenarios. With a financial professional background, she applied risk quantification thinking, digital sensitivity, and the ability to integrate fragmented information to the data analysis of the logistics supply chain, injecting new vitality into her work. 

Tracey Sun, Vance Wan and Romeo Yang, management trainees from Information Technology Department analyzed the “panoramic growth” brought about by the rotation mechanism from the perspectives of code logic and interface development.

The work of Information Technology Department involves the collaboration of front-end, back-end, and business departments. Through cross-departmental rotation, they can create the entire business chain and enhance their overall understanding. They should not only use AI tools to improve code reusability, optimize e-commerce interface efficiency, and reduce redundant operations but also be cautious about the abuse of tools and always maintain independent thinking. 

Erin Jiang, Cynthia Wu, Anya Zhuo, Timber Yan, Zoe Lu and Shirley Wu, management trainees from Administrative Department, closely adhered to the responsibilities of the administrative position and strived for perfection in details. Measures such as redistributing afternoon tea, providing shoe-wiping wipes on rainy days, and customized cross-cultural reception fully demonstrated that administrative work requires the combination of “people”, “goods”, and “place”. 

They proposed setting up an “innovation proposal” channel to pilot micro-innovations, such as constructing a local inventory model with AI, integrating procurement and consumption data to intelligently predict demands, and dynamically adjusting procurement strategies. 

Million He, Rita Jin and Demi Wang, management trainees from Showroom suggested leveraging the cross-departmental coordination capabilities of management trainees to collect the demands and suggestions of various departments for the sample room in reverse, and simultaneously promoting the in-depth embedding of AI technology to create a fashionable online exhibition hall and scene-based display design. 

They could analyze customer preferences through sample-selection data, generate personalized exhibition schemes, and combine new services such as bartending, tea art, and explanations to turn the sample room into a marketing touchpoint. 

John Zhou, management trainee from Security Department, proposed breaking down the communication barriers between departments. From the security department to the administrative department and then to the customer-related departments, information from customers should be conveyed in a timely manner to build a collaborative response mechanism. Combining his military service experience, he advocated that management trainees develop an international strategic vision and form a team that is willing to endure hardships, capable of fighting, and able to win battles. 

President Tom Tang pointed out that our company’s growth from small to large is a victory of adhering to common sense and continuous innovation. More than ten years ago, I wrote an article titled “Before and After 1990, Extraordinary Beauties Are Always Born in Turbulent Times.” Today, the new colleagues mentioned in that article have become key leaders in various positions! In this world, there was no MU originally; it is because of these MUers that MU and its people exist! These colleagues are the foundation of our current success, and as long as their strong will remains unshaken, no difficulty is insurmountable! Young people represent the future, which is common sense, and we must adhere to this common sense. The successors for all future positions in the company must be those who join MU as interns with no prior work experience. The blood of these future successors should carry the noble lineage and prestigious genes of their predecessors!

Being a management trainee is not an endpoint but a beginning. It should be an honor and a motivation. There is elimination in the management trainee program, but after elimination, one can strive to re-enter the list. The management trainee program is not a lifelong system; like leadership positions, it is dynamically adjusted. The company will not promote someone to a senior leadership role without practical, hands-on experience. For the company, we do not judge heroes by their educational background or origin; what matters is the ability to get things done. MU advocates hard work but never forces it, nor does it discriminate against or treat those who do not work hard differently. We will not let hard workers and honest people suffer; we need both mental perseverance and mental prosperity.

Management trainees will have a dedicated class at MU Academy, with an initial plan of ten sessions per year, one session per month, each lasting three days! The management trainee class is equivalent to an officer training class, while ordinary young colleagues are like soldiers. To become an officer, you must first become a management trainee and enter the officer training class, where all future leaders, including general managers and directors of various departments, will be trained! Perhaps many colleagues may not be competent yet, so we will continuously promote them and increase their income. Income will align with the salary and benefits standards of civil servants in Ningbo, and through job rotations and trial periods, we will give everyone the opportunity to make and learn from mistakes, with full authorization!

Management trainees are the children of MU and the fundamental framework and foundation of our organization. This must be a shared understanding and unwavering commitment! We will have successive batches of management trainees, and as the first batch, your responsibility is significant and your mission is glorious!

Growing together with MU, we share the same blood!

The post MU NEWS | 1st Operation and Finance Management Trainee Meeting first appeared on MU Group.

On March 17, the Kick-off Meeting for Building World-Class Design and R&D Iron Army was held via video link between Ningbo and Yiwu. President Tom Tang, group leaders Sam Zhu and Amanda Chen along with all 220 colleagues from Design Department attended the meeting.

Silin Shi from Operation Design Department shared the design strategy for the European market. For large-scale supermarket customers, they reduce costs and improve quality by disassembling competing products and conducting consumer insights. For small and medium-sized customers, they create popular products by transplanting cross-category e-commerce hits. They vertically focus on four major product areas: home storage, pet supplies, travel luggage, and beauty & personal care. By assigning dedicated product managers and establishing a trend database, they aim to penetrate specific customer groups.

Elroy Sun from Operation Design Department believed that design services for middlemen and retailers should focus on the “Four Channels”. For middlemen, a full-link service is constructed with modular design technology, and cost-effectiveness is improved through neutral packaging. For retailers, they capture consumption trends relying on “online big data + offline research” and provide customized services with high conversion rates.

For private brands, they build differential competitive advantages through strategies such as patented designs, affordable alternatives to big-name products, and the integration of cross-field elements. In the context of weakened purchasing power of end-customers for daily necessities exports, they create a design paradigm with high aesthetics and low costs, upgrading inexpensive products into symbols of high cost performance to win over customers.

King Wang from ARTCOOL Design Department shared the design and R&D of the cultural and creative product line around “Design – Driven + Global Layout”. He systematized the successful case database of the European market, focused on innovations in craftsmanship, materials, and structures, incorporated the Lifestyle design concept, and expanded diverse product selections for boutiques.

He collaborated with American designers to capture market trends, utilized AIGC batch-generation technology to enhance overseas implementation capabilities, and established design production lines for paper products and party supplies leveraging Southeast Asian production capacity, turning tariff barriers into a combined advantage of “design and R&D + low-cost manufacturing”.

Anby Wu from Operation Design Department explained AI-empowered design cases to address the pain points of traditional design, such as low efficiency, high costs, and limited creativity. AI accelerates project cycle reduction, the improvement of designers’ capabilities, and the transformation to ODM. They have overcome challenges in multiple scenarios, reconstructing the product design and packaging design processes with AI support, from solution generation to die-plate production.

They are also building an AI talent certification system, a design element tag library, and exclusive models for sub-categories. Through the “AI Iron Army Forging Plan”, they aim to standardize tools and visualize results, striving to become a benchmark for AI transformation in the industry.

Leo Le from Operation Design Department shared the “Full-Life-Cycle System” for product design of major customers. In the initial stage, they use combined designs, such as cross-style sets of home and kitchen products for customer attraction. In the middle stage, they collaborate with the supply chain to accelerate the iteration of best-selling products and the development of new products. In the later stage, they deeply explore specialized product lines, constructing a three dimensional sub-category framework of craftsmanship, price, and function, applying successful experiences from similar major customers to create a value ecosystem for major customers.

Rex Zhao from BRIGHT MAX Design Department shared the transformation methodology for the lamp product line with “Technical Barriers + R&D Investment”. They established an annual technical trend learning system, deployed an AI patent offense-defense system to achieve full coverage infringement early warning.

They reorganized special teams for Europe and the US in electronics and structural engineering, promoted intelligent manufacturing with “3D printing + rapid prototyping”, reducing the sample cycle by 40%. They segmented the market into four major areas: home, outdoor, industrial, and festival, formulating different R&D routes to ensure that the conversion rate of new products at exhibitions is over 60% and the customer adoption rate is over 35%.

Fae Chan from Operation Design Department focused on the design for the Russian market. She will seize the dual opportunities of the withdrawal of Western brands and online growth to build a breakthrough path for self-owned brands. She drives popular products with data, pays attention to addressing user pain points, and positions market demands based on the sales data of products like wild berries on Ozon and trends on VK social media.

Taking the optimization of the leaking problem of spray mops as an example, she analyzed differential selling points. She also reduces logistics costs and increases the repurchase rate through lightweight structures and consumable bundling, and promotes scene-based product display and three dimensional market penetration by stratifying shelves (low-price attracting products / mid-price innovative products / high -price gift products).

Sonia Wang from the TOLEAD Design Department shared the cross-border e-commerce design system centered around traffic conversion. She achieved precise positioning by analyzing product physical objects, profiling target groups, and disassembling the styles of competing products to establish a differential visual tone.

The main image of products follows the principle of “product prominence-texture enhancement-scene immersion”, making selling points visual to achieve instant information delivery and using logical layout to enhance readability. The design and operation teams have real time interactions, dynamically optimizing based on consumer feedback. They prioritize click-through rates and then conversion rates to build an e-commerce design team with high conversion rates.

Yuze Wang from Operation Design Department introduced the product shooting strategy. First, it is market-adaptable. For mid-high-end platforms (such as Amazon and independent websites), it highlights the scene-based high-end feel; for mid-to-low-end platforms (such as Temu), it focuses on practical visual presentation; for the female-oriented market (such as SHEIN), it emphasizes cost -performance appeal.

Second, it uses AI for efficiency improvement. ComfyUI is used for automatic image cropping and scene building, and WeShop generates models in multiple styles, shortening the shooting cycle by 85%. Third, it aims to transform into a comprehensive photography unit of “technical creativity” in video intelligent production.

Andrew Ren from Operation Design Department introduced the “Design and R&D Plan for the Yiwu-Featured Agency Model”. The plan is advanced in multiple stages. In the primary stage, they create momentum by using multilingual brochures and short videos to lower the threshold for product selection. In the intermediate stage, they improve efficiency by promoting lightweight cost-reduction and cultural adaptation through packaging classification.

In the advanced stage, taking the temperature-measuring storage box as an example, they iterate popular products with the “1 + N” combination. At the same time, they give full play to the advantages of the Yiwu supply chain, focus on the price range of $0-10, develop culturally customized products such as Ramadan-themed series, and deepen the product development path of “trend capture-rapid implementation-cost control” to help agent customers shift from following the market to leading it.

Chris Liu, the head of the Design Department, stated that the team will benchmark against the design and R&D standards of world-class enterprises such as Apple and Xiaomi. Using the “Customer × Market × Product” strategy matrix as a powerful tool, they will break through with the help of AI technology and reconstruct design competitiveness. They will conduct matrix-style agile operations, forming cross -field and cross-regional design and R&D project teams to achieve synchronous operations in market research, design, and procurement.

For complex projects and key market challenges, they will form special-attack teams, concentrate superior resources for breakthroughs, and apply the experience to different product lines and markets. They will also accelerate the improvement of the internationalization, digitization, standardization, and process-orientation of design work, cultivating designers with six dimensional integrated capabilities including “design insights, product positioning, intelligent application, trend judgment, value creation, and product selection planning”.

At the meeting, individual and team awards such as Excellent Newcomer Award, Model Worker, Youth Model Unit Award, Best Operational Service Award, Excellent Business Award, Annual Best Operational Service Style Award were presented, which was an affirmation and encouragement for the design work of the past year.

President Tom Tang pointed out that building a world-class design and R&D team cannot remain just a slogan or be equated with holding meetings and assigning tasks. We need to clearly distinguish between false and genuine needs in our design work and continuously explore the balance between creating momentum and delivering tangible results. Design and R&D, which aim to create value for customers, should not remain theoretical; we must focus on meeting genuine needs and continuously refine the granularity of our work. Excellent experiences and case studies need to be continually summarized, generalized, and replicated. Given the surplus of goods, we should learn from and emulate the successful cases of world-class companies, combining them with the actual circumstances of our customers. We need to shift from competing on price to competing on design, enhancing product aesthetics, creating surprises and bestsellers, while also pursuing the most competitive prices.The design and R&D capabilities of our products are the moat for our company’s profits and an effective defensive measure in the competitive process. There is a significant gap between us and world-class companies in terms of design and R&D, but this also means there is a lot of room for improvement. Our company’s product positioning should avoid direct competition with world-class companies and instead aim to become a world-class fashion group in the small commodities sector. Building a world-class design and R&D team is a long and challenging journey, and we all need to work together. Thank you, everyone!

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On March 12, Xu Zheng, Executive Vice Principal of Fudan University along with a group of leaders conducted an inspection at the Yiwu Operation Headquarters. Vice President Henry Xu received them.

Principal Xu visited the sample room, and then a symposium was held.

Henry Xu introduced that the Group’s main businesses include traditional foreign trade and cross-border e-commerce. The company adheres to the long-term business directions of all category, globalization, all platforms, and all models. In recent years, We have continuously increased efforts in building a digital foundation. By fully relying on the power of the Internet, big data, and AI, it has rebuilt and re-engineered its customer development methods, traffic conversion models, and service management means, significantly improving customer acquisition efficiency.

In addition, the construction and accumulation of the company’s internal entrepreneurship culture and incentive system are important foundations for achieving high-speed development, providing broader personal development space for more colleagues. Coincidentally, it is also the 12th anniversary of the founding of MU Academy, which continuously cultivates outstanding talents for the company and even the entire industry.

At the symposium, Principal Xu fully affirmed the company’s practice of enhancing product added value and competitiveness through design and R&D. She showed great concern for the business operation of alumni and their work and life situations in Yiwu. She hoped that alumni in Yiwu could pool their wisdom and strength, and jointly participate in and support the efforts of Fudan University’s Yiwu Research Institute to empower local industries and serve the new high-quality productivity in foreign trade.

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On March 10, the Group’s combating corruption and uphold integrity meeting was held via a live connection between Ningbo and Yiwu. President Tom Tang, Legal Department, and all discipline inspectors attended the meeting.

Fong Zhang from the Administrative Department proposed to conduct face-to-face conversations with all colleagues to eliminate supervision blind spots, dig deep into “major issues” from seemingly trivial “small gifts”. It is necessary to build a “cordial” and “clean” business-to-business relationship with suppliers, clearly define the boundaries of rewards and punishments. We should take measures such as order preference, order reduction, or termination of cooperation to address corruption at the source.

Moreover, the scope of background checks should be broadened and tight control should be exerted over in-service betray. Long-term tracking of feedback on clues from former colleagues should be carried out while more attention should be paid to trade secret infringement. Personal information reporting mechanism should be gradually implemented to control corruption risks in a targeted manner.

Senior Manager of Legal Department Icey Lu focused on job embezzlement, commercial bribery, losing case, and improper overseas transactions. By citing cases, she warned about the legal red lines of business-related corruption. She believed that combating corruption efforts should combine tough and soft measures.

Based on hard defenses such as technical encryption and institutional checks, we should adhere to building a cultural foundation, enabling business colleagues to calculate the economic accounts of “a kickback”, the freedom accounts of “a yin-yang contract”, and the dignity accounts of “a leak of secrets”, and continuously promote an integrity-based culture.

Lynn Zhang from GREENHILL shared her experience from three aspects: “propaganda, conversation, and investigation”. She suggested regularly organizing integrity-based employment exchange meetings, publicizing typical cases, and closely monitoring the handling of gifts, red envelopes, and transfers. A corruption accountability mechanism should be established, and flexible integrity-related conversations with responsible persons should be carried out.

Different clues should be collected according to different positions such as procurement, quality inspection, and research and development. Rotation of key positions should be strengthened to avoid the establishment of improper interest relationships with suppliers. Regular return visits to core suppliers should be carried out and problems should be used to trace the causes and screen for clues to comprehensively supervise related colleagues.

Jack Gao from HOUSEWARE DIVISION OF TW analyzed the motives behind actively soliciting and passively accepting kickbacks and red envelopes from his own procurement work. He believed that the primary task of procurement work is to dig deep for profits and ensure the development of high-quality products at the lowest cost. He proposed preventive measures such as cross-ordering by new and old purchasers, inquiry-based competition of large order, and supplier resource sharing to continuously reduce the breeding ground for red envelopes and kickbacks.

Timber Yan from Administrative Department proposed the separation of the three powers in procurement, namely “screening, price negotiation, and signing”, the establishment of a “blacklist” mechanism for delinquent suppliers, the implementation of “anonymous reporting with substantial rewards upon verification”, and the introduction of a “Code of Integrity”. These measures aim to further improve and strengthen the existing mechanism system.

In addition, a “Sunshine Purchasing Award” should be established, and an “Anti-Bribery Agreement” should be signed with suppliers to jointly build an integrity-based ecosystem. Furthermore, technology-enabled and coordinated efforts should be deepened, and a special inspection team composed of “discipline inspection + legal affairs + IT” should be formed to conduct full-link monitoring using the ERP system.

Group’s legal advisor Yang Yu suggested that in the context of the company’s business development and the continuous expansion of the management scope at all levels, the construction of three mechanisms, namely the “contract-based system”, the “reporting system”, and the “investigation system” should be promoted to strengthen daily education, supervision, and clue handling.

The combating corruption work system and various business processes should be improved to ensure that the basic principles of “dare not, cannot” are effectively implemented. Combating corruption efforts should follow the principles of “effectiveness”, “long-term effectiveness”, and “ease of operation” without engaging in formalism or short-term management nor affecting normal business operations.

President Tom Tang emphasized that for private enterprises, clues are the key to determining the success or failure of the combating corruption struggle. We should be good at using clues to discover more clues and not let any trace go unnoticed. Discipline inspection work should be carried out in a down-to-earth manner. We must firmly oppose opaque and mysterious purchasing behaviors.

Regardless of seriousness of the circumstances or the amount of money involved, we should fight to the end and impose strict punishments. It takes a good blacksmith to make good steel. Discipline inspectors should be adjusted dynamically according to the situation, especially strengthening the supervision power in remote areas.

We should not regard simple meeting arrangements and document distribution as the actual implementation of combating corruption work. We should deeply study the combating corruption experience of world-class enterprises such as Alibaba, Tencent, and ByteDance, refining the “Three Main Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention” item by item, and maximize the educational and deterrent effects of historical and typical cases.

What is our original aspiration? For whom are we striving? Today, our biggest difficulty lies within us, not outside; our biggest struggle is within us, not outside. This is the final struggle. Let’s unite and strive for a better tomorrow!

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On March 3rd, the Group’s Administrative Meeting and the Kickoff Meeting for “Building World-Class Customer Engineering Services” were held via a live connection in Ningbo and Yiwu. President Tom Tang, Vice President Sam Zhu, along with colleagues from Customer Engineering Department, Administrative Department, Showroom, and Driver participated in meeting. 

Camellia Cao from Customer Engineering Department started from specific issues and shared measures such as customer background checks, route optimization, and customization of preference profiles. She suggested strengthening training in business etiquette, reception scripts, and cross-cultural communication to enhance trust and willingness of customers to cooperate. Molly Li from Operation Division suggested improving efficiency through information collection, tiered reception, and resource matching to ensure the smooth progress of the entire service process. We should promote the service concept of “being attentive, sincere, and touching”, avoiding being passive like puppets. Take the initiative to create surprises, use personalized and services exceeding expectation to continuously enhance the customer experience and brand influence.

The representative of Binjiang Workspace (West Area) canteen Zhang Yange formulated an annual food event plan by integrating Chinese and Western culture. The plan features “medicinal cuisine with the same origin” soups. Canteen will strictly control operations such as cooking, additional meals, and cleaning to cook the “taste of home” for Benben families. Sue Bao from Administrative Department explained the mechanism of “replenishing immediately when in shortage”, actively responding to personalized needs of customers and providing comprehensive contact services such as high-end beverages, seasonal pastries, and customized birthday gifts to make every customer feel thoroughly at home. 

Tina Yu from Showroom proposed setting up flexible and variable visiting routes. From luminous characters mounted on the wall to guiding visual signs, from shopping carts exclusive for customers to themed spots for taking photos, Showroom colleagues create highlights based on standardized services and respond to customer needs nimbly. Chen Qi from Administrative Department reflected on past oversights and potential hazards. He will strictly enforce the systems for patrol inspections, cleaning and greenery maintenance, and fire drills to make sure that no aspect of work is overlooked, with the aim of further enhancing the team’s professional capabilities and service awareness.

Finally, President Tom Tang pointed out that for an enterprise, customers are the source of our livelihood. The reception work should be “customer centered�? which tests the adaptability and emotional intelligence of each colleague. Customers first. We should provide better services to customers. For each individual colleague it means serving the next step in the process, which is your “god�? There is still much room for improvement in our service. Centering around “building world-class customer engineering services�? we should target specific problems, deepen customer segmentation, and improve service quality through high standard recruitment and training, thus influencing and enhancing the overall service level of the group. Learn from Pangdonglai in service and Huawei in reception. Unite and work together to build a world-class Customer Engineering Department!

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As spring arrives, the world is filled with a sense of renewal. On March 1st, New Division Signing and Awards Ceremony of MU Group was held simultaneously in Ningbo and Yiwu. President Tom Tang and group leaders Jeff Luo, Amenda Weng, Eric Zhuang, Sam Zhu, Amanda Chen attended in Ningbo main venue while Henry Xu, William Wang, Ken Huang were present at Yiwu. All colleagues from the new divisions, 5th Anniversary colleagues, 10th Anniversary colleagues, Glory in MU for 20 years colleagues, award winners and the students of elementary course in MU Academy attended together.

Every March 1st, we hold the customary new division signing ceremony, which continues our entrepreneurial culture and represents the enduring spirit of growth. During the signing ceremony, totally 12 new business divisions were established, further expanding the organizational structure!

AMERICA DIVISION OF NINGBO ARTCOOL CO.,LTD. (Medium Division) focuses on the professional product line of paper products, delves deeply into the supply chain in Southeast Asia, and provides products and services with higher cost performance. DOLPHIN CO.,LTD. (Large Division) dedicated to delivering Made-in-China products with high cost performance to the global market. Its services cover markets such as Latin America, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Africa and other markets. In-group colleagues are proficient in Spanish and Portuguese serve global customers with efficient and professional work capabilities. NINGBO GRINKWELL CO.,LTD. (Small Division) focuses on the European and American markets with a main emphasis on tableware and kitchen utensils. Its outstanding independent research and development capabilities enable it to provide global customers with comprehensive package product solutions.

LIGHTING DIVISION OF NINGBO TOPWIN CO.,LTD. (Small Division) has a wide market coverage. Its product line includes both indoor and outdoor lighting fixtures, and provides high-quality goods and strict quality control services. AMERICA DIVISION OF FREE MARKET CO.,LTD. (Small Division) has its market covering Brazil, Mexico and neighboring countries. It mainly deals in bathroom products, small household appliances for daily use in the kitchen etc., striving to provide high-quality products to end customers. SPANISH DIVISION OF NINGBO TOPWIN CO.,LTD. (Small Division) keeps exploring Central and South America markets and exporting daily sundries. It is committed to providing customers in Spanish-speaking countries with the highest quality services entirely in Spanish.

UNIVERSAL DIVISION OF NINGBO MULTI CHANNEL CO.,LTD. (Small Division) mainly focuses on European market. Its product categories include stationery, pet products, home decorations, etc. The continuously optimized supply chain and quality management system serve as its core competitive advantages. EUROPEAN DIVISION OF NINGBO MULTI CHANNEL CO.,LTD. (Large Division) continues to deeply explore the Russian-speaking market, winning the trust of customers with its efficient services and rapid response capabilities. NINGBO ORIENT MIND CO., LTD. (Large Division) is dedicated to the Japanese and South Korean markets. It places a high premium on the processes of product development, design optimization, and quality control, and offers high-quality supply chain services for Japan and South Korea.

FASHION DIVISION OF FREE MARKET CO.,LTD. (Medium Division) mainly engages in the export of clothing products. It has established a comprehensive product line covering both garments and clothing accessories, continuously creating value for customers. NOVA TOP CO.,LTD. (Large Division) is constantly deepening its business in the Brazilian market. Its goal is to achieve full coverage of the Portuguese-speaking market, committed to becoming a leading enterprise in the Portuguese-speaking market. BEAM STUDIO DIVISION OF NINGBO BRIGHT MAX CO.,LTD. (Small Division) is dedicated to providing personalized, eco-friendly and high-quality lighting solutions. It aims to become a globally leading innovative research and development brand for DIY lighting products, creating a more intelligent and environmentally friendly lighting world.

The ceremony came to a successful conclusion. Coco Wang, Director Manager of BEAM STUDIO DIVISION OF BRIGHT MAX recalled the arduous journey of starting the business on behalf of the new divisions. In the future, the traditional “buy on the left hand side and sell on the right hand side” model will be broken. Adopting the mindset similar to “Xiaomi challenging Porsche with SU7”, she aims to enable customers to enjoy extremely innovative designs and advanced technologies at the best cost. By building up reserves of optoelectronic technologies, understanding scene-based demands, and establishing emotional connections with the brand, it will build a leading full-chain service for ecological lighting in the industry and become a top-tier lighting technology enterprise in the sector.

General Manager of NOVA TOP Luis Song emphasized that it is necessary to not only deeply cultivate, consolidate and expand the market share in Brazil, but also achieve full coverage of the Portuguese-speaking market. We should actively embrace new technologies and new models to build a high-quality, professional and international elite team.

The continuous development and progress of the business stem from a simple love and perseverance. The glittering necklaces and brilliant diamond rings carry the unforgettable years when colleagues who have completed five- year and ten-year tenures in the company have grown together with MU. We also presented seven Glory in MU for 20 years colleagues, namely Eric Zhuang, Jack Fan, Sophia Zhang, Elva Wu, Strong Rong, Lucky Liao, Jacky Liu. They have accompanied the company because of trust, and this unique 20-year journey has been achieved because of their perseverance!

Just like the young students in their prime, Top Ten Outstanding Young Persons and Top Ten Outstanding Youth Arch made their appearances one after another, hoping that they will become the future foreign trade business leaders in Asia! Best Operation Award, Hidden Champion Award, Little Giant Award and Outstanding Operation Award were presented on the spot. The path to victory is the path to the championship. Make winning battles a belief!

The representative of Outstanding Operation Award, General Manager of ONLINE DIVISION OF SKYLARK NETWORK Shine Tu stated that cherishing every small order means cherishing great opportunities in the future. It is essential to attach great importance to building a strategic customer management system to strengthen customer loyalty. Only by having a forward – looking mindset and staying ahead of customers can one gain favor and trust in the highly competitive market.

The representative of Little Giant Award, General Manager of TOLEAD Anita Zhou believes that with the unpredictable international situation and the intricate geopolitical landscape, in the face of new pressures and uncertainties, “talent” and “development strategies” are the core driving forces and competitive edges. Only by gradually building a product line matrix that one is proficient in and has an edge in, continuously deepening expansion, strengthening the advantages of the product lines, and accumulating brand influence can one build one’s own moat.

The representative of Hidden Champion Award, General Manager of ARTCOOL Edward Du divided the global market into three major segments: the US, European and South American markets, and Southeast Asia. In the face of challenges brought about by changes in the external foreign trade environment, professional product line companies should increase their investment in the supply chain system. They should quickly gain access to factories and production lines of different product categories, turning the unfavorable factor of increased tariffs into opportunities and advantages for market development.

The representative of Best Operation Award, General Manager of BRIGHT MAX Jacky Zhou proposed that the team has been continuously evolving, starting from putting service first, then attaching equal importance to products and services, and now providing comprehensive solutions. The key lies in conforming to the customer’s ecosystem, creating consumer surplus, and allowing the coexistence of diverse driving models. In the future, the company will move towards the strategy of overall cost leadership and steadily advance towards the vision of building a world kingdom of lighting fixtures.

Finally, President Tom Tang pointed out that over the past 21 years, we have made great progress in various aspects. This includes business data, market understanding, and product lines as well as in the customer-centric service system, design and research & development, and quality management capabilities. However, we are also faced with significant challenges. “In the new twenty years, TO BE NO.1!�?, the key lies in whether we can become NO.1 in every city, every product line, every market, and in both fields of traditional foreign trade and cross-border e-commerce. Today, our biggest challenge is whether leaders at all levels can continue to lead this company forward and overcome difficulties. Are our leaders maintaining images of diligence, integrity, and fighting spirit, or of overall corruption and laxity, pursuit of pleasure and lying flat? We need an internal campaign of criticism and self-criticism within the company!

Most enterprises are tiny in the long history. What sets our company apart from others is that we strive for common prosperity through joint struggle and collective efforts. Only when leaders take the leading initiative to exercising in the vast ocean and encourage those having got prosperous first to help others catch up, can our colleagues believe that the knowledge change your fate, and the struggle accomplish your future. In the era of AI, the spirit of hard work, curiosity, and the ability to learn new knowledge remain irreplaceable. However, ordinary people and ordinary cadres may be replaced. We need to conduct continuous and lifelong training to spur our senior colleagues and cadres to strive for progress. We should always maintain an entrepreneurial spirit instead of allowing our company to become mediocre.  

You can also have your own company in MU Group. Any promotion, selection for excellence, or establishment of a division is merely a new starting point, never an end. We must keep striving until we achieve success through our efforts.

2025 is a year of sprinting. We believe that with the unremitting efforts of all colleagues in MU, the company’s business foundation will make another leap and reach a new historical high.

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On the afternoon of February 12, the Lantern Festival, Ningbo Mayor Tang Feifan led a delegation to conduct a research visit. President Tom Tang and Vice President Eric Zhuang warmly welcomed them.

Mayor Tang Feifan toured the East Area Workspace with the delegation, greeting colleagues working on the front lines of foreign trade. In the following symposium, he expressed deep concern about the impact of tariffs on foreign trade exports, specifically gathering insights on policy adjustments and optimization strategies.

President Tom Tang reported that our export business reached $1.954 billion in 2024, marking a 37.15% increase with total container exports at 107,800 TEUs. In January, exports hit a record high of over $235 million, which achieves a prosperous beginning to the year. While the uncertainty and intensity of tariff policies pose challenges to export trade, Chinese manufacturing sector benefits from a comprehensive industrial system and strong supply chain clusters, and thus the relocation of small commodity production bases takes time, providing us with adjustment room. The key lies in securing independent pricing power and maintaining core competitiveness. 

Daily necessities and general goods exports are a prominent strength of Ningbo foreign trade and demonstrate counter-cyclical resilience. We remain firmly optimistic about Ningbo’s foreign trade and Chinese export sector. Additionally, given the high demand for office and exhibition space among foreign trade enterprises, we hope that the government will provide stronger policy support for enterprises in purchasing and leasing office space along with developing headquarters centers.

Mayor Tang Feifan acknowledged MU Group’s achievements and encouraged us to further promote entrepreneurial spirit, explore new business models, and drive high-level exports with high-quality products. Facing evolving situations and challenges, foreign trade enterprises should remain confident, adapt proactively, and respond swiftly to global market trends. By enhancing product competitiveness and diversifying markets, enterprises can unlock new growth opportunities and hedge against potential trade risks.

Government departments must act as ‘guarding escort�?of foreign trade enterprises and provide robust services, establish mechanisms for handling and resolving demands and issues. Ensure that problems are resolved efficiently in a closed-loop manner, and effectively provide support and backing for enterprises going global. Through government-business collaboration, the path to high-quality foreign trade development can be further expanded.

The research visit was accompanied by CPC Member of Ningbo Government and Director of the NETD Administrative Committee Ye Miao, Director of the Municipal Tax Bureau Yu Guang, Deputy Secretary-General of the Municipal Government and Director of the General Office Yang Fuyuan, Deputy Secretary-General of the Municipal Government and Director of the Port Affairs Office Li Zhigang, Director of the Municipal Bureau of Commerce Li Chengjie, Director of the High-tech Zone Administrative Committee Xu Yun, Executive Deputy Director of the Municipal Reform Office and Director of the Business Environment Development Bureau Liu Xingjing, Director of the Municipal Government Research Office Zhang Jian, General Manager of China Export & Credit Insurance Corporation Ningbo Branch Zhang Juan, and Deputy Director of Ningbo Customs Liang Danhong.

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On February 12, Citywide Cadre Conference and Yiwu International Trade Reform Advancement Meeting in Yiwu were held. MU Group was honored as Yiwu Top 10 Export Enterprises of 2025 and President Tom Tang delivered a speech.

Jinhua CPC Standing Committee and Yiwu Party Secretary Ye Bangrui emphasized that one’s vision determines the world one sees, and one’s pattern determines the outcome. To firmly hold the “Center position” in international trade, we must always maintain a strategic awareness from a global perspective. Instead of regarding Yiwu as the world, we should seek its development from a global perspective. Hard work is the ultimate formula for the reform in Yiwu. With the pioneering spirit, we have written half of the history of “Made in China” going global.

Reform is a common cause for all 3.3 million Yiwu citizens and each of which is the smallest unit contributing to urban development without being bystanders or outsiders. Market is of utmost importance, and thus we must prioritize it and continue to lead the new trend of global trade. Our development attribute the foremost credit to enterprises and those private entrepreneurs are the heroes in peacetime and the most precious resources and wealth!

“Yiwu is my second hometown!” President Tom Tang looked back on his experience of engaging in foreign trade at Yiwu Huangyuan Market years ago. He has witnessed its transformation from a small town into an international metropolis for the past 26 years. Since 1999, MU Group has started from the foreign agent procurement business and now grown into a leading enterprise in the daily consumer goods exports in the whole province.

In recent years, we have continuously invested in Design and R&D, attached great importance to quality management, and successfully sold  small commodities of Yiwu to global supermarkets and major brands, which has explored a MU-featured development path among foreign trade companies. We have also continuously invested in expanding markets and highly valued digital marketing. Thousands of colleagues participate in the Canton Fair. Additionally, we established a 4,000�?permanent exhibition hall for small commodities at the Westin Hotel within Canton Fair Tower.

Last year, we visited customers and participated in exhibitions over 1,500 person-times and our annual flight mileage exceed 60 million kilometers, which is equivalent to circling the earth 1,500 times. Simultaneously, we have been making substantial investments in online B2B platforms such as Alibaba and Made-in-China.com while adhering to digital marketing methods on independent websites, overseas social media, and AI tools to attract customers for the market from all aspects.

In the Yiwu Financial Business District, our two buildings of 85000㎡with large showrooms and office areas have just been established, marking a new starting point! We aim to become China’s first all-category supply chain management enterprise going global and provide global customers with Chinese products and services of extreme cost performance to earn global recognition for Yiwu!

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On February 7, the quality management training kick-off meeting was held. President Tom Tang, General Manager of the Supply Chain Management Department Jeffrey Xu, Director Manager Kasyun Xia as well as QC, QA, and CSR colleagues attended.

Luke Zheng, Senior Manager of the QC department at GIANT TIGER first introduced the quality training outline. He proposed establishing a three-tier training system with basic, intermediate, and advanced levels, which aims to enhance total quality awareness, optimize quality costs and increase efficiency. Accordingly, internal quality costs are capable of being maintained within a reasonable range.

Meanwhile, under the general policy of customer satisfaction, social satisfaction and enterprise satisfaction, we will conduct internal testing and certification, sample review, and team training while provide external quality assurance, factory audit, and technical services. We strive to build a professional quality management team that align with international standards.

Jeffrey Xu outlined a new vision for quality management. He advocated targeted training towards diverse markets to enhance quality awareness among colleagues across different tiers, compiling the quality management manual and cultivating quality management professionals. He suggested establishing MU-featured labs and QC training center to elevate the quality management level to a leading position among Chinese trading companies.

Lastly, President Tom Tang stressed that the essence of quality management lies in the accelerated promotion of quality professionals, and greater emphasis on positions, levels and salary, which provides career advancement opportunities for outstanding quality management talents and stimulates motivation. We should benchmark quality training against the standards of Germany and Japan, focusing on international top-tier quality management practices and systems to achieve quality leadership. We aim to provide global customers with Chinese products and services of extreme cost performance.

As China is transforming from speed-driven to quality-driven approach, quality management is a discipline and comprehensive knowledge system. We should respect knowledge, for knowledge can change fate. Implementing quality management training should be overall and mandatory.

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