“Cha Bu Duo”: The Expression That Fills Western Manufacturers in China With Dread
15th August 2022
Read it.
As China sourcing agents representing western businesses, it is not unusual for us at Sourcing Allies to find that the client’s product doesn’t fall within the acceptable range of specifications outlined in the technical drawings given to the Chinese factory, but the factory genuinely doesn’t think that is a problem.
If there is one expression that illustrates this difference in attitude towards quality standards, it is “Cha Bu Duo”, which can be translated as “not far off” or “close enough”.
The American equivalent is ‘good enough for government work’.
August 17th, 2022 at 19:49
When I worked for a cosmetic & beauty product company, the CEO (a Korean) decided we would save tons of money by buying our bottles, jars, caps, pumps, and sprayers from China. When we got our first shipment, everything was out of round, many of the bottles and jars were visibly inconsistent in thickness of plastic, and many of them leaned badly, to the point of not standing up, when they were set with their bottoms flat on a counter or table.