To produce these reports, Global Sources surveyed a wide range of companies. All profiled companies are export-oriented professional suppliers that may or may not be clients of Global Sources.

Rather than focusing on high-profile makers, we compiled a representative sample of large, midsize and emerging suppliers. The selection of companies is designed to reflect closely the composition of the industry in mainland China in terms of geographic spread, business type and company ownership.

Although mainland China is the main focus of coverage, suppliers from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South Korea have been included in reports where production has not shifted primarily to the mainland. Separate reports on supplier capability in India have been produced in product areas where India is a strong supplier, rivaling mainland China.

For each company profile, our research teams interviewed senior executives and export managers who discussed their recent performance and provided price, R&D, production and export forecasts for the next 12 months. The interviews were done in person, by phone or e-mail.

In each case, companies were required to answer specific questions designed to verify their manufacturing and export credentials, including a breakdown of manufacturing output by product type and export market. Our production checklist details the product-specific capabilities of each supplier.

All suppliers were asked to participate in a survey designed to provide insight into product and price trends, and major challenges facing the industry in the next 6 to 12 months. These are discussed in the Supplier Survey or Outlook section in each report.

A product gallery containing images and detailed descriptions of a range of top-selling products from profiled suppliers is also included.