Have No Diplomatic Relations With China, Can Source Goods From China?

For those of us living in the global village, it’s highly likely that when we want to purchase goods, we can’t avoid the phrase ‘Made in China.’ We all consider sourcing products from China.

If you are a businessman, but your country has not yet established diplomatic relations with China, would you consider sourcing goods from China to be an impossible dream?

I used to think the same way before – no diplomatic relations between two countries, how could there be trade, let alone transportation? It seemed impossible!

Until I saw a news story that changed my perspective:

On March 26, 2023, China and Honduras established official diplomatic relations, with the two countries signing a joint communique agreeing to exchange ambassadors as soon as possible.

Did China and Honduras not have diplomatic relations before?
You know, I used to source goods to a Honduran customer back in 2021. If the two countries didn’t have diplomatic relations, could trade still happen?

If it’s possible to engage in commodity trade between two countries without diplomatic relations, does that mean companies from countries that haven’t established diplomatic relations with China can also directly contact us (www.luuksourcing.com) to help them source products?

I asked Google and ChatGPT, they told me

Yes, two countries can engage in international trade without having established formal diplomatic relations.

Diplomatic relations and trade relations are separate aspects of international interaction.

Trade can occur through various mechanisms such as trade agreements, trade intermediaries, and international trade organizations, even when formal diplomatic relations between countries are not in place.

However, the absence of diplomatic relations may present certain challenges and limitations in trade and international cooperation, but it does not necessarily preclude trade altogether.

Let me show some experience do business with customer in Honduras in 2021.