SEMA Delegation Sees Emerging Specialty-Parts Market in China

	The SEMA delegation was invited to dinner at the Great Hall of the People. This venue, on the west side of Tiananmen Square, is the site of some of the most important political and diplomatic activities in China. The SEMA delegation was greeted at the Great Hall by Zhang Ji, Ministry of Commerce Director-General of Department of Mechanics, Electronics and Hi-Tech Industry.
	Wholesalers and retailers from throughout China attended the inaugural SEMA CIAPE China Business Development Conference. In addition to buyers from Beijing and Shanghai, wholesalers and retailers from throughout the country—including Ha’erbin in the far North to Guangzhou on the Southern tip—traveled to Beijing to meet with the 21 SEMA-member companies participating in the one-on-one meetings.

Twenty-one SEMA members just returned from Beijing where they participated in the inaugural SEMA CIAPE China Business Development Conference. Each SEMA member participated in pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings with Chinese distributors and retailers from throughout China.

Noted trip participant and SEMA Chairman-Elect Scooter Brothers, COO of Comp Cams: “Prior to this latest conference in China, I still wasn’t sure if our future was going to be buying or selling in China. After meeting one-on-one with some of the 'real' performance parts guys, it’s becoming clear that there will be a Chinese market for performance aftermarket parts. The meetings we had put us face to face with some of the early players in the Chinese automotive market, and it looks like they have the performance bug just as bad as we do in the States. Now we have the first step and can go back next year with a clear direction and put some meat on the skeleton—that is clear to us now.”

Added Andy Barbieri, vice president of business development at BDS Suspension: “The SEMA CIAPE China Business Development Conference was a great opportunity to introduce BDS Suspension products into the Chinese automotive aftermarket. The automotive aftermarket in China is still in its infancy compared to the United States, but it's growing rapidly and, thus, we found it very productive to have the opportunity to speak to so many Chinese buyers in a compressed period of time, allowing BDS to enter this market and get in on the ground floor.”

For more information regarding SEMA’s international programs, contact Linda Spencer at lindas@sema.org.

Participating SEMA Members

• AEM Performance Electronics
• AMSOIL Inc.
• BDS Suspension
• Bilstein
• Bushwacker Inc.
• COMP Performance Group
• Delta Tech Industries LLC
• eBay Motors, eBay Inc.
• Eibach Springs Inc.
• Girard Systems
• Holley Performance Products Inc. (USA)
• Injen Technology
• K&N Engineering Inc./AEM Intake Systems
• Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc.
• Performance Motorsports Inc.
• Powersheen
• Prestolite Performance
• Rennen International/DONZ Wheelz
• SCT Performance
• StopTech
• Wheel Pros LLC

Volker Wegerhoff, head of sales for Bilstein, and Martin Hyar, the firm's regional sales manager, discussed their line of shock absorbers and struts with buyers from all over China.	Injen President Ron Delgado and the firm’s Vice President of Sales Ed Rossi explain their product to a buyer at the SEMA CIAPE China Business Development Conference.
Ray Gross, president of Idaho-based Powersheen, talks with buyers interested in learning more about his tire-coating product.	Bob Bruegging and Danny Chen of Prestolite Performance answer questions posed by Chinese buyers during a one-on-one session.
David Thawley of eBay Motors (far right) provides an overview of eBay Motors to potential customers as the Director of eBay Motors, Famous Rhodes, looks on.	Kenneth Merritt, vice president of OEM sales for Bushwacker, meets with an off-road company potentially interested in carrying the firm’s fender flares.
Jeremy Barras met with a dozen buyers who specifically requested meetings with the representative of Stop Tech and AEM Performance Electronics products.	As the interest in engine tuning grows, buyers are increasingly seeking underhood products, such as ECUs. Pictured here is SCT President Rick Trudo and Vice President Mike Rogers talking with wholesalers of performance products.