General

Recently, a number of business delegations composed of Zhejiang Provincial Department of Commerce, Ningbo, Jiaxing and other local commerce bureaus and enterprise representatives went to Europe, Japan, the United Arab Emirates and other places to participate in business talks. More than a week later, the first business groups have returned home with their achievements. A number of enterprise leaders said that the "Sail Away" has received new orders, expanded new markets and added new confidence.

"New orders need to be spelled out"

On December 11, Jiaxing chartered planes to Japan and two business groups from Germany and France to return home. In one week, the business group carried out nearly 30 activities (times), striving for more than 400 million yuan of intended orders, and reached five projects with an intended investment of more than 200 million dollars.

The relevant person in charge of Jiaxing Municipal Bureau of Commerce said that during this "overseas trip", some enterprises signed large orders, some enterprises found new business opportunities, and some enterprises felt the strong desire of overseas enterprises to strengthen cooperation. "The key to a new order is to spell it out."

For Hua Yifan, the business director of Jiaxing Suanhui Garments Co., Ltd., every day in Tokyo, Japan, is a race against the clock. "We haven't gone abroad for three years. This time we are going to Japan mainly to participate in the Asian Textile and Garment Exhibition. The exhibition has a large customer base, and good ready-made clothes can receive about 10000 orders." Hua Yifan said.

Hua Yifan revealed that many intentional orders were deeply discussed. "Many customers have negotiated prices with us and placed target orders. We have started to make samples." In his opinion, face-to-face negotiation is more likely to be successful than email or telephone communication.

Min Enguang, the sales manager of Zhejiang Shangshang Biotechnology Co., Ltd., was very busy at the booth of the European Health and Natural Food Ingredients Exhibition. He met with 110 groups of customers in two days of the exhibition, and initially talked about orders of about 30 million yuan. Min Nguang estimated that, according to the current trend, the enterprise is expected to achieve an output value of about 1.3 billion yuan in 2023, a steady increase compared with this year.

Hu Zhang, director of the Foreign Trade Department of Wenzhou Municipal Bureau of Commerce, said that in the first quarter of 2023, Wenzhou plans to promote 236 international trade enterprises in the city to participate in more than 30 overseas exhibitions. The exhibitions are held in 16 countries, including Italy, the United States, Germany, India, and 15 industries, including shoes, clothing, eyeglasses.

"Where there are new discoveries, there are new markets"

Weng Lei, the chairman and general manager of Zhejiang Minglei Lithium Energy Technology Co., Ltd., who set out from Ningbo, went to Vietnam to communicate with new customers. Although it was his first contact, Weng Lei found that the cultural concepts of the two companies were very consistent, especially in terms of product quality.

"We have reached a very good consensus on the lithium garden tool market. Next, we will actively dock with customers according to their actual needs, keep close communication with customers, and strive for the early development and ordering of customers' products." Weng Lei said.

"We have no 'old friends' in the UAE, and making a number of' new friends' is our biggest goal of this' sailing '." Zhang Li, business manager of Ningbo Yuanmeng Import and Export Co., Ltd., said that for more than 20 years, the enterprise has been engaged in the export sales of ready-made clothes and fabrics in the European and American markets. However, recently, the economic and trade exchanges between China and the Arab world have been strengthened, allowing them to see new opportunities.

How to make "new friends"? The secret of Yuanmeng Company is: change according to time and local conditions. As the Arab region is hot and dry all the year round, Zhang Li specially prepared comfortable cotton textile casual clothes when she went to sea. The fabrics are also as complete as possible, including knitted, undershirt, flannelette and some fashionable women's fabrics. The number of more than 150 samples in three boxes is far greater than the scale when she went to the European and American markets.

In Zhang Li's eyes, it is equally important to accurately grasp the pulse of the international trade market through "going to sea", as well as to get a solid order. Compared with the situation of going abroad for negotiation before the epidemic, Zhang Li clearly felt that the demand for products in the international market was changing, and small batch customization had gradually become the mainstream. "After this investigation, we will further expand the categories of raw materials and adjust the production details accordingly."

"Where there are new discoveries, there are new markets." Hua Yifan said, "One of our gains this time is to notice that the overseas market now pays more attention to the functionality of clothing. For example, in down jackets, those products with heating function will be more popular. In terms of production technology, it is the future trend to make clothes with renewable polyester environment-friendly materials."

"New attempts give us new confidence"

Many enterprises interviewed said that the delegation was led and chartered by government departments, which enabled enterprises to see not only the sincerity of relevant departments, but also the determination of the government to stabilize foreign trade and promote cooperation, and strengthened the confidence of international trade to promote production, stable growth and win the future.

"In the past three years, the pace of our search for new customers has slowed down, and new customers have been unable to supplement, resulting in a decline in the company's overall foreign trade exports." Kong Zhiming, the general manager of Jiaxing Dingsheng Garment Co., Ltd., said that he packed three boxes of newly developed products for the trip, so that more customers can have the conditions to "stay one step longer" and "see more".

"Business should be talked face to face and cooperation should be talked face to face. The importance of popularity in business is self-evident." Kong Zhiming said that he was surprised to receive more than 20 business cards from new customers every day when he went to sea. "Every new business card gives us a new confidence." Kong Zhiming said.

"Although there are still many uncertain factors in the world economy, the development trend of stable and high-quality international trade business will not change. New attempts have given us new confidence." Zhang Li said that the "sailing" made international trade enterprises realize that only by going out early, quickly and more, and grasping the window period of overseas economic recovery and traditional exhibition peak season, can they win the initiative, cultivate new opportunities in the crisis, and open new situations in the changing situation.