Canton Fair contributing to economic and trade recovery in ASEAN

Known for being a barometer of China’s foreign trade, the 129th Canton Fair online has made prominent contributions in market recovery in China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Jiangsu Soho International, a business leader in silk import and export trade, has built three overseas production bases in the countries of Cambodia and Myanmar.

The company’s trade manager said that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, freight charges and customs clearance when exporting to ASEAN countries continue to rise.

Nevertheless, foreign trade enterprises are making efforts to remedy this by responding to the crisis quickly and seeking out opportunities in the crisis.

“We are still optimistic about the ASEAN market,” Soho’s trade manager said, adding they are trying to stabilize trade in many ways.

Soho said it is also determined to make full use of the 129th Canton Fair to establish contacts with more buyers in the ASEAN market, in a bid to obtain more orders.

By using international new media resources and e-mail direct marketing, companies like Jiangsu Soho have organized a series of online promotion activities targeting Thailand, Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries.

“At this Canton Fair session, we have established business ties with buyers from ASEAN and learned about their needs. Some of them have decided to buy our products,” said Bai Yu, another trade manager at Jiangsu Soho.

The company will adhere to the business principle of “developing based on science and technology, to survive based on product quality”, and provide customers with high-quality products and presale and aftersales services.

Huang Yijun, chairman of Kawan Lama Group, has taken part in the fair since 1997.

As Indonesia’s leading hardware and furniture retail company, it hunts for good Chinese suppliers at the fair.

“With the recovery of Indonesia’s economy and the rise of local market demand, we hope to find Chinese products for kitchen use and healthcare through the fair,” Huang said.

Speaking of the prospects of economic and trade between Indonesia and China, Huang is optimistic.

“Indonesia is a country with a population of 270 million and rich resources, which is complementary to the Chinese economy. With the help of RCEP, there is great potential for future economic and trade cooperation between the two nations,” he said.