Video | Product Going Global → Brand Going Global, "Selling Worldwide" → "Buying Worldwide": Yiwu's Answer to China's High-Quality Foreign Trade Development

Ask AI · How does Yiwu foreign trade achieve a strong growth of over 50% at the beginning of the year?

Latest data from Yiwu Customs shows that in the first two months of this year, Yiwu’s import and export volume reached 173.56 billion yuan, setting a new record for the same period in history with a year-on-year increase of 52.8%, marking a strong start. Both imports and exports grew by over 50%, demonstrating vibrant two-way trade.

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Strong Start for Yiwu Foreign Trade, Diversified Markets Continue to Expand

According to Yiwu Customs statistics, in the first two months of this year, Yiwu’s “friend circle” of foreign trade further expanded, with trade relations with 222 countries and regions worldwide, an increase of 9 countries and regions compared to the same period last year.

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Africa is Yiwu’s largest trading market

In the first two months, Africa was Yiwu’s largest trading market. Yiwu’s import and export volume to Africa increased by 84.7% year-on-year from January to February, accounting for 20.4% of Yiwu’s total foreign trade.

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ASEAN is Yiwu’s fastest-growing trading market

Among major trading partners, Yiwu’s import and export with ASEAN grew the fastest. In the first two months, Yiwu’s trade with ASEAN increased by 99% year-on-year. Additionally, exports and imports with Latin America and the European Union grew by 34% and 64.6%, respectively; trade with countries involved in the “Belt and Road” initiative totaled 124.43 billion yuan, up 59.5%, accounting for over 70% of Yiwu’s total foreign trade during the same period.

From “Product Going Global” to “Brand Going Global”

Yiwu is a barometer and trendsetter of China’s foreign trade. As the world’s largest small commodity distribution center, it’s never short of quality goods and hot products. In recent years, more and more Yiwu companies have shifted from “product going global” to “brand going global,” focusing on brand development. How are they doing it? Let’s look at frontline observations from reporters.

At Yiwu International Trade City Zone 2, there is a special store — Yiwu Brand Collection Store. In this 200-square-meter display space, thousands of self-branded “Good Chinese Products” are neatly displayed, covering popular categories such as daily necessities, kitchenware, and creative small commodities.

Unlike other shops in the trade city, this display features not just products but a new model of “Chinese brands going overseas.”

African Buyer Eric: In the past, we had to visit multiple factories and coordinate many suppliers to select products; now, we can do it all at this brand collection store platform, saving a lot of time and costs. More importantly, these brands have unique features and stable quality, giving us confidence to sell in the African market.

Yiwu Brand Collection Store Manager Xiao Sisi: Our brand export collection store is a window for us to directly showcase products and company brands to foreign buyers. We develop targeted products for different countries’ customer groups, with unique designs in quality and packaging. For example, this aromatherapy spray is tailored for the African market, with bottle design and scent specially developed for Africa. This product sells at least 10,000 units per month in Africa.

Yiwu Brand Collection Store is one of Yiwu’s key overseas expansion projects. Since opening its first store in Yiwu International Trade City Zone 2 in 2025, it has signed strategic cooperation agreements with over 10 countries and regions including Kenya, Italy, and Chile. Overseas stores in Kenya, Papua New Guinea, Ecuador, South Korea, and others have also been launched, covering five continents worldwide.

He Lihong, President of Yiwu Brand Development Promotion Association: Currently, brands in Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Chile have signed agreements. The branded export collection stores are under renovation, and by 2026, we plan to expand to 20 more countries and regions.

Since launching the brand export plan in 2023, Yiwu has promoted a global strategic layout through five major modes: overseas markets, overseas warehouses, overseas showrooms, overseas stations, and overseas exhibitions. To date, 83 overseas projects have been deployed in 37 countries and regions, serving thousands of merchants going abroad.

He Lihong: Over the past more than half a year, we’ve organized enterprises to visit countries like Mexico, Kenya, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and others for negotiations and cooperation, enabling companies to “bring samples abroad and bring back orders.”

From Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center to New External Trade Dynamics

In the first two months of this year, Yiwu registered 63,300 overseas personnel, a 19.8% increase year-on-year. During interviews, reporters found that many foreign merchants visiting Yiwu regard the Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center as an important procurement stop. Unlike traditional markets, this is no longer just a collection of individual stalls but a new trade ecosystem integrating digital technology, intelligent equipment, brand incubation, and trade services. What new trends in foreign trade are emerging here? Let’s continue with the reporter’s observations.

Entering the “Global Digital Trade Center,” the most obvious change is “digitalization.” In an intelligent equipment store, an AI translator attracted many domestic and foreign customers to try it out. An Indian buyer repeatedly tested a sample device, communicating with merchants about product details. Within seconds, real-time translation results appeared.

Indian Buyer Abi: The first batch of goods we bought has already sold out; we’ve sold over 100 AI translators. Seeing the new products today, I think the quality has improved. I will place more orders this time.

Behind the growth in orders is the continuous enhancement of product competitiveness. Merchants explained that this translation device was independently developed by the company, evolving from an initial handheld model to the current magnetic-suction design, supporting translation in 146 languages, up from 100, with expanded application scenarios. This AI translator has been popular in Europe, ASEAN, and other markets this year.

Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center Operator Chen Jing: It can rotate 360 degrees and also serve as a phone stand. Orders have increased by 200% compared to before.

More and more merchants are opening new markets through technological innovation. A shop selling smart wearables demonstrated a smart ring to customers. Connected to a mobile phone, the ring can monitor health and perform multiple functions.

Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center Merchant Zhu Yuelan: We mainly focus on foreign trade exports. For example, I sold over 10,000 rings last month, a roughly 60% increase.

From a translation device to a smart ring, the “innovation content” in Yiwu’s market continues to rise. Foreign trade competition is shifting from “price advantage” to “technology and brand advantage,” opening new markets through technological innovation.

According to Yiwu Customs data, in the first two months of this year, Yiwu’s electromechanical product exports reached 58.09 billion yuan, a 54.8% increase year-on-year, with high-value-added products accounting for an increasing proportion.

Import of consumer goods accounts for half of Yiwu’s imports

Data from Customs shows that in January–February this year, Yiwu’s import of consumer goods exceeded 10 billion yuan, a 54.2% increase year-on-year, accounting for more than half of Yiwu’s total imports. Consumer goods imports came from 127 countries and regions, an increase of 26 countries and regions compared to last year; among them, ASEAN, Latin America, and the EU together account for over 60%, becoming the main support of Yiwu’s import market. Today, Yiwu not only “sells to the world” but also “buys from the world,” injecting strong vitality into the domestic consumer market.

In Yiwu’s Comprehensive Bonded Zone, trucks are orderly entering and leaving. After arriving, imported goods are quickly unloaded and proceed to sorting, labeling, and packaging.

Yiwu Kaichang Import & Export Co., Ltd. General Manager Tang Jianfeng: Maternity and baby products, health supplements, cosmetics, and now electronic 3C products. These have been in a rapid development phase over the past two years.

With consumption upgrading, the daily order volume of enterprises has increased from about 70,000 last year to over 100,000 now.

On the other side, in the bonded warehouse, a batch of Southeast Asian agricultural products is being concentrated into the zone.

Jin Xiaomin, Chairman of Zhejiang Kingston Supply Chain Group: Frozen durian and bird’s nest imported from Southeast Asia increased by over 200% compared to last year. We previously imported from about twenty countries; this year, we’re adding another twenty or so.

The company reports that in the first two months, import value increased by over 50%, with orders from ASEAN countries accounting for 70%. Under policy support, companies are actively expanding new sources of imports.

Ding Yang, General Manager of Yiwu Kaihe Import & Export Co., Ltd.: This year, we saw the General Administration of Customs release a zero-tariff policy for African countries. We plan to develop African routes vigorously. Previously, our nuts mainly came from the US and Australia, but now Africa offers better cost performance. We expect about 60% growth this year compared to last.

Efficient import chains also extend to the Yiwu market side. In Yiwu Import Commodity City in Zone 5 of the International Trade City, over 150,000 products from more than 100 countries and regions are on display.

Yiwu Import Commodity City Merchant Yu Chunlei: Over the past two years, I’ve felt a clear increase in demand for imported goods. Last year, our overall sales increased by about 30%. Orders are still growing this year, especially for chocolates and snacks, which have high repurchase rates.

From market to warehousing to customs clearance, improved supervision efficiency is equally crucial. At Yiwu Customs supervision site, a series of measures to optimize customs procedures and improve inspection efficiency ensure rapid circulation of imported goods.

Yiwu Customs Officer Xu Zhan: We’ve introduced a series of reforms, including promoting cross-border e-commerce import duty insurance and paperless guarantees, reducing companies’ financial pressure; also, we developed a seamless customs clearance system that reduces vehicle crossing time to under 10 seconds.

From “selling around the world” to “buying globally,” Yiwu uses efficient trade channels to build bridges connecting China and the world. This “world supermarket” is writing a vivid and lively Yiwu story for high-quality development of China’s foreign trade.

(Reported by CCTV Correspondents Ye Huan, Yang Shaopeng, Yiwu Station, Jin Jiaming)