Zhejiang province-based foreign trade companies seek more orders abroad

A business delegation of 96 entrepreneurs and executives from 50 companies in Zhejiang province left for Tokyo on a flight chartered by the Jiaxing municipal government in the early morning of Dec 4. It was the start of a seven-day business tour to Japan, one of China's largest city-level chartered business flights in 2022. It was also indicative of how such private flights are helping lift the economy.

The passengers were exhibitors at Asia Fashion Fair 2022. Most were from trading companies in Jiaxing, with a dozen from other cities such as Hangzhou, Ningbo and Huzhou.

They arrived before the fair's opening on Dec 7 to take full advantage of their time in Japan. Some visited regular clients and others sought new business opportunities.

Xu Yihong from Pinghu Aili Trade Co Ltd discovered a new direction for the company when visiting several clients.

"I found that eco-friendly products are popular among young people in Japan. That's why most clothing factories here are using materials such as recycled cotton. It's a new trend in the garment market," said Xu, who immediately asked her suppliers to change what they buy.

Sixty exhibitors at this year's fashion fair are from Jiaxing, up from about 20 in previous years, according to the Jiaxing Municipal Commerce Bureau.

Among them was Zhu Yu, foreign trade manager at Jiaxing Yunxiang Knitting Co Ltd. After three years of missing the fair, Zhu took the chartered flight. Armed with his latest samples, he took home $2 million worth of orders from Japanese clients at the fair.

Another chartered plane carrying local businesspeople and officials of the Jiaxing Municipal Commerce Bureau headed for Europe on the same day. In six days, they visited commercial authorities, business associations and companies in Germany and France.

The two delegations were part of a campaign by the Jiaxing government to help local companies do more business with foreign customers.