The Shanghai-based Bright Food Group, one of China's time-honored brands, is gaining growing international popularity as it exports its cold drinks and ice creams to seven countries this year.
On Monday alone, the group exported 2.52 tons of cold drinks to Britain under the supervision of customs of Shanghai's Fengxian District. This marks the company's seventh export destination country this year.
"We organized studies on the quality standards of key export markets in Europe and the United States for frozen beverages, and gave precise instruction to companies to improve their product formulas and production processes, to ensure they are up to the standards of the destination countries," said an officer from the Fengxian customs.
Bright Food cold drinks are many Shanghai locals' "childhood memory". In recent years, the company has rolled out various innovative products and incorporated elements of trendy China-chic style, aiming not only to cater to the domestic market but also to attract more attention from overseas customers.
"Based on our classic offerings, we have continuously turned out novel products. This year, we have introduced new products such as lime popsicles, 'happiness' popsicles, and snow-white coconut-flavored ice cream in brick shapes, targeting overseas markets," said Zhang Minyi, a marketing director at Shanghai Yimin Foodstuff No.1 Factory Co., Ltd., affiliated with Bright Food Group.
Currently, Shanghai is home to 197 traditional Chinese time-honored brands, steadily standing on the top spot nationwide. More than half of these traditional brands are now looking into international markets.
Shanghai cold drink brand gains popularity overseas
Shanghai cold drink brand gains popularity overseas
Long-standing challenges in Mexico's automotive industry have been exacerbated with the implementation of the U.S. tariff on imported cars, which took effect Thursday, fueling uncertainty and job losses.
Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 25 percent tariff on all imported automobiles.
Ciudad Juarez, one of Mexico's largest trade ports and a key manufacturing hub, is now facing even greater challenges as rising trade protectionism deepens existing pressures.
At a medal parts manufacturing factory that has been in operation for over 30 years, the workforce has drastically reduced from 60 workers to just 25 due to uncertainty about the future.
Even before the U.S. tariffs on imported cars took effect, mounting pressure had already begun to ripple through the industry, prompting many companies to suspend investment and procurement plans.
"Some 95 percent of the products exported from Chihuahua, where Ciudad Juarez is located, are industrial manufactured goods. We have held multiple meetings to discuss solutions. In fact, over the past year and a half, more than 55,000 factory workers here in the city have lost their jobs," said the owner of the factory.
The automotive industry is a key pillar of Mexico's economy, generating nearly 100 billion U.S. dollars in output. The auto parts assembly industry alone provides over 900,000 jobs for the country, while automotive assembly companies create 175,000 jobs.
According to statistics from the Mexican Association of Automotive Dealers (AMDA), over 40 percent of the components used by American auto manufacturers are imported from Mexico. Last year, Mexico produced four million cars, approximately three million of which were exported to the U.S.
Industry insiders indicate that due to the high degree of interdependence in the sector between the U.S. and Mexico, along with a shortage of skilled labor, the U.S. goal of bringing automotive manufacturing back to its shores through tariffs is unlikely to be realized in the short term.
Moreover, the established industrial chain in Mexico faces the risk of being disrupted, which will ultimately have repercussions on consumer spending and further exacerbate inflation in the long run.
"Young people from the U.S. are no longer willing to work in the manufacturing sector. I believe there will be no growth in the relocation of automotive parts and vehicles factories in the short term," said Guillermo Rosales Zarate, ADMA's executive president.
"Personally, I hope this avalanche of tariffs doesn't continue; otherwise, it will lead to more significant issues affecting the U.S. economy. If these tariffs remain in place long-term, it will be the American people who suffer the most," said Ricardo Ramos, a professor with the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez.
U.S. automotive tariffs deepen industry pressures, halt investments in Mexico
