RCEP helps boost trade at flower auction center in southwest China

More international purchasers are attracted to a floral auction trading center in Kunming, the capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, thanks to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), further boosting the center's foreign trade involving dozens of countries around the world.

Entering into force in 2022, RCEP comprises 15 Asia-Pacific countries including 10 ASEAN member states -- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- and their five trading partners, namely China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

The RCEP aims to eliminate 90 percent of intra-regional duties while standardizing customs and e-commerce rules.

In 2024, the value of goods that China exported to and imported from other RCEP members reached 13.16 trillion yuan (over 1.8 trillion U.S. dollars), up 4.5 percent year on year, according to official data.

RCEP is also helping flowers produced in Yunnan going global at an accelerating pace, as the province nurtures increasing high-quality fresh flowers and independently cultivates more varieties. The auction trading center is seeing a growing number of international customers and they are increasingly pursuing high-quality products.

"Since the start of March, the average daily flower trading volume has been basically more than 6 million stems," said Chen Fei, director of the origin trading center of Kunming International Floral Auction Trading Center.

"We mainly send flowers to Thailand and Myanmar. As our terminal buyers demand high quality of fresh flowers, we can resell the flowers even if they are procured at a price of about 80 to 90 yuan (about 11 to 12 U.S. dollars) per spray," said Yang Mingying, a purchaser.

"The number of international purchasers changed noticeably in the first quarter of this year. By estimation, the proportion of international purchaser at the auction center could reach over seven percent in 2025," Chen said.

Data provided by the auction trading center showed that in 2024, it traded over seven million stems of flowers every day and sent over 3,000 different varieties of flowers to cities in China and more than 40 other countries around the world, including RCEP members of Thailand, Japan, Singapore.

Data released by Kunming Customs showed that from January to February this year, the value of fresh flowers exported to Japan from Yunnan surpassed 25 million yuan (about 3.5 million U.S. dollars).

Kunming Customs issued 26 certificates of origin to enterprises that export flowers to Japan. With RCEP Certificates of Origin, the fresh flowers can enjoy certain tariff reductions during customs clearance in Japan.

As customs clearance has been shortened to six hours for agricultural products under the RCEP agreement, perishable products like fresh flowers can complete export procedures within two to three hours at the fastest speed before arriving at the markets of RCEP members.

RCEP helps boost trade at flower auction center in southwest China

The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.

In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.

"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.

Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.

The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."

Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.

President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.

Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.

Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.

The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.

Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests