A shoe factory in Wenzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, has successfully navigated the challenges posed by rising tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump's administration by innovating its products, expanding into broader global markets, and leveraging support from national strategies such as the Belt and Road Initiative.
Chinese factories made around 60 percent of the shoes sold in the United States, but the recent tariff hikes have brought much of that trade to a standstill.
In Wenzhou, one of China's key shoe manufacturing hubs, many companies have felt the impact, including the Desay Group, led by general manager Zhang Weijie.
"Our entire warehouse is packed with U.S.-bound goods of various brands. Due to the tariff hikes, exports are now frozen, so everything is just stored in the warehouse," said Zhang.
With exports to the United States stalled, Zhang faced immense pressure to find new customers and maintain payroll for the company's 3,000 workers.
In response, his teams worked overtime to develop new shoe designs, and he turned to live-streaming to promote the company's own brands in the domestic market.
Things began to turn around within a month, and operations at the company have now returned to normal. "Everything is back to normal now. We're actually working overtime to keep up with orders. Business comes from where we place our focus. In the past, we focused on the United States, and we got a lot of orders from there. But now I’ve redirected my teams and resources toward Europe and countries like Australia, and we're seeing orders from those markets as well," said Zhang.
Zhang also highlighted the support brought by the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), calling it a visionary strategy that has helped companies like his adapt to the changes of global trade environment.
"The Belt and Road Initiative has also been a tremendous help to businesses like ours. You really need a vision to plan something like this. Honestly, in the past, we didn't fully understand the initiative. But looking at it with today's situation, it's a completely different perspective. It is forward-thinking," said Zhang.
Chinese shoe factory overcomes tariff challenges through innovation, market expansion
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
