Foreign trade companies in the coastal Chinese provinces of Shandong and Guangdong are expanding into diversified international markets to secure and even increase their order volumes despite a complex external environment and the challenges presented by U.S. tariffs.
A shoe-making company in Wenshang County, east China's Shandong Province, is busy preparing to ship 30,000 pairs of sports shoes to Europe.
The U.S. market has historically accounted for nearly 30 percent of the company's export orders, so the tariffs did cause delivery challenges for many orders. Nevertheless, the company has managed to increase its overall order volume despite these difficulties.
"We have expanded into more than a dozen international markets, including Australia, Turkey, Singapore, and Malaysia, achieving a 25-percent increase in overseas orders. Meanwhile, by tapping into domestic market potential and meeting local consumer demand, we have grown our domestic market share by 15 percent, significantly reducing our over-reliance on external markets," said Du Ji, the company's production manager.
The company has also developed differentiated products tailored to the specific needs of different markets. This year, its newly launched anti-static and anti-slip products have won favor in the European Union market thanks to their advanced technology.
In Zhongshan City, south China's Guangdong Province, an appliance company is experiencing strong demand for its portable toaster ovens, with customers urgently requesting faster deliveries.
"Orders from customers for April, May, and June may continue to decrease, and in this regard, our U.S. customers are actually more eager to push the orders forward than we are," said Liang Ruiji, deputy general manager of the company.
Responding to emerging challenges in foreign trade, the local commerce department in Zhongshan has implemented a series of policies to stabilize foreign trade and drive growth, helping enterprises secure new orders and expand into new markets.
In the first quarter of this year, Zhongshan's total foreign trade import and export value reached 68.95 billion yuan (around 9.56 billion U.S. dollars), marking a year-on-year increase of 10.5 percent.
Foreign trade firms in China boost orders by expanding overseas markets
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
