Grassroots football league sparks tourism, economic boom in Jiangsu

China

Grassroots football league sparks tourism, economic boom in Jiangsu

2025-06-13 22:11 Last Updated At：22:37

The growing popularity of the Jiangsu Football City League, a grassroots regional competition in east China's Jiangsu Province, is driving notable economic growth in local dining and tourism industries.

Dubbed the "Su Super League" and celebrated as China's most watched summer football league, the competition brought together 13 teams from Jiangsu Province for matches running from May till November.

With over 180,000 spectators attending matches so far, the tournament has transformed into a powerful economic driver.

In Lianyungang's scenic spot of Yanhe Alley, seafood barbecue restaurants are operating at full capacity at night, with many football fans arriving to explore the city views and culinary offerings.

"We toured Liandao Island and Mount Huaguoshan during the day, then came straight to Yanhe Alley for seafood and barbecue at night," shared one tourist.

Meanwhile, local restaurants are experiencing a notable surge in businesses.

"We're now serving about 100 tables [of guests] daily. There is an increased flow of people, as previously we normally had 30 to 40 tables each day," said Geng Maoran, manager of a seafood restaurant.

The football league has birthed a vibrant outdoor dining culture, blending football screenings with lively summer night festivities.

"Since the 'Su Super League' began, our street has become much more crowded, especially on weekends. There is a significant increase in visitors," said Zhang Lei, a local restaurant owner.

U.S. gov't begins refunding tariffs to businesses

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Monday launched the first phase of a new claims system that will allow importers to seek repayment of tariffs collected under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

Companies and their customs brokers can submit refund requests through CBP's Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) portal using a newly developed tool known as the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries, or CAPE, starting Monday.

Once a claim is validated, CBP will recalculate the duties without the IEEPA tariffs and reliquidate the entries, triggering repayment. The refunds will be paid directly to the businesses that originally paid the tariffs, local media reported Monday.

Valid refunds will generally be issued within 60 to 90 days after a claim is accepted, CBP said, though more complex cases could take longer.

CBP is rolling out the refund process in phases. Court filings show that more than 330,000 importers paid duties on over 53 million shipments, totaling roughly 166 billion U.S. dollars.

The Supreme Court ruled in February that U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs under IEEPA are unconstitutional. It is Congress, not the president, that holds authority over such taxes.

Following the ruling, a judge at the U.S. Court of International Trade directed CBP to remove the tariffs from affected entries and refund any excess duties collected, along with interest.