Guangxi streamlines customs clearance to enhance access to south Asian fruits across China

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠A major campaign promoting fruits from members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was launched on June 18, 2025, in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The event brought together more than 90 leading suppliers and trade associations from Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) countries to seek opportunities in vast Chinese market through the gateway of Guangxi. Over 110 domestic procurement and supply chain enterprises from 12 provinces and cities rushed to the site for business deals.

The event saw trade agreements signed totaling over 15 billion yuan (around 2.1 billion U.S. dollars).

These specialty products from RCEP countries will continue to enter the Chinese market more efficiently through Guangxi's trade channels. 

With initiatives such as streamlined customs clearance and upgraded intelligent cold chain logistics, a new regional fruit trade pattern is emerging,  allowing the products produced in ASEAN being distributed via Guangxi and sold across China.

Attendees from supply chain enterprises and trade institutions shared their perspectives on the new trade pattern and the construction of more efficient supply chain.

"As for how artificial intelligence can empower the entire fruit supply chain through the platform provided by Guangxi, for example, to integrate AI, big data, and embodied AI technologies into fruit logistics can make the entire process more efficient and cost-effective," said Zhang Peng, vice president of Shenzhen iN-Cube Automation Co., Ltd.

"First, the source is in ASEAN. We hope to fully utilize Guangxi's strategic position to build a seamless supply chain from ASEAN to Guangxi and across China. Second, we must ensure efficient circulation. With our extensive experience in fruit and cold chain logistics, we can achieve fast and stable deliveries. Third, we aim to build an efficient China-ASEAN sales network, building AI-driven and low-carbon transportation chains," said Teo Siong Seng, the Executive Chairman of Pacific International Lines (PIL),  a Singaporean shipping company.

Guangxi operates 22 ports, ranking fourth nationally by number, and has 12 designated supervision facilities for imported fruits — more than any other provincial-level region in China. Among them, Youyi Pass, also known as Friendship Pass, is one of the country's largest land ports for imported fruits, serving as a major gateway for durians, mangosteens, jackfruits and other ASEAN fruits entering China. Notably, seven out of every 10 durians imported into China enter through this port.

Li Shuo, deputy director of the Department of Commerce of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, said the region is stepping up efforts in customs clearance facilitation to boost entry of fruits from ASEAN countries.

"We've set up dedicated windows for imported fruit clearance at ports and launched green channels of fast customs clearance for agricultural and sideline products, prioritizing fruit for inspection and release. We're also accelerating the construction of smart border ports along the China-Vietnam border. Once completed, they will enable 24/7 intelligent cargo clearance, ensuring round-the-clock fast clearance for fruits and helping boost entry of ASEAN fruits," said the official.

Guangxi streamlines customs clearance to enhance access to south Asian fruits across China

From cutting-edge technology exhibitions to retail stores thousands of kilometers away from Europe and Southeast Asia, China-made robot vacuum cleaners are increasingly becoming a popular choice among consumers worldwide.

At electronics retailers in Berlin, Germany, Chinese brands such as Roborock and Dreame occupy prominent positions in dedicated robot vacuum sections, offering a wide range of products priced between 200 and 2,000 euros.

Many local consumers said that when purchasing smart home appliances including robot vacuum cleaners, they tend to give priority to Chinese-made products.

"It's a good price and good quality. It's also the innovation. I have a feeling that the European brands are not innovating enough," said one customer.

"I think they're always on top of the other technologies. They are getting them out faster. A lot of us are switching to the Chinese technology," another consumer said.

Germany is one of the most important overseas markets for China's floor-cleaning robots.

According to data from market research firm GfK, from January to November 2025, more than six out of 10 robot vacuum cleaners sold in Western Europe were Chinese brands.

Industry data also point to a strong global momentum.

According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), global shipments of smart robot vacuum cleaners reached 17.424 million units in the first three quarters of 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 18.7 percent.

Chinese brands including Roborock, Ecovacs, Dreame, Xiaomi and Narwal ranked among the world's top five in terms of shipment volume, with a combined share of nearly 70 percent of the global market.

At a robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing plant in Huizhou, south China's Guangdong Province, workers were seen stepping up production of newly launched models that recently debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show in the United States, which concluded Friday in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The factory adjusted its production lines as early as December 2025 and stocked inventory in advance for overseas markets to ensure that new products could be delivered to global consumers at the earliest possible time.

"In 2025, Roborock's global shipments exceeded 7.2 million units. Since 2024, overseas revenue has accounted for more than 50 percent of our total revenue. Our products have now been sold to more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than 20 million households worldwide," said Quan Gang, president of Roborock.

At another robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing facility in Dongguan, Guangdong, rising overseas orders have prompted the company to upgrade its production lines with intelligent technologies to further boost capacity. The factory is currently operating at full load to meet a growing demand.

"For 2026, we have already obtained overseas orders worth at least 300 million to 400 million yuan (around 43 million to 57.3 million U.S. dollars). In addition, we've engaged in strategic cooperation with European home appliance group Cebos Group, and our total confirmed orders have exceeded 600 million yuan (around 86 million U.S. dollars)," said Zhang Junbin, founder and CEO of Narwal Robotics.

Chinese robot vacuum brands gain strong global traction