Foreign-funded enterprises in south China's industrial powerhouse of Guangdong Province played a significant role in driving the nation's steady foreign trade expansion in the first six months of this year, demonstrating continued confidence in the China market amid global uncertainties.
The southern manufacturing hub, home to over 350,000 foreign-funded enterprises, has attracted nearly 600 billion U.S. dollars in actual utilized foreign investment to date.
The strong performance comes as China's foreign-invested firms nationwide posted 6.32 trillion yuan (about 881.6 billion U.S. dollars) in imports and exports in the firs half of this year, up 2.4 percent year on year, in maintaining the positive growth momentum for five consecutive quarters, according to the latest data of the General Administration of Customs.
In Sanshui District of Guangdong's Foshan City, renowned as China's beverage production capital, foreign-funded manufacturing enterprises are capitalizing on seasonal demand surges, with one plant preparing 16,000-liter shipments of specialty drinks for the international market.
"China stands as one of the world's largest consumer markets with vibrant and diversified demand. The abundance of excellent local human resources, with strong learning capabilities and high execution efficiency, provides solid support for business expansion and enhancement. From raw material procurement to logistics distribution, our complete supply chain enables rapid innovation. We can launch a new product in as fast as 30 days, giving us strong competitiveness. Governments at all levels attach great importance to emerging industries and foreign-funded projects, creating an excellent business environment," said Kuang Jianfeng, the plant's manager.
Customs authorities have introduced streamlined clearance processes and certification programs to facilitate foreign operations.
"We prioritize delivering policy benefits as our core driver, creating a transparent and predictable customs clearance environment for all businesses, including foreign-funded enterprises. Eligible foreign-funded companies enjoy expedited customs clearance of their imports of production equipment and key raw materials. We actively help foreign-funded firms obtain AEO (Authorized Economic Operator) status. These are recognized as high-credit enterprises, allowing them to fully benefit from streamlined customs procedures," said Du Junsheng, chief of the field affairs section of Foshan Customs Sanshui Office.
Guandong's outstanding performance in foreign trade underscores how foreign-funded manufacturing enterprises are increasingly integrating into China's industrial upgrade, particularly in advanced manufacturing sectors, while expanding their presence across eastern, central and northeastern regions. Their growing investment in production capacity building and in research and development activities, including a 52 percent surge in imports of bonded research and development supplies, reflects their long-term commitment to the China market.
Foreign-funded firms in Guangdong lead China's resilient trade growth
