Recently, foreign trade companies have set off a wave of organizing groups to go overseas to find orders. In July this year, a foreign trade textile company in Shaoxing seized the opportunity to “go overseas” to develop the market. What is the effect of taking early action? Let’s take a look at the reporters’ front-line research.
Xia Yanhong is the person in charge of a foreign trade textile company. At this time, while she was busy receiving foreign merchants, she communicated with foreign salesmen online and finalized an order of US$3.2 million in half a day.
Xia Yanhong, head of the foreign trade textile enterprise: We currently have orders for more than 200 containers to be shipped by the end of the year. There are not enough employees right now and we are recruiting people every day. We expect to add more than 100 employees next year.
In the first half of the year, Xia Yanhong was still worried about orders. As a foreign trade textile company, their customers are in more than 100 countries. However, since the outbreak of the epidemic, Xia Yanhong has not gone abroad for three years and can only contact customers through phone calls or online videos.
Xia Yanhong, head of a foreign trade textile enterprise: After all, fabric is worn on the human body, and the touch is very important. Some countries pay more attention to soft-feeling products, while others require stiff products. The needs are different, and they still need to see our products offline.
Customers are always hesitant when looking at products online. Especially in the first half of this year, the global economic downturn has had a certain impact on foreign trade companies. At the most difficult time, Xia Yanhong did not receive an order for two consecutive months, and the company faced a shutdown. Xia Yanhong couldn’t sit still anymore, so she decided to take the initiative and go abroad to find orders. However, under the severe epidemic situation, going abroad is not easy.
Xia Yanhong, the person in charge of the foreign trade textile enterprise: I am very anxious. I have entrusted the visa company to submit the materials four or five times but have not been able to get it done. It happened that a business delegation from Zhejiang Province came over for investigation. During the visit, I asked, your current enterpriseWhat are the difficulties in going out? I raised the visa issue at that time, and a green channel was immediately opened for us. I got the visa in a short time.
In two months, Xia Yanhong traveled to 13 countries in one go. Her daily schedule was full, and she even visited more than a dozen customers a day.
Xia Yanhong, head of the foreign trade textile enterprise: This map was made when I went abroad in July and visited so many countries. When I went to Turkey, I showed this map to a foreign businessman. After reading the map, he expressed surprise and said that a Chinese girl could work so hard. He said at that time could you send me this map. I said what do you use it for, and he said I want to use it to encourage my employees every day, learn from you Chinese people, and learn from you.
When looking for overseas orders, hard work alone is not enough, the product must speak for itself. This company has been conducting product research and development innovations during the epidemic. When they came up with renewableenvironmentally friendly products made from corn stalks, foreign businessmen were very fond of them, and through on-site inspections, They also grasped the new trends in the international textile market in a timely manner, locked in the hot-selling new products for the next season, and immediately organized a team to develop and produce new fabrics.
Xia Yanhong, head of the foreign trade textile enterprise: You see, its elasticity is very good, and it is suitable for wearing this kind of fabric during sports and outdoor leisure. Then we looked at this range of products. This kind of order has been placed until April next year, but I feel that this kind of fabric will be popular for another year.
Not long ago, Zhejiang Province launched the “Thousands of Groups and Tens of thousands of Enterprises to Expand the Market Single Action”, arranging business charter flights and regular routes to provide convenience for enterprises to go overseas. Shaoxing City is organizing 150 groups and nearly 1,000 companies to participate in overseas exhibitions and negotiate business. Xia Yanhong has also decided to go overseas again in January next year.
Xia Yanhong, head of a foreign trade textile enterprise: I believe everyone is looking forward to 2023, and the overall business will definitely be very hot. First of all, I think we need to make good products ourselves and develop our own internal skills. Opportunities are always reserved for those who are prepared, so we are planning to go big next year.
Article keywords: Shaoxing textile enterprises’ foreign trade orders</p
