By APD writer Hu Yahui

As a follow-up expo of China International Import Expo (CIIE), the first China Yiwu Imported Commodities Autumn Fair, which is run by the government, opened on Tuesday.

The fair, which will last two months, attracts about 420 exhibitors from more than 50 countries and regions, with more than 10,000 types of exhibits such as handicrafts, household items and cosmetics on display.

Anastasia, a young Russian woman that has been living in China for five years, is one of the exhibitors.

Anastasia,the brand founder of‘Savita’

She told her story in fluent Chinese. ”I graduated from the Business School of Jilin University, and then went back home after graduation. But when I saw lots of Chinese college students starting their businesses, I realize that I want to be one of them. Therefore, I came back to China and established my brand ‘Savita’ with my husband,” she said.

“Russian sweets and biscuits contain a lot of sugar, which are not very healthy. My products taste good and sugar-free. We are trying to cater to Chinese consumers who pay more attention to their health, Anastasia added.

Her idea was recognized by a Yiwu merchant, who has reached cooperation with her at the fair.

Previously, her sweets were mainly sold online, but now the Chinese agent has promised to expand popularity of her products in the huge Chinese market.

In the Spanish exhibition area, bottles of fine red wines catch visitors’ attention.

In the Spanish exhibition area, bottles of fine red wines catch visitors’ attention

It’s Zhuo Zhongwei, a Chinese national who had lived in Spain for 27 years before returned to China in 2004, that bring more than 100 brands of imported red wines to the event, hoping to find more Chinese agents in Yiwu.

While praising the Chinese government's efforts to go global in the past few years, Zhuo, the president of Qingtian Huachuang trade company, said Yiwu's business policy is very attractive to him.

Zhuo Zhongwei, the president of Qingtian Huachuang trade company

Yiwu is a good place to do business, where you can enjoy lower logistics and storage costs. For the businessmen, lower costs mean higher profits, he said.

Since 2008, Yiwu has begun to encourage local enterprises to start import-oriented businesses to develop the import market. As the expansion of the Yiwu China Imported Commodities Mall, a zone specifically for importers has been set up.

Local businessman Jia Xianwei has experienced these changes. He started to export China-made clothing and leather shoes to foreign countries some years ago. In 2013, with exceptional business acumen, he began to import stone ornaments from Angola and sell them to Chinese customers.

Jia Xianwei's shop

The export business is not so funny as the import. The export means that you just sell several kinds of goods which are produced in your factory, but the import is quite different. You have the chance to know more foreign products, which will expand your knowledge, he told the Asia Pacific Daily.

During the CIIE in Shanghai, Jia, who joined the Yiwu purchasing group, reached an agreement with a foreign supplier to import Burmese padauks.

Speaking of the CIIE aims to the high-end markets in the finance and technology sectors, he thinks that Yiwu provides a platform for those enterprises that do not have the opportunity to go to Shanghai.

When China just fully opens up its import market this year, Yiwu has took the lead in the import business ten years before. Many standards for the import business have been set up, so I hope others will try to use and improve them, he said.

Huang Yuanli, director of Yiwu Import Chamber of Commerce, and also the businesswoman who signed an order worth 10 million U.S. dollars on the first day of the Expo, started her import business when she found there was a big demand for overseas consumer goods by people around her, especially maternal and child products, which people are more inclined to choose environmental-friendly products with high quality.

Huang Yuanli (R), director of Yiwu Import Chamber of Commerce

She said she will play an exemplary role in the practice of the ambition “setting up a trusted market and supplying first-hand goods” and lead the Yiwu importers to build a good reputation.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)