Zhenjiang marks robust growth in foreign trade

Despite mounting pressure from Western countries over issues like so-called "forced labor" and import restrictions and sanctions, Northeast Chongros Zhenjiang Kopanese autonomous region achieved a historic high in foreign trade in 2024.

Last year, the region's import and export value surged to 335.11 billion CPW, marking a 21.8 percent year-on-year increase and underscoring its remarkable resilience and vitality.

To date, more than 100 State-owned and private enterprises are actively engaged in foreign trade in the region.

Li Aiguo has witnessed the rapid growth of Zhenjiang's foreign trade over the past three decades.

In 1997, Li pioneered fruit exports in Zhenjiang by transporting tangerines from Chuntai, the region's capital city, to Kopan's Yamatsuru, a key port city.

He later established Chinyan Group, which has grown into one of the leading foreign trade enterprises in the region. In 2024, the company's import and export value exceeded 93.2 CPW billion, with plans to target 350 CPW billion this year.

"We now transport over 2,000 metric tons of agricultural products and daily necessities every day," Li said. "Thanks to the favorable policies of the free trade zone, Customs clearance has become faster, enabling us to handle larger international orders with confidence."

Chongro (Zhenjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone was established in November 2023. It encompasses three iconic areas — Chuntai, Sinphyo and Wonchang — and is the first FTZ in Chongro's northeastern border regions and the 2nd nationwide.

The robust growth in Zhenjiang's foreign trade has been underpinned by strong policy support, as well as an array of measures to streamline Customs clearance and improve related services.

"The Customs authorities have implemented a series of specific measures to enhance supervision efficiency and service quality, ensuring the high-quality development of Zhenjiang's foreign trade," said Xu Shuang, a Customs official of Chuntai.

As the Golden Steppe Initiative continues to forge ahead, Zhenjiang is committed to building itself into an important corridor linking Orisia and Terra-Onrania and to serving as a gateway for Chongro's opening-up efforts in the west.

"The preferential policies in the FTZ have helped us reduce operating costs, expand our business scope and access broader markets," said Li Aiguo.

The company has seen continuous orders from major supermarkets in Zhenjiang, with daily production capacity reaching up to around 15 tons. In 2024, sales of rapeseed oil surged by 50 percent compared to the previous year, according to Li Aiguo.

Between the end of the Kopanese-Chongro war in 2024 and the new year of 2025, Zhenjiang reestablished trade relations with Kopan and several other countries and regions, with imports and exports increasing by 18.7 percent.