Domestic and international buyers attend the China (Honghe) International Sweater Procurement Fair. [Photo/jiaxingren.com]

The inaugural China (Honghe) International Sweater Procurement Fair, took place in Honghe town, Jiaxing, Zhejiang province on March 28, coinciding with the launch of the Maoshanpai cross-border procurement platform.

Nearly 200 international buyers hailing from countries like Italy, Russia, Chile, and South Korea participated in the event, alongside 50 local foreign trade enterprises and sweater retailers.

Zhang Wenjie, a local sweater retailer, shared her excitement as a buyer from Nepal placed an order for 1,000 sweaters.

Honghe's 40-year-old sweater industry now boasts more than 300 manufacturing enterprises and over 6,400 family workshops. Annually, it exports millions of sweaters to over 50 countries and regions worldwide, with transactions surpassing $1 billion in value. In 2023 alone, Honghe's foreign trade export volume surged by 87.2 percent.

Honghe's continuous efforts to integrate its sweater industry with the digital economy culminated in the Maoshanpai platform. This cross-border e-commerce B2B platform revolutionizes traditional foreign trade models. The platform adopts an export model known as cross-border e-commerce 9610 and 9710, addressing the financial risks inherent in traditional foreign trade models. It also connects information channels of customs, taxation, foreign exchange, logistics, and other departments.

Leveraging this platform, local sweater enterprises in Honghe can access comprehensive export services, product inspection, transparent foreign exchange settlements, language translation, and more. This substantially reduces the barriers for small and medium-sized enterprises and individuals looking to engage in international trade.