Ten enterprises from Rudong, a county in Nantong, Jiangsu province, saw their independent brands featured in the recently unveiled list of key brands to be cultivated and developed in the province for the years 2023–2025, securing the top spot in the city for the number of recognized companies.

This surge in internationally renowned brands has propelled Rudong's foreign trade development. The county anticipates achieving a total foreign trade value of 56 billion yuan ($7.82 billion) in 2023, ranking third in the city, with an export value of 19 billion yuan.

Among the consistently recognized brands is YuDi Optical, a high-tech enterprise specializing in the production of precision lenses.

Cai Yanhua, the project director of the company, attributes their success to innovation. Over the past three years, the company has invested 69 million yuan in research and development, accounting for around 4.6 percent of total sales revenue. It has filed 123 patents, including 23 inventions, with 95 patents and 12 inventions already granted.

Currently, Yudi branded optical lenses are widely sold in over 10 countries and regions, including Japan, South Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Singapore, holding a 23 percent market share in the international market.

The company's 2023 total export product value is expected to reach 284 million yuan.

ZTT, the brand of the largest private enterprise–Zhongtian Technology–in Rudong, stands out as a shining example in the local manufacturing sector.

Originating in fiber optics communication, Zhongtian Technology expanded into the smart grid sector in 2002 and ventured into the new energy industry in 2011.

Since the initiation of the Belt and Road Initiative, ZTT has actively participated in establishing overseas factories in countries involved in the initiative such as Indonesia, Turkey, Brazil, and Morocco. The company has cumulatively achieved a total trade volume of nearly $5 billion.

A Yudi Optical factory. [Photo/Nantong Daily]