More and more lighting firms in Guzhen Town have begun to develop the market along the Belt and Road (B&R) by taking advantage of the pilot market purchasing trade mode. [Photo by Wen Bo]

"Thanks to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games hotel development project, one of our regular customers from Japan has placed an order for a shipment of customized lamps. Last month, through the pilot program in Guzhen, we exported products utilizing market purchasing trade. We have found this mode to be much more convenient than the regular trade export mode," said Yin Yanling, person in charge at Zhongshan Fengyuan Lighting Industry Co Ltd, who has been working in the lighting industry for 15 years.

The customized lamps for the hotel project include three kinds of specialized lighting. They include large ceiling lamps and traditional crystal chandeliers. "The complicated customs procedures are associated with the previous export mode, so preparations need to be made at least a week in advance," said Yin Yanling. "Utilizing the new mode, it only takes two or three days to prepare documents. The customs clearance is also fast."

Statistics from Zhongshan Customs show that Zhongshan's imports and exports totaled 98.76 billion yuan from January to May. This figure represents an 8.2% increase from the same period last year. Additionally, the amount of exports reached 79.59 billion yuan, indicating a rise of 13.8%.

The value of exports in market purchasing trade was 5.15 billion yuan. In this total, the trade value with B&R counties stood at 2.48 billion yuan.

Ou Yingxian, Manager of the Zhongshan International Ligh City Co Ltd, stated that the pilot program of market purchasing trade, featuring convenience and security, may help companies further develop emerging markets.