Xiangyang Daily (Liu Qian, the All-media Journalist, and Zhang Shengyun, the Correspondent) On September 8, the journalist learned from the Xiangyang Bureau of Commerce (XYBC) that Xiangyang, Hubei Province, recently organized a resource docking event to help expand the export of industries to Russia. This initiative aims to establish a streamlined and practical communication platform for local businesses seeking to expand into the Russian and Central Asian markets.

It has been reported that this initiative is part of a series of targeted integration activities organized by the XYBC in 2025. Since the beginning of this year, the XYBC has been actively promoting deep integration between industrial development and market expansion through a “chain thinking” approach. To date, it has successfully held five resource matching meetings focused on Xiangyang’s key advantageous industries, including automobiles, parts manufacturing, and equipment production. Over 200 enterprises have participated in these events. Furthermore, the XYBC has gradually established a normalized and precise overseas service system for enterprises. This initiative effectively helps businesses navigate the complex and ever-changing international economic and trade landscape while accurately identifying development opportunities within emerging markets.

The series of docking activities has effectively facilitated the exploration of emerging foreign trade markets by Xiangyang’s enterprises. In the first half of this year, the total import and export value between Xiangyang and BRICS countries reached 4.17 billion yuan, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 60.5% and accounting for 19.5% of Xiangyang’s overall import and export value. Notably, the import and export performance with the five Central Asian countries has been particularly remarkable, totaling 450 million yuan, a staggering surge of 895%, indicating significant market expansion potential. Additionally, the total import and export value with African nations amounted to 2.41 billion yuan, representing a 55.1% increase. The configuration of emerging foreign trade markets continues to optimize, showcasing robust new momentum for foreign trade development.

At the event, representatives from the XYBC delivered a comprehensive presentation on various support policies designed to assist Xiangyang’s characteristic industries in expanding globally. The discussion encompassed key areas, including subsidies for international trade exhibitions, export product certification, financial credit support, and risk mitigation strategies. This initiative aims to ensure that enterprises fully understand these policy provisions and can effectively leverage the associated benefits.

Industry experts from Hubei Foreign Comprehensive Service International Trade Co., Ltd. provided a comprehensive analysis of Russia’s macroeconomic environment, consumer market trends, key industry demands, and market access standards. Based on the characteristics of industrial development in Xiangyang, they conducted an in-depth examination of the potential development opportunities for locally advantageous products such as electromechanical equipment, automotive parts, textiles, and clothing within the Russian market. Through practical case studies, they have proposed actionable recommendations for global expansion concerning market entry strategies, channel development, brand promotion, and other relevant aspects.

The interactive Q&A session was dynamic, featuring representatives from various companies who actively posed inquiries regarding practical operational challenges such as logistics clearance efficiency, cross-border settlement risks, and product compliance certification. The head of the Russian branch of Hubei Foreign Comprehensive Service International Trade Co., Ltd., drawing on extensive experience, addressed each question thoroughly raised by the company representatives.