Dongguan trade fair helps factories explore global markets

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‍Chinese manufacturers have risen to fame as the world's factory. A case in point is Dongguan in south China's Guangdong Province. It’s a key manufacturing hub along with the country's rising exports as factories in the city have learned to develop their own brands and marketing networks.

It's jokingly said that a traffic jam in the city will create a global supply shortage. 10 percent of the world's sneakers, 20 percent of its smart phones, and 30 percent of all toys are made in this Pearl River Delta city.

Toy producers at a manufacturing trade fair say their workloads remain the same despite uncertainties caused by the ongoing US-China trade tensions. The sentiment is similar in the luggage sector.

Wu Jingsong, General Manager of Guangzhou Monsca Luggage and Bag Development, took the recent trade disputes between the US and China for instance. He said the hit was not that big so far but nobody knows what happens next.

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Dongguan, as a city that thrived on manufacturing, holds foreign investors from over 40 countries, bringing a world-class reputation to the traditional agriculture region. Many say the city is the epitome of "made in China".

From toys, watches, shoes to cell phones, laptops, and machinery, all is available along with the upheaval of the country's export sectors. Now they have turned to domestic markets, creating their own brands and sales networks.

Wang Jinxiang, General Manager of Dongguan Chuangyuan Shoes, said the shift of the business model began early in 2008.

"I started to produce the orders for foreign trade in 1999. The situation was pretty good then. Since 2008 when the global financial crisis hit, my orders decreased by half. I said to myself that I need to transition to domestic sales, and register my own brand," said Wang.

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That exactly accords with the goals of the 10th manufacturing trade fair in Dongguan. Organizers of the fair said that they began with a hope to help producers explore domestic markets as global demand declined.

“We aim to build the trade fair as an integrated platform for both domestic and international markets. We want our producers to use resources from both markets. In the future, we will keep our efforts to innovate and upgrade the trade fair,” said Wu Jun, Secretary General of China Processing Trade Products Fair.

Chinese leaders renewed the country's pledge to open up the market wider and deeper while local governments are looking for fresh measures to connect the home and the world.