Published by ChinaMNC · Geji

Jiangsu’s Small-Product Export Boom: What Foreign Founders Can Learn

Jiangsu’s foreign trade grew 29.8% year-on-year in the first three quarters, with niche consumer goods driving exports. Foreign founders can learn from these examples of product adaptation, tariff optimization, and trade facilitation.

Jiangsu’s Export Growth: A Snapshot

According to Nanjing Customs, Jiangsu’s total foreign trade in the first three quarters of this year reached 5.69 trillion yuan, up 29.8% year-on-year—11 percentage points higher than the national average. While large equipment contributed, smaller consumer products also played a significant role in driving exports. For foreign founders operating or planning to register a company in China, these examples offer practical insights into product strategy, tariff savings, and trade facilitation.

Niche Products, Global Reach

Hotel linens, sleep aids, Christmas decorations, and lotus root products illustrate how Jiangsu’s light industry and manufacturing are upgrading through specialization. These are not high-tech goods, but they show how targeted product development and trade policy can boost exports.

Hotel Linens: Quality and Tariff Savings

Jiangsu Kangnaixin Textile Technology Co., Ltd. produces hotel linens that are soft, skin-friendly, and durable—lasting about 18 months before gradual replacement. The company’s customs manager, Chen Qian, explains that using the same yarn density, they consistently produce high-quality products that win orders from renowned hotel groups worldwide. With a China-ASEAN Free Trade Area certificate of origin issued by Huai’an Customs, the tariff on their products dropped from 12% to zero, significantly reducing import costs for customers and helping retain existing clients and open new markets. From January to August this year, the company’s export value reached 180 million yuan.

The company also customizes products for different markets: for Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, they developed special pool towels and colored towels that resist intense sunlight and pool conditions without fading; for high-end hotels, they used exclusive deodorizing technology to create waterproof, fragrant down duvet inserts.

Sleep Products: Capturing Consumer Trends

As demand for quality sleep rises, consumers worldwide are willing to pay for sleep-enhancing products. Suzhou Jili Silk Co., Ltd., a time-honored enterprise in Zhenze, Wujiang, identified the need for comfortable, light-blocking sleep environments and created a silk cooling weighted eye mask. General Manager Zhu Wenchao says the mask meets the demand for complete darkness while offering cooling, breathability, softness, and pressure relief. Since launch, monthly sales have consistently exceeded 100,000 units, and from January to September, export value of silk eye masks more than doubled year-on-year. The company’s foreign trade revenue has grown notably this year, with exports accounting for 65% of total sales, covering 46 countries and regions.

Suzhou Opple Lighting Co., Ltd. targeted consumers who prefer soft light for sleep and created sleep-aid lighting. Their patented water-lily-color light technology extracts a special pale pink tone from the spectrum and optimizes spectral bands to support melatonin secretion and create a relaxing pre-sleep environment. Jiao Weide, the company’s overseas supply chain head, notes that the patented technology, combined with preferential origin policies, has led to continuously improving export performance this year.

Seasonal Goods: Cost Reduction and Speed

Autumn is peak delivery season for Christmas items like ribbons and bells. Toy and craft factories across Jiangsu are busy fulfilling orders. Yangzhou Anbeisi Toy Co., Ltd. showcases alpacas in Christmas hats and snowmen with scarves. Workers are rushing to produce plush Christmas toys for the ASEAN market. With a China-ASEAN Free Trade Area certificate of origin issued by Yangzhou Customs, these toys enjoy a 10% tariff preference locally. Foreign trade manager Lu Chunhua says that in the first three quarters, the company obtained 23 free trade agreement certificates of origin, saving nearly 300,000 yuan in import duties. Yangzhou Customs supervised exports of toys worth about 1.52 billion yuan and issued 367 certificates of origin under various free trade agreements in the first three quarters.

Beyond tariff reductions, faster customs clearance is crucial. Taizhou Feiyan Crafts Co., Ltd. produces feather boas, angel wings, and other Christmas crafts. General Manager Dai Xingquan says customers this year generally requested delivery a month earlier, and once these Christmas goods are shipped, the company will immediately switch to Easter products. In the first three quarters, Taizhou Customs supervised exports of Christmas decorations worth 1.7378 million yuan, up 96.17% year-on-year.

In Changshu, Pengyunxin General Merchandise Store uses market procurement trade, which allows goods to be consolidated and shipped without waiting. Changshu Customs has created a dual-channel clearance model combining transshipment and integration, enabling market procurement goods to be exported through 149 ports nationwide, with declaration to release taking as little as 22 minutes.

Agricultural Exports: Moving Up the Value Chain

In Baoying County, lotus root harvesting is underway. Fresh lotus roots are sent directly to Yangzhou Tiancheng Food Co., Ltd. for processing. Foreign trade manager Diao Yuhong says that in the first three quarters, the company’s lotus root product exports exceeded 28 million yuan, with orders booked into early next year. Yangzhou Customs supervised exports of lotus root and products worth over 100 million yuan, up about 3% year-on-year. The company has shifted from selling fresh lotus root to deep processing, turning a single root into boiled, salted, and quick-frozen products sold to Southeast Asia, Europe, and the US.

Practical Takeaways for Foreign Founders

• Leverage free trade agreements: Certificates of origin can significantly reduce tariffs, making your products more competitive.
• Adapt products to local markets: Customization for climate, culture, and consumer preferences can open new markets.
• Use trade facilitation measures: Market procurement trade and fast customs clearance can speed up delivery and reduce costs.
• Focus on niche demand: Small, specialized products can drive substantial export growth.

These examples show that with the right strategies, foreign founders can successfully export from China. If you need assistance with company registration or operations in China, ChinaMNC is here to help. Contact us on WhatsApp or WeChat at +86 153 1898 8535.

This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.