Qingyuan mountainous specialty industries draw intl buyers

An overseas buyer learns about pencils made in Lishui's Qingyuan county, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

A global matchmaking conference was held in Lishui's Qingyuan county, Zhejiang province, on Oct 19.

Buyers from Belarus, Pakistan, Colombia, Moldova, and Bangladesh arrived with plans to purchase local products, including stationery, cosmetics, and bamboo products. More than 30 local companies attended.

The event adhered to a "one table, one enterprise" format, with five discussion tables and batches of five companies meeting international buyers one-on-one in registration order.

In the past, visits by overseas customers were costly and often limited to online samples and pictures. This time, buyers could actually touch the products and learn details about how they were made, while companies explained their strengths on site, improving communication and offering more opportunities for cooperation.

A Bangladeshi buyer said his company's kitchenware, trays, and wooden pencils matched Qingyuan's bamboo and pencil industries. He expected deeper cooperation and joint market expansion.

Qingyuan is home to industry clusters for pencil and bamboo products, but many small foreign trade firms struggle due to limited overseas channels and high costs. The event aimed to bring more buyers in and build direct supply-demand links.

According to the local commerce bureau, it will continue using the county's cross-border e-commerce industrial park platform to organize regular matchmaking events and support the global expansion of local industries.