HANGZHOU - A major manufacturing city in East China's Zhejiang province has kicked off its 2025 global trade promotion initiative in a bid to boost exports, amid rising trade protectionism and weakening demand in key global markets.

As the first step of this endeavor, a delegation of 55 companies from the city of Jinhua, home to some 2 million market entities, participated in the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas in the United States from March 18 to 20.

"Participating in exhibitions can help us win new customers and also strengthen relationships with old customers. It also allows us to better understand customer demands and experience," said Li Xing, general manager of Jinhua Bangte Electric Co Ltd.

Li's company took over 10 types of hardware and electrical accessories to the exhibition to further tap the US market. Ahead of the trade show, he visited clients in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York to gain deeper market insights and explore potential partnerships.

"As long as we step out overseas, there will be rewards," said Li. His company, which mainly exports to the United States and Canada, has achieved annual exports of more than 100 million yuan ($13.93 million) on average over the past three years.

Amid rising tariffs on Chinese goods, Li acknowledged the challenges posed by increased costs. He revealed that his company was negotiating with clients to share the burden.

He is also working on establishing a US-based trading company to build overseas warehouses to reduce logistics and warehousing costs. Zhejiang Seacoast Industrial Co Ltd, another exhibitor, received positive feedback at the Las Vegas expo regarding its new balcony and courtyard tables and chairs.

"The United States is an important export destination for China's hardware and garden products," said Gao Junting, general manager of Seacoast Industrial.

"Through this exhibition, we aim to expand our offline customer base and enter major US supermarkets." Gao noted that rising living costs in the United States are driving consumers to seek affordable yet high-quality products.

"This presents an opportunity for us." Beyond the United States, Seacoast Industrial has made significant progress in expanding into Europe, Australia, South America and Asia.

Currently, about 15 percent of its exports, approximately $5 million annually, are achieved via online platforms like Amazon in the United States, while over 80 percent goes to clients in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia. The city of Jinhua is intensifying its global trade efforts.

In 2025, the city plans to organize delegations of exporters to participate in seven more trade exhibitions in Russia, Thailand, Indonesia, South Africa, Britain, Morocco and Türkiye.

These exhibitions will showcase a wide range of products such as hardware tools, gardening products, kitchen and bathroom products, and lighting equipment.

With the help of new trade models, including cross-border e-commerce, Jinhua reported strong trade growth in 2024, with total exports rising 16.4 percent year-on-year to 771.9 billion yuan.

The number of local companies engaged in international trade surpassed 17,000 in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 10.3 percent.