Chongqing - A Chongqing business delegation of 24 local enterprises is embarking on economic and trade negotiations with local business representatives in Kazakhstan and Belarus from June 24 to July 1.

During this period, the delegation will conduct a series of collective official and business events in Kazakhstan and Belarus to promote Chongqing's small and medium-sized enterprises and products in the global market.

The 24 participating enterprises mainly operate in the manufacturing industry, spanning multiple sectors, including automobiles, motorcycles and spare parts, biopharmaceuticals, industrial machinery, and chemical products.

The delegation will first visit Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. (Photo/Canva)

According to the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce, the participating enterprises primarily consist of small and medium-sized foreign trade companies with a higher demand for expanding into overseas markets. 

"Our company is preparing to expand channels in Belarus, and when I heard the news, I signed up immediately," said Li Mingmin, the general manager of an automobile sales company.

The delegation has already arrived in Astana, Kazakhstan's capital,  on June 25 and plans to visit Astana's automobile parts market and the Astana Chamber of Commerce and Industry for research purposes.

Kazakhstan is one of the central transit countries and critical sections along the China Railway Express and the Belt and Road Initiative. It implements a 14-day visa-free policy for Chinese citizens and encourages using Chinese yuan for bilateral trade settlements.

In 2022, the import and export volume between Chongqing and Kazakhstan reached 2.56 billion yuan (356.57 million USD), representing a year-on-year growth of 12.3%. Among this, the exports amounted to 860 million yuan (119.23 million USD), a year-on-year increase of 77.8%.

On November 17, 2020, Chongqing dispatched the first shuttle bus to Kazakhstan. The line covers a distance of 5,900 kilometers, running for about 12 days. It is the second shuttle bus operation line from Chongqing to Central Asia.

On November 17, 2020, Chongqing dispatched the first shuttle bus to Kazakhstan. (Photo/Chongqing Highway Logistics Base)

"In the rest of the year, we have also planned travel to Europe, including France and Italy, as well as South America, including Mexico and Colombia," said Xu Xincheng, Deputy Director of the Municipal Commission of Commerce.

Led by the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce, this event is part of the "hundred delegations and thousand enterprises" event initiated earlier this year. Seizing the window of economic recovery and expediting the revitalization of foreign trade, the Commission plans to organize more than 100 outbound delegations throughout the year, supporting over 1,000 foreign trade enterprises in expanding their international markets.