On the morning of September 2, the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC) was buzzing with activity as the 13th China-ASEAN (Thailand) Commodities Trade Fair and the Thailand Home, Fashion & Lifestyle Expo officially kicked off. As a key stop in the "Market 10,000-Mile Tour" series organized by Yiwu China Commodities City, the event brought together a delegation of over 20 Yiwu-based enterprises specializing in home goods, fashion, and lifestyle products. Showcasing premium Yiwu products such as pearl jewelry, household items, and fashion accessories, the exhibition drew enthusiastic attention from buyers in Thailand and neighboring countries. The vibrant atmosphere on the floor—marked by intense price inquiries, sample comparisons, and order placements—vividly demonstrated the robust vitality of Chinese small commodities in the ASEAN market.
The Yiwu pavilion was a standout highlight, drawing massive foot traffic. Wang Songwei, General Manager of Jicheng Pearls from District 1 of Yiwu International Trade City, was swamped at his booth. "We have already secured orders from six processing partners, and all exhibits on the floor are sold out," he revealed. Wang admitted that he had previously harbored doubts about the Southeast Asian market. However, the overseas expansion platform built by the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Commerce and Yiwu China Commodities City Group provided operators with comprehensive, end-to-end concierge services, covering booth applications, customs clearance for exhibits, on-site translation, and buyer matchmaking. This all-around support allowed merchants to focus entirely on their products, empowering them not only to venture out but to succeed. The strong preference of Thai buyers for Yiwu freshwater pearls stems not only from price advantages but also from the complete supply chain network behind the Yiwu market—encompassing design, prototyping, production, and logistics—which ensures highly efficient order fulfillment from placement to container loading and shipment.
Beyond securing tangible orders, the exhibition also provided Yiwu enterprises with a valuable opportunity to gain in-depth insights into overseas market demands. Luo Shanshan, General Manager of Yiwu Geyang Trading Co., Ltd., is a third-generation entrepreneur whose family history mirrors the evolution of the Yiwu market. From her grandfather's era of peddlers "trading chicken feathers for malt sugar" and her father's physical stall trading, to today's digital-driven global distribution of goods, the passing of the torch across three generations has witnessed Yiwu's meteoric rise. Initially aiming to fill the gap in the Southeast Asian market, Luo unexpectedly discovered new market space on-site. She noted that their products were previously mainly targeted at the South American market, featuring bold and vibrant styles. In contrast, Thailand's fashion industry is heavily influenced by Japanese and Korean trends, favoring clean, minimalist, and exquisite designs. Through in-depth exchanges with buyers, she filled her notebook with feedback and decided to comprehensively adjust the patterns, color schemes, and packaging upon returning to China to meet the aesthetic preferences of Southeast Asian clients. "The gap in aesthetics is precisely the space for market growth. This trip is not just about selling products, but about laying a solid foundation for expanding into the Southeast Asian market," Luo said. This shift from "selling what we have" to "producing what customers want" profoundly reflects the strategic upgrade of Yiwu merchants from "stationary shopkeepers" to "proactive traders," and from "selling to the world" to "integrating into local markets."
This year marks the 20th anniversary of learning and promoting the "Yiwu Development Experience." Since the relevant deployment was made by the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government in 2006, the development secrets of being "seemingly inexplicable," "creating something out of nothing," and "turning stone into gold" have consistently guided this resource-scarce county-level city to grow into the World Capital of Small Commodities. Over the past two decades, the core principles of promoting commerce to build the city, respecting market rules, and honoring the pioneering spirit of business operators have remained unchanged. Data underscores Yiwu's confidence: currently, Yiwu International Trade City hosts approximately 80,000 business entities, covering 26 major categories and around 2.1 million individual products, with exports reaching over 230 countries and regions worldwide. Facing a complex and volatile external environment, Yiwu has demonstrated remarkable resilience through its decentralized global trade network and keen market sensitivity.
To further drive more enterprises to go global and integrate locally, Yiwu China Commodities City is continuously expanding its overseas expansion toolbox. Guo Zhiwei, Deputy General Manager of District 1 of Yiwu International Trade City, explicitly stated at the exhibition that the Southeast Asian market is crucial, and efforts will be intensified to bring more enterprises to Thailand. In recent years, Yiwu has regularly organized merchants to participate in exhibitions as a group through initiatives like the Market 10,000-Mile Tour, industry-specific vertical exhibitions, and supply-demand matchmaking events, hosting over 60 trade promotion activities in 2025 alone. Meanwhile, the Brand Going Global initiative is accelerating, with 97 overseas projects deployed across 38 countries and regions, encompassing overseas sub-markets, overseas warehouses, and overseas showrooms. Online, the Chinagoods platform breaks down language and matchmaking barriers through AI-powered sourcing and multi-language site clusters; Yiwu Pay provides cross-border collection, settlement, and foreign exchange services, bridging the last mile of capital flow. Display, matchmaking, fulfillment, and payment are seamlessly linked to build a comprehensive trade service network.
From the peddlers' shoulder poles of trading feathers for sugar to the digital screens of the Global Digital Trade Center, from waiting for customers at stalls to proactively reaching out across thousands of miles, the Yiwu market continues to grow and evolve. The Bangkok exhibition is scheduled to run until September 4. At the booths, cooperation orders are being smoothly signed; behind the scenes, new plans for deeply cultivating the Southeast Asian market are accelerating.