#1. New momentum for foreign trade growth in the Yangtze River Delta: The demand for small and medium-sized enterprises to go abroad continues to be released
##(1) The latest trend of foreign trade development
According to data from the General Administration of Customs for the first half of 2026, the total value of foreign trade imports and exports in the Yangtze River Delta region reached 7.3 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 8.7%, of which private enterprises accounted for 58.2%, becoming the core driving force for foreign trade growth.
The "2026 Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Going to Sea" shows that the number of small and medium-sized enterprises with plans to go abroad in the Yangtze River Delta region increased by 37.2% year-on-year in the first half of 2026, among which enterprises in strategic emerging industries such as new energy, high-end equipment, and new materials have the strongest willingness to go abroad, accounting for 71.5%.
##(2) Common difficulties faced by enterprises going abroad
The survey also shows that small and medium-sized enterprises in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai currently face four major blockages when going abroad:
- Information asymmetry: 67.3% of companies do not understand the policies and regulations, market needs and competitive landscape of the target market
- Difficulty in matching resources: 72.8% of companies lack effective overseas customers, channels and partner resources
- High financing costs: 59.4% of overseas companies face cross-border financing difficulties and expensive financing problems, and the average financing cost is 2.3 percentage points higher than that of domestic business
- High compliance risks: 48.7% of companies have encountered compliance issues such as overseas intellectual property disputes and trade barriers, with an average loss of 11.3% of annual revenue
#2. Implementation of a national-level service platform in Shanghai to build a new ecosystem of sea-going services
##(1) Platform background and core advantages
China Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Association is a national industry association initiated by the National Development and Reform Commission and approved by the State Council in 2006. It is affiliated to the industry management of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. It has successively won the title of "National Public Service Demonstration Platform for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises" by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Ministry of Civil Affairs."5A-level Association" and other titles, it is the core official platform serving small and medium-sized enterprises in China.
In December 2023, the Shanghai Representative Office of China Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Association was officially established. It is based in Shanghai and radiates to the Yangtze River Delta, focusing on the development direction of "digitalization, intelligence, and green" to create a comprehensive service system integrating policy services, industrial empowerment, and resource docking.
##(2) Core resource matrix for offshore services
At present, the Shanghai Representative Office has integrated three types of core offshore service resources:
1. Think tank expert resources:
- Gathering more than 30 senior experts in the fields of industrial economy, finance, law, cross-border e-commerce, and international compliance
- Average industry experience of more than 15 years, covering major overseas destination markets such as Europe, America, Southeast Asia, and Latin America
2. Strategic cooperation institutional resources:
- Establish strategic cooperative relationships with 28 high-quality institutions including Baidu AI, Guangfa Bank Shanghai Branch, and Qingyan Technology
- Covering cross-border finance, digital marketing, intellectual property, overseas logistics and other full-chain service links
3. Global cooperation network resources:
- Establish long-term cooperative relationships with business agencies and industry associations in more than 30 countries and regions in China
- Connect with 200+ overseas industrial parks and 1000+ international buyer resources, covering major economies around the world
##(3) Brand sailing activity system
### 1. Quarterly Global Sea Matchmaking Conference
Activity characteristics:
- Divide special sessions by industry to accurately match supply and demand resources
- Invite overseas business officials stationed in China, international purchasers, and overseas park representatives to make on-site docking
- Each event invites 50+ companies intending to go abroad and 20+ overseas partners to participate
Data from the three docking meetings held in 2026 shows:
- On average, 47 intended cooperation agreements were reached per event
- Enterprise docking success rate reached 32.7%
- The highest intended cooperation amount in a single event reaches 230 million yuan
### 2. Special cultivation of specialized, innovative enterprises going abroad
In response to the differentiated needs of specialized and innovative enterprises, customized cultivation services are launched:
- Policy interpretation: Timely convey national and local support policies for going to sea to help enterprises apply for various subsidies
- Capacity building: Carry out systematic training on sea compliance, cross-border operations, international marketing, etc.
- Resource docking: Priority is given to participating in national-level overseas economic and trade activities and docking high-end international resources
As of June 2026, a total of 187 specialized, special and new overseas companies have been cultivated, of which 72% have successfully expanded overseas markets, with an average overseas revenue growth rate of 45.3%.
### 3. One-stop service package for enterprises going overseas
Integrate various service resources and launch flexibly selectable service packages:
- Basic service package (free): policy consultation, demand registration, resource matching, general training
- Advanced service package (cost price): customized market research, compliance diagnosis, financing docking services
- High-end service package (negotiated price): full-process services for overseas implementation, special expert consulting services
##(3) Typical cases of service effectiveness
Case: A smart storage equipment manufacturing company in Shanghai successfully entered the markets of Thailand and Vietnam through the Shanghai Representative Office of the Association in 2025. In the first half of 2026, overseas orders increased by 127% year-on-year, and the first service center was established locally. The person in charge of the company said that the resource matching service provided by the association helped companies save at least 6 months of market expansion time and reduce the upfront investment cost by nearly 40%.
#3. Guidelines for participation in sea docking activities
##(1) Registration conditions
- Small and medium-sized enterprises registered in Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui
- The company's operating conditions are good and there are no records of serious violations of laws and dishonesty.
- There are clear overseas market expansion needs
##(2) Registration process
1. Submit application: Submit basic information of the company and a description of sea needs through official channels
2. Qualification review: Complete the enterprise qualification review within 3 working days and feedback the review results
3. Demand matching: Match corresponding resources based on information such as the enterprise's industry and target market
4. Activity participation: Invite to participate in corresponding special docking activities and on-site docking resources
5. Follow-up: Provide full-process follow-up services after docking to ensure cooperation implementation
##(3) Announcement of sailing activities in the second half of 2026
- September: Intelligent manufacturing special sea docking meeting (docking German and Japanese resources)
- October: New energy special sea matchmaking meeting (docking resources in Southeast Asia and the Middle East)
- November: Special maritime docking meeting for consumer goods (docking with European, American, Australian and New Zealand resources)
- December: Annual Yangtze River Delta Enterprises Going to Sea Summit
Enterprises can choose corresponding activities to participate based on their own industry and target market.
#4. Policy dividends boost small and medium-sized enterprises to welcome new opportunities when going out to sea
At present, a series of policies and measures have been introduced at the national and local levels to support small and medium-sized enterprises to go abroad:
- Financial subsidy: Provide up to 50% of the fee subsidy for enterprises 'overseas exhibitions, intellectual property layout, overseas investment, etc.
- Financial support: Launch special financial services such as cross-border credit loans and exchange rate hedging products to reduce corporate financing costs
- Convenient customs clearance: Implement customs clearance convenience measures such as AEO certification,"early declaration" and "two-step declaration" to improve customs clearance efficiency
The relevant person in charge of the Shanghai Representative Office of China Small and Medium Enterprises Association said that in the future, we will continue to integrate global high-quality resources, continuously improve the sea-going service system, and help more Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai small and medium enterprises smoothly expand overseas markets and achieve high-quality development.