A bird's-eye view of Nantong. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Nantong, a city playing a key role in Jiangsu province's opening up to the world, has in recent years encouraged local businesses to participate in overseas exhibitions.

Last year, the city offered subsidies valued at over 6 million yuan ($832,147) to local enterprises that attended exhibitions abroad. This year, it increased such subsidies to 10 million yuan.

Recognized as a national export base for ships, marine engineering equipment, electric tools, home textiles, and safety care supplies, Nantong organized five corresponding activities to promote these products overseas in 2023.

Furthermore, a series of preferential policies and favorable measures has shored up the confidence of foreign trade enterprises to attend overseas exhibitions.

Following asking for the requirements of local enterprises, local authorities plan to arrange 10 overseas exhibition-themed campaigns this year, inviting foreign trade companies to attend such activities together.

For example, in February, 11 Nantong enterprises participated in a hardware, building materials and home improvement supplies exhibition in Uzbekistan, during which over 10 Central Asian dealers reached cooperative intentions with Nantong participants.

Favorable logistics costs drive the steady growth of foreign trade businesses. During the exhibition, officials of Nantong municipal bureau of commerce visited local logistics and railway transport companies to discuss the possibility of running China-Asia freight trains, which will reduce freight charges by half.

Authorities have also arranged for Nantong businesses to visit local purchasers, commercial agencies, and key enterprises during the exhibition to learn about the demands of local markets.