A Wuxi-made robot draws the spotlight at the Yiwu sourcing fair. [Photo/WeChat account: news-wuxixinwen]
Manufacturers from Wuxi, Jiangsu province, struck $22 million in intended deals at a one-day sourcing fair in Yiwu, Zhejiang province, on June 29, using the city's global trade hub to connect with overseas buyers without leaving their home base.
The event brought together 56 professional purchasers from Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East with nearly 200 export-oriented manufacturers from Wuxi, an industrial powerhouse in eastern China.
During the demand-sharing session, five major overseas buyers with deep ties to Yiwu took the stage, listing procurement needs across 30 categories — from industrial machinery and textiles to new energy vehicles, building materials, hardware, and energy storage — covering virtually all of Wuxi's key industries.
The real action came during the open networking hour. Buyers flipped through product catalogs and held intensive talks with Wuxi company representatives.
An Iranian buyer added dozens of suppliers to his WeChat in just 60 minutes. "I'm very happy to connect with Wuxi firms, especially for stainless steel products," he said. "I believe we will cooperate successfully and sustain it."
Why the strong interest in "Wuxi intelligent manufacturing"? The city boasts a century-old industrial legacy, with deep strengths in equipment manufacturing and integrated circuits, as well as complete supply chains for textiles, e-bikes, auto parts, and cables. Its annual industrial output above designated size stands at 2.7 trillion yuan ($397.36 billion), backed by generations of precision engineering and innovation. This combination continues to attract global buyers even as supply chains shift.
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