Bicycle enterprises move to garner overseas orders

The assembly workshop of Xingtai Tianfu Bicycle Co., Ltd. in Pingxiang County, north China's Hebei Province, is bustling. Employees are ramping up production and preparing for the electric bicycles to be exported to Indonesia.

As China's economy rebounds following its optimized COVID-19 response, Pingxiang County organized the first economic and trade delegation in Hebei this year before the Spring Festival and led 15 bicycle enterprises to Indonesia to seek orders and carry out business negotiations.

Indonesia is a big consumer of bicycles and the cycling sport is popular among the locals. There has been a great demand for the import of Chinese-brand bicycles for years.

During this trip, the trade delegation achieved fruitful results both in export orders and foreign investment introduction. The delegation signed with Indonesian enterprises product orders worth 490 million yuan (around 72 million US dollars) and a framework agreement for a high-end electric bicycle project with a total investment of 45 million US dollars.

"In response to the demand of the Indonesian market, we have adjusted two production lines, and the products are specially supplied to Indonesia," said Wang Lifeng, in charge of Xingtai Tianfu Bicycle Co., Ltd.

In recent years, the company has undergone a fast upgrading to expand overseas markets. In 2022, its sales doubled year on year, exporting 3 million bicycles including children's bicycles and electric bicycles.

"I didn't expect to win an order of 76 million yuan on my first overseas trade voyage," said Zhang Xiangyong, chairman of Pingxiang County XinShiJia Toy Co., Ltd. "The production and operation had been affected by COVID-19 in the past two years. The order has not only restored the enterprise's vitality but also increased the confidence to explore overseas markets."

At present, the enterprise is organizing production at full speed to ensure that the first batch of goods, mainly baby strollers, can be delivered in March, said Zhang.

"We have had a good cooperation relationship with bicycle enterprises in Pingxiang for more than 10 years. The delegation's trip this year is a new opportunity for both sides. I believe we will have deeper cooperation in the future," said Yu Weng Kiang, chairman of Indonesia Mandiri Automotive Co., Ltd.

As the largest production base for bicycle spare parts and children's bicycles in China, Pingxiang County is known as "China's capital of children's bicycles." There are 129 bicycle enterprises engaged in foreign trade and their products are exported to more than 60 countries and regions.

In recent years, Pingxiang has taken advantage of the Belt and Road Initiative to encourage the upgrading of the bicycle industry, enhance the research and development of new products, and speed up the exploration of overseas markets, said Song Yun, head of the trade delegation and also deputy head of Pingxiang County.

"We will take further multiple measures to help enterprises expand the international market, strengthen the construction of service platforms of foreign trade and e-commerce for the bicycle industry, and promote the high-end, intelligent, and green development of the industry," said Song.