Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center Drives Unprecedented International Business Activity

The Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center, which opened on October 14, 2025, has maintained exceptional market momentum with overwhelming international response. On opening day alone, the center welcomed more than 130,000 visitors, followed by an average of 71,000 global buyers daily over the subsequent 11 days. This surge has created ripple effects throughout the local economy, with nearby hotels reporting full occupancy for two consecutive weeks and restaurants experiencing doubled table turnover rates as international buyers conduct business over meals.

The center represents Yiwu's strategic transformation from a traditional small commodities hub into a digital trade powerhouse through its dual-engine model of "digital + trade." This shift is reflected in Yiwu's broader trade performance, with total import and export value reaching RMB 631.2 billion from January to September 2025, representing 26.3% year-on-year growth. Trade with Belt and Road partner countries grew even faster at 28.9%, accounting for 68% of the city's total trade volume.

Technological innovation has been central to the center's success. The World Yiwu Trade Large Model registered over 30,000 users by October 2025, with AI product usage exceeding one billion calls. Thirteen AI applications now support end-to-end digitalization across design, translation, and fulfillment functions, enabling true borderless, real-time global trade. The center has sustained market enthusiasm through large-scale events including drone light shows, global music festivals, and the AI + Market Digital Trade Summit.

Synergy with major trade fairs has further amplified the center's impact. The 138th Canton Fair attracted nearly 240,000 overseas buyers from 223 countries and regions, with 65% visiting Yiwu for the first time. This shift from "sample viewing at the Canton Fair" to "placing orders in Yiwu" has particularly benefited sectors including jewelry and accessories, fashion collectibles, drones, and cosmetics. A buyer from Yemen noted the center's ability to meet the global market's demand for small-batch, quick-turnaround orders and supply chain flexibility.

Order performance has been record-breaking across key industries. Jewelry and accessories, creative trendy toys, drones and smart electronics, and beauty and personal care products emerged as the main drivers of growth. Yiwu's exports of mechanical and electrical products reached RMB 203 billion in the first three quarters of 2025, up 25.2% year-on-year, with particularly strong performance in smart devices. Individual success stories include a post-2000s entrepreneur receiving an on-site order for 3,000 drones from a Jordanian client, while several jewelry and cosmetics merchants secured overseas orders exceeding RMB 500,000 within their first week of operation.

The Global Digital Trade Center represents more than physical expansion—it signifies a comprehensive upgrade in trade philosophy and operational models. Anchored by the "Digital Trade Port," it integrates platforms for AI design, smart logistics, cross-border livestreaming, and data transactions. This evolution aligns with the optimization of Yiwu's foreign trade structure, where exports under the market procurement trade model reached RMB 458.38 billion from January to September 2025, up 29.4% year-on-year and accounting for 82.7% of the city's total exports.

A representative of the Yiwu China Commodities City Group stated the goal of transforming Yiwu from the "World's Supermarket" into the "Global Source of Digital Trade Innovation." The center's continued popularity demonstrates Yiwu's powerful ability to attract and convert global business opportunities, signaling that the city's path to global expansion is becoming more precise, efficient, and competitive through digital empowerment. As Yiwu evolves from order exchange hub to innovative trade model source, it continues providing the "Yiwu Sample" for China's high-quality trade development.