BY Li Shuzheng from CNS
Over the past five years, Shanghai’s Pudong New District has strengthened its role as a national pilot zone, using institutional innovation and new platforms to build a denser global trade network.
This drive is enabling a smoother two-way flow of goods, from Thai mangosteens to Chinese solar panels bound for Kazakhstan. Chinese photovoltaic modules ordered by Central Asian businessmen are being rapidly shipped from overseas warehouses in Pudong to Kazakhstan.
China continues to release signals of comprehensive expansion of opening-up, and Pudong has always been at the forefront of international exchanges.
For businesses trading globally, efficient service is key.
The global hub platform in Waigaoqiao of Pudong gathers 39 national pavilions, 18 of which are from Silk Road E-commerce partner countries.
It allows Thai jasmine rice and Pakistani crafts to find Chinese buyers, while Chinese home appliances and electronics reach overseas markets through the same channels.
“Leveraging the advantages of the pilot free trade zone and the Silk Road E-commerce initiative, we have created a new ecosystem for international trade services,” said Jia Guolin, Marketing Department General Manager at the Shanghai Waigaoqiao International Trade Operation Center.
According to Jia, the platform has seen notable successes: the Pakistani center engaged consular officials in live-streaming, the Syrian center hit 10 million yuan in trade in 2024, and the French center’s wine sales are projected to surge 150% in 2025.
At Global Exchange, many Silk Road e-commerce partner countries rely on comprehensive national pavilions to improve their market sales channels and deepen their trade layout, and also extend their business through regional cooperation, corporate mergers and acquisitions, and venture into investment, education, cultural tourism, and other fields, building a diversified and integrated business ecosystem.
For foreign trade enterprises, “whether customs clearance is fast or not, and whether the cost is high” is the top priority. Over the past five years, Pudong has also tackled logistics bottlenecks with institutional breakthroughs.
The cross-border e-commerce export model known as “9610” has scaled up rapidly after its debut in Pudong.
The model is tailored for small, frequent B2C orders. It allows goods to be shipped directly overseas after orders are placed, with a simplified customs process that verifies goods against declaration data.
“The district has also set up data-sharing mechanisms with Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor and is exploring links with Kazakhstan, moving “single declaration, bilateral clearance” from pilot to norm,” said Wang Ping, a division-level researcher at the Pudong Commerce Commission.
Furthermore, Pudong allows bonded and cross-border e-commerce goods to be stored and managed in the same warehouse, cutting storage costs and speeding up delivery for consumers.
In energy trade, the Shanghai Oil and Gas Exchange is cooperating with UAE and Saudi firms on cross-border yuan settlement for oil and gas, making global procurement of bulk commodities more flexible.
By innovating systems and building bridges, Pudong is making global buying and selling more efficient, writing a new chapter in the seamless flow of worldwide goods.
