The joint project “Trade Fair in Warehouse” by the Dutch province of North Brabant and the Chinese province of Jiangsu was officially launched in Tilburg on June 22 Wednesday, aiming to deepen the sister relationships between the two regions, thus boosting bilateral trade.

As part of the project, Jiangsu Export Exhibition and Trade Centre and BTT’s China Cargo Centre started operations. The project is based on BTT’s Nanjing-Tilburg train connection and was initiated by Jiangsu International Rail Freight Express Co., Ltd. and CMC International Trade & Service B.V.

“Jiangsu and North Brabant have been maintaining a sister relationship for 28 years, creating a solid foundation of the new ‘Trade Fair in Warehouse’ model,”  commented Zhang Guosheng, economic and commercial counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in the Netherlands. “Plus, BTT’s China Rail Crossdock Centre will perfectly fit this new model with enormous added value.”

Tilburg’s mayor also stressed the project’s vitality for the trade cooperation between the two provinces and China and the Netherlands. Both markets need each other’s products.

Trade Fair in Warehouse

“Trade Fair in Warehouse” is a new model of bilateral trade between China and the Netherlands. The aim is to cope with the severe impact of the pandemic on the global supply chain, as manufacturers and buyers from both countries cannot visit each other as usual. The new model allows companies to explore markets more conveniently.”

In his speech, Jack Gao, Director Europe at CMC International Trade & Service B.V., introduced the benefits of the “Trade Fair in Warehouse” concept. First of all, during the epidemic, international travel is restricted. This project provides a platform for companies from both sides to expose their products to the targeted market. With thousands of actual products displayed in the showroom, potential buyers can see the products themselves before deciding whether to purchase them in large quantities, making two-way communication more convenient.

In addition, the quality of all the products is guaranteed thanks to our rigorous quality checks and control. Therefore, we relieve the buyers’ concern about the discrepancy between the exhibited products and the products manufactured in the factory.

“Seeing is believing”

Eelko Brinkhoff, Director of Foreign Investments & International Trade at Brabant Development Agency (BOM), shared his experience of visiting the showroom, “you can see pictures on the internet, but in this model, you can see the real product, touch it, know who is selling it and who is making it, and try to do business together.”

The new Jiangsu Export Exhibition and Trade Centre gathers products of more than 90 companies from Jiangsu, including six categories of goods like textiles and clothing, intelligent appliances and kitchen and bathroom products. “More than 200 manufacturers from Jiangsu have already signed up for this project, and today’s opening ceremony is a great start,” Jack Gao said.