(Ninth China International Import Expo) President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai: Leading American small and medium-sized enterprises to participate in the "League A"

"They have all heard that the Chinese market is huge, but they have no idea how to get there." Zheng Yi, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, said in an interview with China News Service during the 9th China International Import Expo that many small and medium-sized entrepreneurs in the United States lack understanding of the Chinese market, and participating in the CIIE allows them to see real opportunities.

This year, the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai cooperated with the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the fourth time to open a U.S. Food and Agriculture Pavilion at the CIIE and organized dozens of U.S. industry associations and small and medium-sized enterprises to participate in the exhibition. On the opening day of the museum on the 6th, three companies had reached transactions totaling more than US$600 million.

Zheng Yi has communicated with many small and medium-sized entrepreneurs in the United States and found that although many companies are curious about the Chinese market, they cannot find a way to enter the market. The American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai played a platform role and helped them come to the CIIE. "For the United States, it is a win-win situation for the U.S. government, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce."

Zheng Yi said that every year he sees exhibitors paying more and more attention to the CIIE. “We all realize the importance of this platform.”

Zheng Yi believes that China is one of the largest markets in the world, and competition is fierce but irreplaceable. He compared the Chinese market to the "League A" and believed that only by participating can companies continue to improve their competitiveness. He hopes that the U.S. government will provide more support for companies to explore overseas markets. "We hope that as bilateral relations continue to improve and stabilize, we will be in a more favorable position."

Entering the exhibition hall, the exhibitors were selling American products in front of each association booth.

Julie Ann Frahm, a member of the board of directors of the Wisconsin American Ginseng Agricultural Federation, said that with the changes in consumer demand in the Chinese market, American ginseng has also expanded from traditional ginseng root products to tea drinks, capsules and other forms to attract young consumers. Today, many small and medium-sized enterprises have obtained trademark certification and exported to China.

American ginseng usually takes about 4 years to grow before it can be harvested. Frum is also a grower. She hopes that U.S.-China trade will reduce uncertainty and make U.S.-China relations more stable.

The Chinese market also affects U.S. soybean growers. Courtney Kingery, CEO of the Indiana Soybean Alliance, said that a large amount of soybeans from around the world are flowing to China. This time she led a delegation of farmers from Indiana to participate in the exhibition, hoping to establish contact with soybean buyers and understand their needs.

Larry Rusch, a soybean farmer from Indiana, USA, runs a family farm. This is his first visit to China. Roush's father came to China to promote soybeans about 20 years ago. In May this year, his son also came to China to explore the market. Three generations of the family have maintained trade ties with China. Roush hopes that the United States and China will "continue to work hard to maintain and develop bilateral relations so that all trade parties will benefit from it." (over)