Business opportunities in the “Land of Abundance” - the South Western Chinese Sichuan Province

Wednesday, 27^th August, 2014

Business opportunities in the “Land of Abundance” - the South Western Chinese Sichuan Province

In July Auckland Chamber International Manager Nathalie Malfeyt hosted a delegation from the South Western Chinese Sichuan Province.

Due to its temperate climate, fertile soils and rich natural resources, the Province is also known as the “Land of Abundance”. The Province covers a land area of 485,000km2 and has a population of 90 million, of which 14 million live in the capital city Chengdu.

Thanks to its extensive transportation links and the creation of a special economic development zone, which provide businesses investing in the zone with preferential policies, the region has grown rapidly in the last few years becoming a key economic centre in Western China.

As one of the major Chinese Provinces for agricultural products, Sichuan has developed clusters of competitive industries like meat-product processing, grain and oil processing , secondary industry groups like the famous “Sichuan Kitchen”, and producer and distributors of quality tea.

Other areas of economic importance include car manufacturing, ICT, petrochemical industries and tourism - the Province is well known for its wild Panda reservations.

Current trade initiatives with New Zealand focusing on imports include dairy, meat and wood related products. There is also a growing demand for high-value-added food products due to increasing urbanisation and the growing wealth of the population.

There are several important trade fairs scheduled to take place in Chengdu in the coming months, including the 10th China Food Expo in September.

For more information on the Expo, or to learn more about possible trade opportunities in the Sichuan Province, please contact Nathalie Malfeyt, International Manager.