AS soon as Marinella Fortino landed in China, she headed for the Yiwu International Trade Market in Yiwu, eastern China’s Zhejiang Province, to meet with her business partners.

“I missed Yiwu and my friends here very much during the two-year separation,” said Fortino, a foreign merchant in Yiwu.

Yiwu, dubbed “the world’s supermarket,” has an abundant variety of commodities, convenient and fast logistics and a good business environment, all of which have helped boost Fortino’s foreign trade business since it was launched in 2017.

Fortino is among a surge of foreign merchants returning to Yiwu after China optimized its COVID response and entry-exit policies Jan. 8.

According to data from Zhejiang Provincial Yiwu Airport Management Co., the number of incoming and outgoing flights Jan. 8 returned to the pre-pandemic level.

Trading with 232 countries and regions around the world, Yiwu is a global commercial city that had some 15,000 resident foreign merchants before the outbreak of COVID-19. But that number halved in the worst of times during the pandemic.

Returning to Yiwu has become the most pressing need of many foreign businesspeople.

Data from Yiwu’s exit-entry administration show that there are now more than 10,000 resident foreign merchants in Yiwu, 70% of the pre-pandemic level.

“More foreign merchants will come back after the Spring Festival,” said Mohammad Nasser, a Jordanian who has settled in China and has not been back home these last few years. He said that his friends have been asking him about China every day since China adjusted its COVID response policy.

The return of foreign merchants signals new orders, new opportunities and new confidence in development.

“Nearly 90% of my clients have expressed their desires to come after the Spring Festival,” said Nasser, chairman of Zhejiang Infinity Trade Co. His firm has developed 100 new products and has received orders worth more than 40 million yuan (US$5.92 million).

Liu Junming, general manager of a local sanitary products company, detailed China’s latest entry-exit policies to his foreign clients through livestreaming and videos in different languages. He has arranged appointments with the majority of his clients after the Spring Festival.

Liu and his team are busy preparing new products for foreign clients. “We want to bring them surprises, making their trips worthwhile,” he said.

On Jan. 1, 10 measures were officially implemented in Yiwu to improve the city’s international business environment and foreign-related services, focusing on policy advice and convenience in the residence and work permit system for foreigners, among other areas.

“The Yiwu International Trade Market has attracted merchants from all over the world. They act as bridges linking Yiwu with the world, and are also promoters and beneficiaries of the booming market,” said Wang Wei, vice mayor of Yiwu. (Xinhua)