On February 13, Foshan Commerce Bureau held a commerce meeting to summarize work in 2022 and map out visions in 2023.

Foshan saw its annual foreign trade grow by 7.7 percent year-on-year to 663.78 billion yuan in 2022, whose growth rate ranks first in the Pearl River Delta. There were 727 newly established foreign-funded enterprises in Foshan with actual foreign capital of 7.314 billion yuan, an increase of 1.2 times year-on-year, ranking first in the Pearl River Delta too. 

Referred to the retail consumption, it has reached 359.357 billion yuan in total, with an increase of 1 percent year-on-year, ranking fourth in Guangdong Province. This growth rate was 1.2 percentage points higher than the national average (-0.2 %) for 2022.

In the year ahead, the Commerce Department will further stimulate domestic demand to promote consumption and accelerate the construction of regional consumption centers. As for foreign trade, it is to further optimize the structure and increase the scale, for instance, sending more delegations to Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Europe, Africa, North America and other places. 

Additionally, we will promote the foreign investment by cooperating with investment promotion department, focusing on key fields such as advanced manufacturing and new industries. We will propel outsourcing in quality and efficiency to better support the development of leading enterprises in digital trade. 

Meanwhile, we will drive the construction of key platforms, follow up the declaration work of comprehensive bonded areas, build the Guangdong (Foshan) Pilot Free Trade Zone with high standard, deepen the construction of provincial demonstration zone for innovative development of trade and bolster the declaration of national-level economic development zones.

At the meeting, Deputy Mayor Qiao Yu affirmed the work of Commerce Bureau in 2022 and emphasized that 2023 will be a year of striving for economic growth, development, quality, efficiency and performance. We will enhance coordination among trade, investment, outsourcing, economy and talents by supportive policies. With these efforts, we’ll promote the commercial work to a new level.