Why 'Made in Henan' continues to be popular overseas
Today, going global is no longer just about selling goods, but a comprehensive output of products, technology, services, and even brand capabilities
Rolls of aluminum foil, as thin as cicada wings, were packed and shipped from the Luoyang workshop to Indonesia; A set of precision ophthalmic diagnosis and treatment equipment has been put into use in Egyptian hospitals; New energy vehicles are rushing towards markets in Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and other countries... With the deepening of the BRICS cooperation mechanism, "Made in Henan" is accelerating towards a broader world.
Data shows that in the first eight months of this year, Henan's imports and exports to other BRICS countries amounted to 121 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 29.4%; Exports to other BRICS countries amounted to 10.38 billion yuan, an increase of 138.2%. The growth of numbers reflects not only the expansion of foreign trade scale, but also the change in the way "Made in Henan" goes global: from selling products to integrating them into the local market and establishing roots.
To achieve stability and long-term success, 'Made in Henan' must first identify market demand. Going abroad is never simply about selling products in different places, but about truly embedding the products into local production and life. Food packaging and medical consumables require high-end aluminum foil, urban transportation upgrades have stimulated the demand for new energy vehicles, and ophthalmic diagnosis and treatment have different equipment and service requirements. Wherever the demand is, the market is there; Wherever the product goes, the adaptation should follow. Only by better connecting "what I have" with "what the market wants" can export growth shift from relying on short-term orders to relying on long-term markets.
Once a product has a market, services must also keep up. Selling a set of equipment is not difficult, but the challenge is to make customers willing to continue using and choosing again. Henan enterprises building regional service stations in Egypt is a leap from "selling products" to "providing services". For enterprises expanding into overseas markets, after-sales service, technical support, spare parts supply, and market maintenance may seem like things beyond products, but in fact, they determine how far the enterprise can go locally. Connecting service points one by one can turn a trade into long-term cooperation and expand the market into a service network.
Expanding the market also requires strict adherence to rules. The export of medical devices involves declaration requirements from the importing country, and any slight oversight may affect the customs clearance process. From guiding enterprises to improve their declaration materials through customs, to promoting convenient measures such as "7 × 24 hour" appointment clearance, "two-step declaration, and early declaration", and then to providing certificates of origin and tariff benefits services, public services and enterprise capabilities must work together to ensure that "Made in Henan" not only goes out, but also runs smoothly and steadily.
Today, going global is no longer just about selling goods, but a comprehensive output of products, technology, services, and even brand capabilities. For Henan, the BRICS market is not only a space for trade growth, but also a touchstone for the transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry. Whether products can be adjusted according to different markets, whether they can adapt to different rules, whether they can establish stable channels and service systems... This tests the enterprise's ability to integrate resources and global business capabilities.
Enabling more Henan enterprises to "open up the world map and do business" is not something that can be achieved overnight. In the face of more diverse market demands and intense international competition, Henan enterprises need to continue to improve their internal strength in product innovation, quality improvement, brand building, overseas services, and other aspects; Relevant departments should also further improve information, customs clearance, finance, logistics and other services to provide stronger support for enterprises to expand their markets, stabilize orders, and reduce costs.
Behind the orders of rolls of aluminum foil, precision equipment, and new energy vehicles, there is a huge overseas market. For us, what is truly worth looking forward to is not only the growth of trade figures, but also the increasing number of Henan enterprises moving from "one-time transactions" to "long-term operations". In this way, the road to going abroad can be more stable and farther, and the global "circle of friends" made in Henan can also expand bigger and bigger.