Yan'an: Promote more distinctive products to 'set sail'

Red and plump Luochuan apples cross mountains and seas, entering the markets of Thailand and Vietnam; Yichuan peppercorns, rich in mellow hemp, are ready to be fragrant in Taiwan, China. In the Aktau oil field in Kazakhstan, the sucker rods labeled "Made in Yan'an" are operating steadily, and a new round of urgent orders has been received.

From the fields on the Loess Plateau to the shelves and exhibition booths in the international market; From traditional agricultural products to precision machinery and equipment, Yan'an is accelerating the promotion of more local specialty products with an open attitude, allowing "Yan'an production" and "Yan'an manufacturing" to move towards a broader stage.

Recently, in the production workshop of Shaanxi Shiping Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd., sorting, cleaning, packaging, and other processes are orderly and well-organized. The bright colored and plump shaped Luochuan apples are carefully screened and neatly placed in specialized cardboard boxes with export labels.

This batch of Luochuan apples, weighing 40.9 tons and worth over 330000 yuan, will be shipped in bulk to Thailand and Vietnam after customs clearance, "said Wang Gang, the person in charge of the company, on January 27th.

As a newcomer in the field of foreign trade, enterprises will encounter many challenges in the process of going global. From connecting with overseas customers, signing orders, to completing stocking and packing, every step must be taken with extra caution, "said Wang Gang.

To ensure the smooth export of the company's products, Yan'an Customs assists the enterprise in sorting out the key points of the entire process, guiding the completion of customs filing, document sorting, and customs declaration.

"The landing of this order makes us confident that Luochuan Apple will expand its overseas market." Wang Gang said that the company plans to further explore the Southeast Asian market in the next step, actively expand the market of the "the Belt and Road" countries, and expand its sales channels by setting up sales outlets and connecting with local dealers.

Data shows that by 2025, the total apple production in Luochuan will reach 1.2365 million tons, with exports of 5763.45 tons and an export value of 54.1738 million yuan. With more and more local enterprises entering the apple export field, this "golden apple" is becoming an important support for county-level characteristic industries to help rural revitalization and promote high-quality development.

In addition to apples, Yichuan Sichuan peppercorns are also accelerating their overseas expansion.

In May 2025, 1.5 tons of dried Chinese prickly ash in Jiyi Town, Yichuan County will be sold to Taiwan, China via Shanghai Port. Yichuan Sichuan pepper is widely praised in the market for its large and plump grains, bright color, and mellow numbing taste.

"Recently, we have reached an intention of cooperation with Taiwan, China Yuansheng International Trade Co., Ltd., and 8 tons of organic Chinese prickly ash will be sold directly to Taiwan, China." Xue Tiegang, the head of Shaanxi Jiaoxiang Jiyi Agricultural Development Co., Ltd., said, "In order to improve product popularity and added value, we will further strengthen scientific planting and management, actively explore the market, and strive to sell Chinese prickly ash to more regions."

In recent years, Jiyi Town in Yichuan County has vigorously developed the Sichuan pepper industry. By 2025, the total output of Sichuan pepper will be 1350 tons, with an output value exceeding 68 million yuan. Zhang Lei, the mayor of Jiyi Town, introduced that this year we will continue to expand the planting area of organic Sichuan peppercorns, strengthen technical guidance throughout the entire growth cycle, pilot the promotion of prickly free Sichuan peppercorns planting, enhance the public's recognition of standardized management, continuously enhance the endogenous driving force of industrial development, promote the improvement and efficiency of Sichuan peppercorns industry, actively connect with domestic and foreign business entities, strive to expand export scale and high-end market share, achieve industrial efficiency and increase farmers' income.

If apples and Sichuan peppercorns represent the overseas exploration of Yan'an's characteristic agricultural products, then the export of sucker rods demonstrates the hard power of "Yan'an manufacturing".

In early December 2025, Wang Zhe, the general manager of Yan'an Shoushan Machinery Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Shoushan Machinery"), received an email from Kazakhstan informing him that all the 7.2 million yuan worth of sucker rods exported by the company in 2025 had been put into use in a certain oil field in Aktau, Kazakhstan.

Even more exciting is that the new order is already under negotiation. Compared with 2024, in 2025, the number and amount of orders from Hafang not only doubled, but also expanded from one type to nine types of products, among which the unit price of upright sucker rods increased by 18 yuan.

Why are the products of Shoushan Machinery highly favored by foreign investors?

Quality is the hardest passport, "said Wang Lijun, the supervisor of Harbin, emphasizing the key. During three consecutive months of on-site supervision, he witnessed the strict control of the entire process of Shoushan Machinery from raw material procurement to product packaging and transportation. The 8000 sucker rods delivered earlier have not encountered any problems after being used underground, "said Wang Lijun.

Regional advantages help accelerate the product's overseas expansion. In recent years, Yan'an has been deeply integrated into the overall pattern of jointly building the "the Belt and Road" and the construction of new land and sea channels in the west. As a sucker rod production enterprise located in Shaanxi, Shoushan Machinery has a shorter delivery cycle and lower cost compared to other similar enterprises in Central Asia.

Our sucker rods have good quality and competitive prices, and have achieved zero fault operation in the Hafang Oilfield, naturally winning recognition from foreign investors, "said Wang Shoushan, Chairman of Shoushan Machinery.

Behind the successful export of Yan'an products to overseas markets, there are a series of measures to optimize the business environment and improve customs clearance convenience, including customized services for "one county, one policy", "no meeting" filing, and export "green channels". Next, Yan'an Customs will focus on the endowment of local characteristic industrial resources, implement customized services for each county, provide efficient supervision services throughout the entire chain from fields to ports, promote the export of more Yan'an characteristic products, and make every effort to win the tough battle of foreign trade expansion, "said Martin, the director of Yan'an Customs.