Yiwu, the world's largest wholesale market for small goods in eastern China's Zhejiang province, is under increasing pressure as incoming passengers are quarantined for 14 days and the pandemic is escalating overseas, although the factory has been trying to restore traffic by all means.
"Trade is one of the sectors hardest hit by the virus," Zhuang Rui, deputy dean of the Institute of International Economics at the University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times on Wednesday. While household conditions in China have eased, there is growing pressure to contain imported infections because most overseas residents appear to be less aware of prevention, Mr. Zhuang said.
Yiwu has been struggling to attract buyers from around the world to return to the market under quarantine measures. On Monday, 245 foreign buyers from 41 countries and regions, most of whom had been in China for more than 14 days or had been in the country for a long time, arrived in Yiwu on charter flights.
Yiwu welcomes back the city's 15,000 foreign residents and international buyers from around the world. According to the local government, yiwu will pay for flights and provide free accommodation for overseas buyers who visit the city before March 31.
For buyers who need to undergo self-quarantine for 14 days and are unable to enter the yiwu market temporarily, Yiwu International Trade City offers various measures to help buyers, including online transactions and purchases through foreign trade companies.
