Small traders in Yiwu feel the pinch as govt seeks to rely less on foreign trade

The Chinese economy is recovering swiftly from the coronavirus shock as normal life returns, but the trumpeted revival is not all it is made out to be. The Straits Times China Bureau reports.

The International Trade City in Yiwu city, Zhejiang province, has five interlinked blocks that sell everything from bras to hardware, as well as the world's largest small-commodities wholesale market spanning nearly 1,000 football fields. ST PHOTO: TAN DAWN WEI

Tan Dawn Wei China Bureau Chief In Yiwu (Zhejiang province)

Updated

Published

November 2, 2020 at 5:00 AM

Sourcing agent James Liu used to host at least five foreign customers a month in Yiwu, the city known as the "hypermart of the world", where colossal wholesale centres run on for kilometres.

After the coronavirus pandemic hit and China shut its borders in late March, he has not made any airport runs to pick up clients who come on buying trips.

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