China has managed to change its global economic standing in a very short period of time. The country has pulled itself from the ranks of a developing nation into a major economic world power. According to the US Department of Commerce, China has a population of 1.3 billion and a $2.6 trillion dollar economy. China is now considered the 4th largest economy in the world. This statistic is important for both the USA importer and exporter to take seriously. If your company does not include China in its business model today, large opportunities for growth and development are passing you by.

First, for the USA exporter, the weakened value of the dollar and the strong economic standing of China create large opportunities for US companies to sell their products abroad. For example, smaller emerging cities like Hangzhou and Qingdao currently import over $4 billion dollars worth of products from the USA today. These cities specialize in a number of industries. For example: textile, apparel, and food/beverage processing are very lucrative. If your company produces equipment or supplies that cater to these markets, the sales opportunities are endless. Of note however, you will see greater sales success by hiring agents or distributors throughout China that can represent your products in targeted cities.