Guangdong state‑owned trader expands cross‑border footprint with sharp H1 foreign trade growth

Guangdong Materials Holdings Group draws on its core strengths in commercial trading and integrated supply‑chain services, implementing Guangdong province’s “Five‑external Linkage” policy to foster a multi‑pronged foreign‑trade framework focused on quality improvement and operational efficiency. Its total foreign‑trade volume, including re‑export business, climbs by 53.1 per cent year‑on‑year across the first half of 2026.

The group secures stable supply of key bulk raw materials. It sources direct‑supply resources from major coal mines in Indonesia and Australia to reinforce domestic energy chains. Coal import volumes rise 22.68 per cent year‑on‑year in the first six months, with over 80 per cent of these consignments delivered to thermal‑power plants within Guangdong to underpin local energy security. Iron‑ore import operations also record rapid volume expansion, delivering essential raw‑material support for regional industrial output.

Progress continues in standardising vehicle‑export operations. The enterprise shifts its used‑car export focus towards end‑to‑end industrial‑chain services and improvements in cross‑border business conditions. Vehicle export and re‑export volumes register steady growth over the first half. Guangche Foreign Trade Comprehensive Service, its provincial‑level platform for used‑car exports, addresses practical barriers faced by smaller motor‑manufacturing firms, such as fragmented supporting services and cumbersome off‑site licensing procedures. Coverage for local used‑car exporters keeps broadening, facilitating orderly development of this trade segment across Guangdong.

China‑Europe Railway Express routes widen market access for Guangdong‑made goods. New business models combining rail freight with cross‑border e‑commerce raise operational efficiency and open additional outbound trade corridors. Return‑trip services, cross‑border e‑commerce containers and specialised JSQ wagon block‑trains for finished vehicles all see higher throughput in H1. Return services add 41 extra trains year‑on‑year, cross‑border e‑commerce container shipments rise by 715 units, whilst JSQ block‑train departures increase by 16.

Tailored support helps small‑and‑medium‑sized Guangdong‑based enterprises venture into overseas markets. The “Huashang GO” global‑trade service hub, selected for Guangdong’s enterprise‑going‑global resource pool in February this year, now counts more than 28 000 registered users. Over one hundred ecosystem partners have joined the platform, alongside more than 21 000 stock‑keeping units representing quality local goods. Twenty‑four capacity‑building events have been hosted, and 49 manufacturers spanning food, electronics, home furnishings and automotive sectors have taken part in international trade fairs held in Indonesia, Vietnam, Kazakhstan and other locations to secure overseas commercial opportunities.

Digital‑driven solutions unlock fresh momentum for foreign‑trade activities. Leveraging China (Guangdong) International Trade Single‑Window infrastructure, the group runs multiple specialised digital platforms including an information hub for cross‑border‑e‑commerce global‑warehouse resources, the Guangdong Global Trade Comprehensive‑Service Platform and a public service platform for trade‑dispute‑risk prevention. Enterprise‑profiling tools enable closer collaboration with financial, insurance and logistics participants, bringing forward financial services such as “Zhihui Yi” import foreign‑exchange settlement and “Yuezhi Mao” export foreign‑exchange collection, which cut operational costs for trading firms. Digital transformation extends to the chemical‑plastics sector via its self‑developed Jujuduo bulk‑commodity e‑commerce platform delivering one‑stop cross‑border services. This platform has obtained accreditation as a Guangdong High‑quality Hi‑Tech Product or Service in July. Polypropylene traded through Jujuduo flows to more than 60 economies including Indonesia, Thailand and Brazil, with export contracts totalling roughly 143 300 metric tonnes signed in the first half of the year.

Guangdong Materials Holdings Group will keep concentrating on its core commercial‑trading and supply‑chain‑service operations. It will scale up import‑export and comprehensive foreign‑trade services, advancing the provincial “Guangdong Trade Global” initiative.