Employees have been busy working at the production line of Qingdao Lulu Agricultural Co Ltd since they returned to the factory on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year.

"Our company manufactures pepper scissors which are mainly exported to countries and regions including India, Pakistan and Mexico. We exported 30 sets of scissors during the Spring Festival holiday period, up 200 percent year-on-year. Exports are expected to achieve new breakthroughs this year," said Li Zhimin, general manager of the company.

Qingdao, Shandong province [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Qingdao is a major metropolis with more than 20,000 foreign trade enterprises that serve as a major driving force for the city's economic growth. To help them expand overseas markets and grab orders, the Qingdao bureau of commerce recently launched a package of stimulus plans.

"We have analyzed the global capital flow and industrial chain trends and made specific plans," said Yin Shigang, director of the Qingdao Trade Development Service Center. "We will further deepen cooperation with Japan, South Korea, Europe, and the United States, guide enterprises to go abroad for business negotiations and hold overseas promotional conferences."

"Over the past month, orders from overseas markets have grown rapidly," said Pu Dalong, general manager of the overseas business department of Qingdao Shenghan Chromatograph Technology Co Ltd. 

Qingdao also provides foreign trade companies with solutions on international logistics, business travel and financial services. The city has helped more than 400 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises with free advance payments of sea freight and centralized price agreements for port and shipping logistics.