Shenzhen's foreign-invested company service workstations are offering one-on-one services to overseas-funded enterprises in the city, helping them weather difficulties in production and operation during the pandemic, the municipal commerce bureau said Friday.
While its ground supply chain was blocked due to the pandemic, Hong Kong-funded Kyorin Industry (Shenzhen) Co. is expected to realize a revenue increase of 25%, as one workstation helped it find alternative transport routes.
Kyorin Industry, an aquatic feed company, sells 50% of its products to markets in Japan, the U.S., Australia, Singapore and Malaysia. Earlier this year, the COVID resurgence in Hong Kong and Shenzhen suspended cross-border truck transport between the two places. This suspension got Kyorin Industry’s containers loaded with imported feed from Japan stuck in Hong Kong’s ports.
The company thus sought assistance from the workstation in Shenzhen. Specialists at the workstation spared no effort to help solve Kyorin Industry’s difficulties. The specialists explained to company representatives that the suspension of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong land transport was intended to avoid Shenzhen companies’ shutdown caused by possible contact with Hong Kong drivers who may have COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the workstation drew up contingency plans for Kyorin Industry to ship freight through Shenzhen ports. The company was also invited to a publicity conference to learn about the latest policies and measures regarding cross-border sea freight.
The workstation helped Kyorin Industry’s containers that were stuck in Hong Kong cleared at Yantian Port Customs. The containers reached the company within a week after they approached the organization.
The company now has its imported ingredients shipped to Shenzhen ports by water. “There is no need to load and unload goods in Hong Kong, which saves time and labor. The Shenzhen government has helped us a lot,” the company said.
In 2020, the municipal commerce bureau and Shenzhen-based industry associations jointly established the country’s first workstation to provide overseas companies with services, such as policy consultations and subsidy application guidance.
At present, there are 14 such workstations across the city, including two workstations at the municipal level, two at the district level and 10 in key industrial parks, where many overseas-funded firms are concentrated.