With a surge in investment opportunities, now is the perfect time to invest.

To showcase the superior logistics conditions and vast development potential of the Foshan Comprehensive Bonded Zone to the outside world, accelerate the introduction of major high-quality projects to the zone, and promote high-quality regional economic development.

On May 30, the “High Quality · New Comprehensive Bonded Zone · Shared Future — 2024 Foshan Comprehensive Bonded Zone Investment Promotion Conference,” hosted by the Foshan Investment Promotion Bureau, was held in Shunde District, Foshan.

At the event

New Platforms, New Policies, New Opportunities

Multiple Departments Present a Comprehensive Overview of the Foshan Comprehensive Bonded Zone

The Foshan Comprehensive Bonded Zone is Foshan’s first national-level platform for opening up and development, and the 13th comprehensive bonded zone in Guangdong Province. As China’s most open, most preferential, most comprehensive, and most streamlined customs special supervision zone, the Comprehensive Bonded Zone integrates the functions of a bonded zone, an export processing zone, a bonded logistics park, and a port, creating a synergistic effect where “preferential policies build upon one another.”

Leveraging its unique geographical location, superior policy advantages, and solid industrial foundation, the Foshan Comprehensive Bonded Zone is making a resounding impact on the international stage with the “Invest in Foshan” brand, showcasing the boundless charm and potential of this national-level platform for opening-up and development.

The event invited representatives from the Foshan Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Foshan Customs, and the Foshan Comprehensive Bonded Zone Administration to present an overview of the Foshan Comprehensive Bonded Zone, including customs policies, industrial planning, and investment promotion priorities. Over 150 companies attended, including Fortune 500 giants and industry leaders such as Amazon, JD.com, and GLP, spanning sectors such as electronics and information technology, high-end equipment manufacturing, and international logistics and trade. The total number of attendees exceeded 270.

Zhang Chaozhi, Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of the Foshan Municipal People’s Congress, delivered opening remarks

“Foshan possesses distinct advantages in transportation and logistics infrastructure, and its export-oriented economy holds immense potential.”” Zhang Chaozhi, Deputy Director of the Foshan Municipal People’s Congress Standing Committee, stated that the city will leverage the policy advantages of the Foshan Linked Development Zone within the Guangdong Pilot Free Trade Zone to coordinate with Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and connect with Dongguan and Zhuhai, thereby further strengthening resource sharing and enhancing openness. At the same time, by integrating the functions of the comprehensive bonded zone and the port, the city will promote cooperation with surrounding international seaports and airports to ensure rapid cargo distribution and establish a three-dimensional, open intermodal logistics network spanning water, land, and air.

In recent years, Foshan has prioritized manufacturing and vigorously developed the real economy, achieving rapid growth in industrial development. Last year, Foshan successfully ranked as China’s “fourth-largest industrial city” with a total industrial output value of enterprises above designated size exceeding 3 trillion yuan. The establishment of the Foshan Comprehensive Bonded Zone will inject new momentum into stabilizing foreign trade, expanding investment, and advancing high-quality development in Foshan.

Relevant authorities provide an overview of the Foshan Comprehensive Bonded Zone.

A representative from the Foshan Municipal Bureau of Commerce outlined the general situation of the Foshan Comprehensive Bonded Zone. Building upon the transformation and upgrading of traditional manufacturing, the zone will vigorously develop new productive forces. It aims to attract export-oriented enterprises, foreign-invested enterprises, cross-border supply chain firms, logistics companies, and processing and manufacturing enterprises with import-export needs, striving to build a new hub for opening up to the outside world.

A representative from the Foshan Customs provided the attendees with an in-depth explanation of the customs policies, eligible enterprise types, and typical case studies related to the Foshan Comprehensive Bonded Zone,They elaborated in detail on the zone’s unique advantages in areas such as tariff preferences, trade facilitation, cross-border financial services, and efficient logistics, as well as the diverse types of enterprises suitable for the zone. The presentation highlighted 16 typical cases demonstrating how enterprises have leveraged the zone’s special policies to reduce costs and improve efficiency, providing participating enterprises with practical and useful references and guidance for establishing operations within the zone.

Enterprise representatives listened attentively to the presentation and took photos with their mobile phones to document the event.

Subsequently, Yang Yansheng, Director of the Foshan Comprehensive Bonded Zone Administration, provided a comprehensive overview of the zone’s industrial planning and investment promotion priorities. He clearly outlined the zone’s positioning as a “five-center” hub and highlighted its industrial layout, as well as key investment priorities across ten major business sectors.

Currently, the Foshan Comprehensive Bonded Zone is accelerating its development, striving to ensure that "land is ready for projects," and expediting the introduction of industrial support policies to attract more eligible high-quality enterprises to set up operations there.

Multiple Projects Signed and Set to Move In

Government and Business Join Hands to Create New Investment and Development Opportunities

How can we break through the impasse, build momentum, and seize the initiative for development?

Before the promotional event began, four minibuses carrying corporate representatives slowly pulled into the Foshan Comprehensive Bonded Zone site for an on-site inspection. “The site within the Comprehensive Bonded Zone has already been leveled, and investment promotion is proceeding simultaneously,” said Lao Lujun, Deputy Party Secretary and Director of Guangdong Shunde Holding Group Co., Ltd. He noted that a group of enterprises from the first phase will be able to move into the Comprehensive Bonded Zone within this year, and after their arrival, infrastructure will be customized to meet their specific needs.

Since the State Council approved the establishment of the Foshan Comprehensive Bonded Zone in November 2023, relevant municipal and district departments have been actively engaged in investment promotion efforts, proactively connecting with potential projects, and vigorously identifying new opportunities, resulting in multiple project proposals. At the event, several companies and projects signed on-site cooperation agreements with the Foshan Comprehensive Bonded Zone.

A project signing ceremony was held at the event.

The event featured a lively atmosphere, with the government-business exchange session reaching one highlight after another. Liang Zhaohui, Deputy Director of the Foshan Investment Promotion Bureau; Chen He, Dean of the Institute of International Service Economics at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies; Ma Renhong, Executive President of the Guangdong Logistics Industry Association; and Fang Wei, Director of Strategic Development for Amazon Group’s South China Region, engaged in a discussion on topics such as the investment environment and industrial development trends of the Foshan Comprehensive Bonded Zone.

Government-Business Exchange.

“The establishment of the Foshan Comprehensive Bonded Zone provides strong support for the goal of building an international transportation and logistics hub, as outlined in the ‘Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Development Plan Outline,’” noted Ma Renhong. He emphasized that during the development process, efforts should focus on two key areas: first, leveraging Foshan’s unique industrial strengths to achieve differentiated development and foster synergies with neighboring regions; and second, aligning with Foshan’s industrial transformation and upgrading to identify target markets, ultimately forming a new development model with distinct Foshan characteristics.

Foshan is a major manufacturing hub and a key center for imports and exports, making logistics of considerable importance for Foshan enterprises expanding overseas. Currently, Foshan’s goods are primarily exported via land transport to the Yantian and Shekou ports in Shenzhen; however, enterprises must consolidate their cargo at the Shenzhen Comprehensive Bonded Zone, resulting in relatively high overall costs. The construction of the Foshan Comprehensive Bonded Zone is expected to provide opportunities for the consolidation and export of less-than-container-load (LCL) shipments, thereby reducing corporate costs.

“Compared to the past, conducting business within the Foshan Comprehensive Bonded Zone can improve logistics efficiency by at least 20%,” said Li Feng, Chairman of Foshan International Trade Co., Ltd., a representative of the signing enterprises. He noted that having a comprehensive bonded zone right on their doorstep would reduce management and logistics costs while ensuring a certain level of reliability in logistics efficiency.

The policy advantages, convenient logistics conditions, and future development prospects of the Foshan Comprehensive Bonded Zone have allowed entrepreneurs to recognize its immense investment potential. Many enterprises have expressed strong investment intentions and are proactively engaging in more in-depth interactions with government departments.

Investment promotion is a vital tool for driving regional economic development and a key measure for accelerating the growth of leading industries. This promotional event successfully built a bridge for communication between the government and enterprises. The Foshan Comprehensive Bonded Zone not only sent a strong investment signal to the outside world but also demonstrated through concrete actions its commitment to the development philosophy of “prioritizing manufacturing.”

Attendees browse through the conference handbook.

Standing at a new starting point, Foshan will continue to intensify its efforts in attracting investment. Leveraging the policy advantages and industrial foundation of the Comprehensive Bonded Zone, the city will actively promote the clustering and development of industries such as processing and manufacturing, R&D and design, testing and maintenance, and trade and logistics, striving to build a new industrial hub with significant influence within the Greater Bay Area and globally.

“Invest in Foshan”—the time is ripe, the momentum is building, and a promising future lies ahead. We cordially invite entrepreneurs from all sectors to gather in Foshan and join hands in creating a brighter future.