As one of the first third-party testing, inspection and certification organizations to enter China, Swiss company SGS has seized the tremendous opportunities brought by the China International Import Expo in recent years and its development in China is on the fast track.

According to Hao Jinyu, president of SGS China, the company's development in the country is closely related to the CIIE. She said that participating in the CIIE has greatly helped the company expand its business in China.

Entering the fast lane

As a platform for promoting high-level opening-up in China, the CIIE has become a key window for multinational companies to understand the Chinese market and devise investment strategies, helping more foreign businesses quickly establish themselves in China.

SGS, which has never been absent from the five editions of the event, has deep feelings in this regard.

In the first CIIE in 2018, SGS reached a cooperation intention with Zhoushan Quality and Technical Supervision and Inspection Research Institute. In the following year, the Zhoushan branch of SGS-CSTC Standards Technical Services was established.

In 2022, a joint laboratory built by SGS and the institute was put into use; and this year, SGS settled in the inspection and testing public service platform of the Zhoushan High-Tech Industrial Zone to promote the development of bulk commodity storage and transportation in the China (Zhejiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone.

Over the past five years, the cooperation between SGS and the CIIE has been further enhanced.

Hao said that the CIIE has built an excellent platform for government-enterprise dialogue, where companies can have one-stop communication with many government departments and suppliers.

Through the CIIE, the number of investment projects of SGS in China has increased year-on-year, and its confidence in the Chinese market has been continuously strengthened.

Currently, SGS and the Zhoushan research institute have established two joint laboratories for flow metering and petrochemicals, opening a new chapter in the development of cooperation between international third-party testing agencies and China's metrology, inspection and testing institutions.

New business

Over the past five years, the CIIE has increased its global appeal and attracted a large number of high-quality foreign-funded enterprises.

These enterprises must meet local standards in order to enter the Chinese market, which has given SGS the opportunity to develop new business.

To ensure that more imported agricultural and food products comply with Chinese standards and help both import and export parties understand China's legal and regulatory requirements, and achieve sustainable development in the field of imported food, SGS released the Handbook of Chinese Laws and Regulations on Imported Food at the CIIE in 2020.

The handbook was jointly written by SGS and the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce and Animal By-Products, and has been widely welcomed by the industry at home and abroad, becoming a guide for the Chinese imported food industry.

In addition, SGS became the third-party testing and certification organization for the US-based Estée Lauder Group's Golden Pavilion, the first zero-carbon pavilion in the consumer products exhibition area at the fifth CIIE, and issued a carbon neutrality certificate to the company.

SGS has also issued the SGS Independent Smart Verification Product Certification, or known as IC Mark, to JD's own brand products.

"Through the CIIE, more companies have come to know that SGS can be their quality and compliance partner, helping various supply chain quality control projects to be better implemented," said Hao, adding that foreign companies have introduced new products, technologies and services to the Chinese market through the CIIE.

The practical cooperation between companies and institutions has become increasingly closer, serving as a vivid testament to China's high-level opening-up to the world.

Broad prospects

At the sixth CIIE this year, SGS will set up a 108-square-meter booth focused on sustainability, Belt and Road achievements and artificial intelligence to showcase SGS' innovative technologies and services in third-party testing and certification.

In addition, SGS hopes to meet more new friends through the CIIE, expanding its circle of friends and sharing opportunities, cooperation and development through exchanges and mutual learning.

"We look forward to expanding our horizons, understanding policy directions, seizing global opportunities and achieving better results at the sixth CIIE," said Hao.

"From entering the Chinese market to exploring new business models and achieving success, SGS' story in China is a microcosm of how the CIIE continuously empowers foreign enterprises and demonstrates its strong appeal."

More companies will use the CIIE as a platform to meet new friends in China, expand into larger markets and obtain more business opportunities.

By Yuan Shengao

Qin Jiao from chinadaily.com.cn contributed to the story.