Chinese exporters eye procurement opportunities to lift sales, offset Trump tariff impact

Chinese exporters have been left scratching their heads amid efforts to diversify their sales destinations, with their products facing a new round of tariff from US president-elect Donald Trump.

And while some have tried to develop non-Western markets, some are setting their sights on procurement from the United Nations.

In a seminar held in mid-November in Ningbo in eastern China’s Zhejiang province, representatives from more than 200 suppliers met over 50 senior UN procurement officers, facilitating over 1,000 one-on-one sessions to provide personalised guidance on requirements and to explore potential collaborations.

It was the first time the UN had held its International Procurement Seminar in Asia.

Procurement, which is different from purchasing, is a more strategic and less purely transactional process that involves buying or obtaining goods and services, usually on a relatively large scale.

Similar initiatives with the UN had been hosted by major economic hubs in China such as Shanghai and Beijing in recent years amid rising geopolitical tensions and trade frictions with the West.