SMEs from Argentine Patagonia seek access to the Chinese market through a local country “Hub” in Shanghai

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from the Argentine province of Chubut (south) learned on Wednesday about the opportunities offered by the Chinese market through a virtual chat that focused on the operation of Argentina’s “Logistics Hub” in Shanghai.

SMEs with the capacity to export mainly fishery products such as shrimp, squid, and seafood, and fruits such as cherries produced in this Patagonian region, interacted with the management and operators of this logistics center to initiate a path of insertion in the Chinese market.

The activity was organized by the Government of the Province of Chubut and the Argentine-Chinese Chamber of Production, Industry, and Commerce and was also attended by the Consul of Argentina in Shanghai, Luciano Tanto.

The Hub’s directive highlighted the center as “a reliable, solid and experienced platform” so that the products known and yet to be known, which are capable of being offered by Argentine SMEs, can have a successful incursion into the market of the Asian country.

“The Hub establishes the need to (receive) new products, which are not yet so well known by Chinese consumers, such as the Argentine cherry, for example,” said Jin Lin, director of the platform.

Currently, about 50 Argentine companies have entered the Hub, bringing to the port of Shanghai food products such as wines, yerba mate, seafood, beef, olive oil, and condiments, among others.

“They are, in general, food products, although we are open to other products,” they highlighted.

Launched in 2018, the Argentina Hub in Shanghai offers regulatory and import services, logistics and warehousing, commercialization, and marketing, becoming China’s largest distribution platform for SME products.

The hub works with the commercial retail service chain called “Xibarita”, with access to distributors in more than 30 provinces of the Asian country.

The SMEs from Chubut also learned about the opportunities for disseminating their products through the showroom spaces provided by the Hub.

They also highlighted the importance of the most important trade fairs in the Asian country, such as the China International Import Expo (CIIE) and the SIAL.

The participants valued the logistics center as a “complete tool” that will benefit SMEs in Chubut and other large companies in Argentina in their approach to the Asian country.