The county-level city of Zhangjiagang in East China's Jiangsu province has built a digital foreign trade service platform to protect its foreign trade entities and keep supply chains stable against the economic fallout of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The digital platform was launched by the Zhangjiagang municipal commerce bureau, which will offer free promotion services for the city's 95 foreign trade enterprises for six months.

Local authorities said that building a digital foreign trade service platform is an effective way for small and medium-sized enterprises to overcome their predicaments, and is also a powerful means to promote the transformation of trade methods and industrial upgrading. 

"The traditional promotion methods are limited by the current pandemic situation, and the online platform makes it more convenient for us to promote our products to overseas buyers," said Tan Sha, manager of Zhangjiagang Pucheng Stainless Steel Company.

In order to further open up, while keeping foreign trade and investment stable, the city's commerce bureau has rolled out more measures, offsetting the impact of COVID-19 on foreign trade.

Supported by the provincial commerce department, the city has organized an array of online exhibitions, with more than 300 foreign trade firms from Zhangjiagang taking part in the activities.

Statistics show that a total of 114 enterprises in Zhangjiagang took part in the 127th Canton Fair, which was held online from June 15 to 24, offering a great opportunity for foreign trade companies to facilitate trade exchanges despite the turbulent global trade situation.