Gyeonggi Province keeps pursuing its New Southern Policy through contact-free online export consultation and export diversification. Gyeonggi Province provides its full support so that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Gyeonggi Province that have been struggling due to COVID-19 can develop the ASEAN markets.

Gyeonggi Province is to hold the online export conference for ASEAN DAY 2020 at Digital Trade Lounge on the first floor of the R&DB Center in Gwanggyo Techno Valley from September 1 to 18.

The export conference is held for export diversification of SMEs in Gyeonggi Province and to ease the declined export resulting from COVID-19. Approximately 120 SMEs in Gyeonggi Province will have one-on-one business meetings for export with pre-matched buyers.

75 buyers from 8 ASEAN member states, including Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines, is to participate in the online export conference. Major exports include 7 types of products whose demand has been on increase since COVID-19 (home appliances for hygiene, clothing, dietary supplements, hygiene products, at-home beauty devices, home cooking appliances and digital equipment).

During the export conference, interpretation service will be provided for participating companies in different languages, including English, Lao, Vietnamese and Thai.

Participating companies’ information and product catalogs will be posted on the Gyeonggi Province’s website, social media accounts and YouTube channel so that buyers can review the products in advance and focus on import, instead of solely on the products, during the export conference.

In full compliance with the COVID-19 prevention guidelines based on level 2 social distancing, the export conference is extended to two weeks to minimize human contact and ensure a safe environment.

In addition, Gyeonggi Province will take proper action so that SMEs can have a meeting at their office or home as well as Digital Trade Lounge, if needed.

Ryu Gwang-yeol, head of the Office of Economy of Gyeonggi Province, said, “We will strictly follow the COVID-19 prevention guidelines to prevent damage from the disease, although the meetings will be held at individual booths. Gyeonggi Province will do its best to help struggling SMEs by providing customized support.”

In July and August, Gyeonggi-do Digital Trade Lounge held the 2020 G-Trade GBC Online Export Conference. 100 foreign buyers and 224 SMEs in Gyeonggi Province participated in the conference. During the export conference, 420 export consultation meetings were held.

Poled (pronounced po-led), a child car seat manufacturer based in Seongnam, had a meeting for export with a Thai company “E” that sells and trades in used cars and strollers. As a result of the export consultation, Poled had an agreement to export its car seats and car accessories to Thailand.