Converging Trade in Nansha, Connecting the Globe: The Heart of the GBA Shapes a New Landscape for the Global Cross-Border Trade Ecosystem

GUANGZHOU, China, Aug. 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Recently, the Global Cross-Border Trade Industrial Cluster Ecosystem Conference, themed "Converging Trade in Nansha, Connecting the Globe," was held at the Guangzhou Nansha International Convention & Exhibition Center. Industry giants including Google, Midea, Guangzhou Port, and HSBC attended the event, drawing over 1,000 professionals. The conference officially launched the construction of the Global Cross-Border Trade Industrial Cluster and simultaneously unveiled the ecosystem service platform and the Guangdong Token Exchange and Service Center. Multiple strategic cooperation projects were signed, marking Nansha's official transition from a cargo distribution center to a full-supply-chain ecosystem hub for cross-border trade. Leveraging the "Five-Port Synergy" (integrating the Seaport, Airport, Finance Port, Talent Port, and Data Port), Nansha has consolidated eight core services: customs, taxation, foreign exchange, financing, warehousing, certification, commerce, and logistics. This establishes a closed-loop trade system to "buy globally, sell globally, and connect globally," creating a benchmark of openness for the dual circulation in the Greater Bay Area (GBA).

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Unlocking Financial Bottlenecks: Resolving Pain Points in Cross-Border Exchange and Financing

Empowered by the state-level "30 Financial Measures for Nansha," the district has built a robust cross-border financial support system: eight multinational companies have established cross-border cash pools for domestic and foreign currencies, and over 10,000 enterprises have opened Free Trade (FT) accounts. Furthermore, utilizing the mBridge (Multiple Central Bank Digital Currency Bridge), cross-border funds can now arrive in seconds. HSBC has established its global training center in Nansha, leveraging FT accounts, cross-border RMB settlements, and an express lane for Overseas Direct Investment (ODI) filings to serve enterprises' global expansion strategies.

Using blockchain technology as a trust base, the CS Intelligence international trade platform has integrated customs, foreign exchange, and tax data to enable multi-party data sharing and traceability. It has served over 5,000 foreign trade enterprises and more than 30 banks, with online settlements exceeding RMB 170 billion, boosting collaboration efficiency by 60%. At the conference, enterprises signed agreements to integrate cross-border payment links. Meanwhile, the Nansha Commerce Bureau partnered with Sinosure (China Export & Credit Insurance Corporation) to implement export credit insurance, hedging against overseas collection risks and building a solid financial security barrier for companies expanding abroad.

Full-Lifecycle Compliance Safeguards: Assisting Brands in Deepening Global Market Presence

Compliance is the bottom line for the survival of enterprises expanding overseas. The "Going Global" Comprehensive Service Center for Chinese Enterprises -- co-built at the national, provincial, and municipal levels -- has settled in Nansha, providing a full-lifecycle service system covering pre-investment, mid-investment, and post-investment stages. Offline, 10 specialized windows offer one-stop services for foreign-related investment, taxation, and legal affairs; online, a mini-program provides country-specific consulting and service reservations. To date, it has served over 2,700 enterprises and hosted around 100 specialized events on outbound investment.

Nansha is also stepping up the cultivation of AEO (Authorized Economic Operator) enterprises, offering a RMB 200,000 reward to newly certified companies. As of June 2026, the district is home to 91 AEO enterprises, ranking first in Guangzhou. Comprehensive compliance services continue to empower local enterprises going global: Tozed Kangwei's products now reach over 80 countries; Pony.ai has achieved a dual listing on NASDAQ and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange; and Greater Bay Technology's fast-charging technology has obtained international certification, accelerating its overseas market expansion. The conference also established a global service network by partnering with business associations across Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, Eastern Europe, and various domestic sectors. GAC International launched a full-supply-chain upgrade project for automobile exports, while the Google's Cross-Border E-Commerce Acceleration Center will be established in Guangzhou with deep ties to Nansha, building an incubation platform for global-facing brands.

Empowered by a Digital-Intelligent Foundation: Pioneering the AI Token Economy

Within Nansha's "Five-Port Synergy" system, the Data Port acts as the digital hub, breaking down data silos among the Seaport, Airport, Finance Port, and Talent Port. Local cross-border enterprises are utilizing digital employees (AI workers) to bridge data gaps across multiple processes, achieving significant cost reductions and efficiency gains. Nansha has built South China's only IPv6 root server, secured 10,000-PFLOPS-level computing power reserves, and established Guangzhou's first comprehensive service center for outbound data transfer. Following the Guangdong Free Trade Zone's implementation of negative lists for cross-border data transfer in two major sectors, Nansha has rolled out supporting implementation guidelines and landed its first business case. Simultaneously, it has opened pilot programs for the processing of imported data and gaming services, clearing the channels for cross-border digital flows.

To address industry challenges such as the high costs and compliance difficulties associated with the overseas expansion of AI tokens, the newly unveiled Guangdong Token Exchange and Service Center has built five core services around AI procurement demands, launching exclusive overseas expansion service packages for enterprises of all sizes. Experts from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) noted that Nansha, combining the advantages of cross-border data policies and massive foreign trade application scenarios, possesses a complete ecosystem to develop the AI Token Economy and is poised to forge a unique path for digital trade development.

From accelerating port logistics and innovating cross-border finance to ensuring full-chain compliance and providing underlying digital and intelligent support, Nansha's cross-border trade ecosystem has successfully upgraded from a physical hub to an institutional and rules-based hub. As the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan period begins, Nansha, leveraging its core location in the Greater Bay Area, continues to refine its global cross-border trade industrial ecosystem. Through openness and integration, it connects the domestic and international dual circulation, exploring a brand-new path for Chinese modernization to interface with the global market.

Contact person: Ms. Luo, E-mail: ceisc@xinhua.org, Tel: 86-10-63074558