Chinese Ambassador Yian Jiarong (second from left) meets with delegation of business owners, led by Bahamas China Friendship Association head Donovan Moxey.
By JADE RUSSELL
Tribune Staff Reporter
jrussell@tribunemedia.net
A GROUP of Bahamian business owners and entrepreneurs will travel to Yiwu, China, next month to explore opportunities at the world’s largest wholesale commodities market in hopes of securing direct product sources for import.
The delegation, led by Dr Donovan Moxey, president of The Bahamas China Friendship Association, includes participants in sectors ranging from construction to baby clothing and convenience stores.
Dr Moxey said the trip will expose the group to markets for basic commodities, furniture, and building materials. About 15 people are expected to take part, many seeking long-term import partnerships.
He added that talks are also underway with Chinese officials about expanding Bahamian exports beyond seafood and conch shell jewellery.
Dr Moxey encouraged Bahamian entrepreneurs to test their products in China’s vast market but cautioned that the challenge will be finding goods not already mass-produced there.
When The Tribune visited Shanghai in April, no Bahamian presence was seen in local markets or cultural outlets, starkly contrasting with the prominence of Chinese businesses in New Providence.
Dr Moxey said this reflects the difference in scale, with China’s 1.4 billion people dwarfing The Bahamas’ population of under 400,000. Still, he said there is scope for gradual export growth.
Last week, Chinese Ambassador Yian Jiarong met with the delegation and pledged China’s commitment to deeper trade ties, diversification, and low-carbon development.
The mission runs from September 19 to 29.
In March, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis stressed the importance of trade diversification, pointing to falling egg prices after the government secured new supply markets. He said such strategies can help shield The Bahamas from external shocks—an urgent concern amid a trade war launched earlier this year by US President Donald Trump against Mexico, Canada, and China.