We will enhance our awareness and capability in providing services to enterprises, and make every effort to create a development environment in which everyone cares about and supports foreign trade. We will improve the quality of our service by compiling a list of export enterprises categorized according to their importance—key export enterprises, leading export enterprises, and potential export enterprises—and actively offer personalized and specialized services tailored to each category. At the same time, we will build robust platforms to strengthen the support for foreign trade development. By establishing both online and offline platforms, we will strive to tap into international markets and continuously enhance the overall image and comprehensive competitiveness of our export industries. This positive news was conveyed at the special briefing held on December 4, 2019, within the Jiaocheng Economic Development Zone in Shanxi Province, focusing on the “Jiaocheng County Foreign Trade Transformation and Upgrading Base (New Fertilizers).”

The fertilizer industry in Jiaocheng County got its start in the early 1970s. Before the year 2000, chemical enterprises in Jiaocheng County mainly produced small-scale synthetic ammonia and nitrogen fertilizers as state-owned enterprises. However, due to enterprise restructuring and outdated product technologies, these enterprises gradually phased out of the market. Since 2000, new fertilizer enterprises—primarily private companies—guided by the concept of high-quality development have focused intensively on technological upgrades and innovation, driving rapid growth in the new fertilizer industry centered around ammonium nitrate-calcium fertilizers. As of now, the county has 35 fertilizer enterprises, with a new-type fertilizer production capacity reaching 2 million tons. The leading export products include 35 varieties such as ammonium nitrate-calcium, calcium nitrate, magnesium nitrate, potassium nitrate, sodium nitrite, multi-element water-soluble nitro-fertilizers, and calcium-magnesium compound fertilizers. These products are primarily exported to over 80 countries and regions, including Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, India, Russia, Mexico, South Africa, the United States, Spain, and France. Among them, calcium fertilizers hold a domestic market share of 75% to 80%, earning the county the nickname "China's Calcium Capital" within the industry.

It is worth noting that, under the guidance and support of the Xiangcheng County Party Committee and County Government, the chemical industry has rapidly expanded in scale. In recent years, leveraging its advantages in technological R&D, talent, and upstream and downstream industrial chains, the county has actively promoted technological upgrades and industrial restructuring.

At this meeting, Zhang Luping, Deputy Secretary of the Jiaocheng County Party Committee and County Mayor, stated that Jiaocheng County has formulated several development plans to promote the healthy growth of the fertilizer industry: First, we will encourage enterprises to expand their scale, attract talented individuals, and foster innovative development. The county Party committee and government will also intensify their support for private enterprises, providing them with an excellent environment for growth. Second, we will expand export volumes, venture beyond China’s borders, and advance credit insurance for foreign trade enterprises. We will further streamline and standardize fee-charging practices in import and export procedures, thereby effectively reducing the burden on foreign trade enterprises. Under these circumstances, we will actively encourage exports and gradually shape a broader economic development model centered on foreign trade. Third, we will leverage platform advantages and strengthen the foundation of foreign trade. We will actively participate in domestic and international trade shows, opening up channels for showcasing and selling Jiaocheng’s products overseas. By establishing an open, multi-dimensional, and three-dimensional multilateral economic and trade cooperation model, we will enhance our international competitiveness in the new context of “Internet + Foreign Trade.”

At the meeting, representatives from five companies—Shanxi Huaxin Fertilizer Co., Ltd., Shanxi Jinlan Chemical Co., Ltd., Jiaocheng Hongxing Chemical Co., Ltd. of Shanxi Province, Jiaocheng Sanxi Chemical Co., Ltd., and Shanxi Leixin Chemical Co., Ltd.—attended and delivered speeches. Over the years, Jiaocheng’s fertilizer industry has significantly increased its investment in technological research and development, with the entire industry now holding 40 patented technologies. In the past three years alone, the industry’s total investment in technological research and innovation has reached 127 million yuan, with annual R&D expenditures accounting for 7.3% of the industry’s total sales revenue.

It is reported that Jiaocheng’s new fertilizer products now cover more than 20 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions across China. Its ammonium nitrate-calcium and calcium nitrate products account for 80% of the domestic market share. In 2018, the county’s net fertilizer exports totaled 670 million yuan, representing a 10% year-on-year increase and accounting for 82% of the county’s total export value and as much as 27% of the city’s total export value. From January to October of this year, the output of new fertilizers reached 750,000 tons, up 45% year-on-year; cumulative sales reached 3 billion yuan, an increase of 48.6% over the same period last year; and net exports totaled 690 million yuan, up 16.9% year-on-year.

After the meeting, Guo Qiang, Deputy County Magistrate of Jiaocheng County, Li Tengfei, President, Niu Tianliang, Advisor, and Huo Xuesong, Secretary-General, jointly held a ceremony to present plaques to the member units of the Nitro-Calcium-Magnesium Fertilizer Branch of the China Nitrogen Fertilizer Industry Association (hereinafter referred to as the “Calcium-Magnesium Fertilizer Branch”).

Calcium-magnesium fertilizer companies engaged in multifaceted communication and exchange, covering topics ranging from pricing issues and production equipment to cost reduction and efficiency enhancement. Representatives from these companies expressed their commitment to closely follow the work of the subassociation going forward, jointly safeguarding the platform of the calcium-magnesium fertilizer subassociation. With support from the broader environment, they pledged to work together wholeheartedly and strive to usher in a new era for the calcium-magnesium industry in 2020.