Yantian held a seminar on March 13 to help gold manufacturers and brands based in the district expand into Southeast Asian markets, especially Malaysia.

The seminar offered practical guidance for the industry's overseas expansion, highlighting a one-stop service solution coordinated by the Yantian government, which covers customs clearance, logistics, settlement, and financing. Representatives from the Malaysian gold industry promoted the Malaysia Gold and Jewelry Trade Exhibition and a Gold Pavilion trading hub project, offering access to the Southeast Asian market. The session also featured discussions on the application of AI technology in gold design and supply-demand matching.

"If local companies do not plan for overseas expansion now, they may lose out in future competition," said Peng Lishou, vice governor of Yantian District. Drawing an analogy with the transition to new energy vehicles, he pointed out that the industry is progressing faster than anticipated, and corporate decision-making needs to keep pace with global trends. Malaysia's friendliness toward China, its large Chinese-speaking population, and its duty-free policy for gold imports and exports make it an ideal springboard for exploring Southeast Asian and other overseas markets, Peng said.

Yantian District's gold and jewelry processing industry output value from major enterprises — defined as those with annual operating revenue of at least 20 million yuan — exceeded 100 billion yuan last year.

Yantian recently released the Three-Year Action Plan for Promoting High-Quality Development of the Gold Industry (2026-2028), setting a target of achieving 200 billion yuan in output over the next three years. A main goal is for local enterprises to explore overseas markets and pivot toward digital transformation.

"This event offers a significant opportunity for deepening exchanges and pursuing common development for gold and jewelry industry insiders from China and Malaysia," said Chiah Hock Yew, president of the Federation of Gold and Jewellery Association of Malaysia (FGJAM). He noted that Yantian, a key hub for China's gold and jewelry industry, is highly regarded by Malaysian jewelers for its innovative vitality and exquisite craftsmanship.

Chiah introduced the Malaysia Gold and Jewelry Trade Exhibition in detail, which will be held May 8-10 in Penang, Malaysia.

Penang, a distribution center for the gold trade in Southeast Asia, boasts a mature processing industrial chain and policy perks such as tax exemption for finished products. The state has attracted many gold and jewelry companies with its competitive operating costs and convenient customs clearance services.