Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center Opens, Marking City's Transition to Digital Commerce Hub

The Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center, flagship project of the city's sixth-generation market, officially opened on October 14, completing the market's latest upgrade and signaling Yiwu's transition from traditional trade to a full-scale digital-commerce ecosystem. This development positions the city as a global hub characterized by fashion, international standards, modernity, digital integration, and low-carbon operations in what represents a fundamental transformation of China's commercial landscape.

Covering 1.25 million square meters, the center integrates five distinct zones: market areas, office buildings, commercial districts, apartments, and the innovative Digital Trade Hub. The market already hosts vendors specializing in fashion jewelry, creative and trendy toys, and smart equipment, with more than half being second-generation merchants, next-generation start-ups, or brand and intellectual property owners. This composition reflects the evolving nature of commerce in the digital age, where traditional business models merge with contemporary technological approaches.

The center's technological infrastructure represents a leap forward in commercial operations, with over 3,700 new stall-holders utilizing and selling artificial intelligence tools. Buyers can navigate the entire facility using AI systems to locate products, identify shops, and access contact information with unprecedented speed and efficiency. Zhou Jian, General Manager of Yiwu China Commodities City Big Data Co., Ltd., explained that tenants are mass-producing promotional videos using the in-house Xiaoshang AI Video Creator system, which has dramatically reduced production time from one week to mere minutes while cutting costs from over RMB 1,000 to minimal expenses.

Cao Fanyue, owner of Muqi Jewelry, highlighted how the AI technology has transformed product development processes, noting that silver-jewelry development previously required substantial capital investment but now benefits from instant design generation through the AI system. Her company's monthly output now exceeds 200 new stock-keeping units, demonstrating the productivity gains achievable through digital transformation. The center establishes one high-level Digital Trade Hub supported by three core platforms: Chinagoods for comprehensive digital trading services, a digital supply-chain platform for efficient logistics management, and Yiwu Pay for streamlined financial settlements, collectively undergirding end-to-end digital commerce operations.

This development occurs against the backdrop of Yiwu's established reputation as the world's largest small-commodity wholesale market, with the city having previously released China's first Market Credit Index. The convergence of AI large models, digital trade infrastructure, and cross-border e-commerce capabilities within the new center represents a strategic response to the arrival of the digital trade era, positioning Yiwu at the forefront of market evolution while maintaining its competitive advantages in global commerce.