When a specialized market with over three decades of history begins placing overseas warehouses in São Paulo and Seoul, the boundary between domestic and foreign trade is being redrawn.
From 'Sitting Merchant' to 'Traveling Merchant': Accelerated Global Outreach
Haining Leather City's overseas expansion in 2026 has been relentless. In February, it organized its first group exhibition at a Russian garment fair, securing on-site orders. March saw the signing of Xinjiang Haining Leather City and participation in the Hong Kong Fur Fair. April brought a memorandum with Azerbaijan's Gulf Group. May marked the opening of a showroom and overseas warehouse in São Paulo, Brazil. June added warehouses in South Korea and Egypt; July, a presence at the London fashion trade show. Within half a year, Haining established footholds in Eurasia, Latin America, and Africa.
This is driven by the '1513' strategy: one Urumqi air hub, five overseas showrooms (Russia, UAE, South Korea, Egypt, Brazil), and a network of warehouses in countries with populations exceeding 100 million. The Xinjiang project, leveraging Urumqi's 'five ports to eight countries' location, will open in September as a gateway to Central Asia.
For small and medium enterprises (SMEs), the '1039 market procurement trade' model and the 'Chaolai' service platform handle everything from registration to customs clearance and settlement, reducing export barriers to near zero.
From 'Landlord' to 'Service Provider': A Fundamental Role Shift
While expanding outward, Haining is undergoing an internal transformation. The 'Four Complexes' plan announced in April signals a departure from the traditional rent-collection model.
The four complexes—foreign trade services, full-category apparel, vertically integrated supply chain, and a 'tourism-shopping-entertainment-dining-accommodation' complex—aim to upgrade the market into a global fashion hub. Actions include renovating the A-block market, launching a light luxury center, and introducing new formats like EV showrooms, tea shops, and leather craft stores. The market is evolving from a pure transaction venue to a lifestyle destination.
For tenants, this means diversified customer bases: wholesale booths can now serve retail and cross-border orders, while integrated logistics, finance, and design services boost individual competitiveness exponentially.
The Logic Behind Integrated Trade
Haining's strategy is not about capacity relocation. It exports industrial standards, design language, and brand value. At the 33rd Haining Leather Fashion Expo, buyers from over ten countries participated in the 'Chaolai First Pick' ordering fair, alongside a Sino-Korean designer show. Haining is transitioning from a manufacturing base to a fashion origin.
This model is replicable for other Chinese textile clusters like Keqiao, Shengze, and Nantong, which face saturated domestic markets and limited foreign channels. By using a specialized market as a platform to integrate government services, cross-border logistics, and design resources, and establishing local touchpoints via overseas warehouses, Haining offers a blueprint.