Chinese exports fell by 1.8 percent in the first three quarters of this year. But some parts of the country have been doing better than others.
This is a factory producing machines to make plastic bottles for drinks. The machines are sold across the world. Established in 2002, the company has become the biggest of its kind in China and second biggest in the world, with customers on nearly every continent. Sales reached US$15 million this year, and the company's exports rose by 30 percent.
"We are a high-tech company, this is the core of our competitiveness. We put 10 percent of our sales in technology research and development every year, aiming to cut the distance between our machines and the highest-end products in the world," said Bao Helin, president of Guangzhou Huayan Precision Machinery.
Companies like this one contribute to the export growth in Guangdong province.
According to Chinese customs, exports during the first three quarters of this year experienced a nationwide decline, but four provinces have managed to buck the trend, one of them is Guangdong.
The company says it is not enough just to be high-tech. After-sales service is just as important.
“We send our engineers abroad to install our machines and teach our customers how to use or repair them. Error data can be sent to us by the machine for online solutions. You just link it to the Internet," Bao said.
The company expects at least 20 percent growth next year, and it already has orders from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Australia.