The Heihe Free Trade Zone and the International Business Cooperation Center plan to sign an agreement on joint work

Maxim Nozhenkin, Chairman of the International Business Cooperation Center, and Wang Jian, First Deputy Head of the Administrative Standing Committee of the Heihe Free Trade Zone, met in Heihe in March this year. The meeting was attended by employees of the Heihe Free Trade Zone and entrepreneurs from the Amur Region. The parties discussed a further plan for joint work on developing the Blagoveshchensk-Heihe cross-border economic cluster. The International Business Cooperation Center will provide assistance to Russian entrepreneurs wishing to register in the Free Trade Zone. Agreed to sign an agreement between the Free Trade Zone and the International Business Cooperation Center on joint work. The date and location will be announced at a later date.

Maxim Nozhenkin: “The Heihe Free Trade Zone is an area defined by the Chinese Government in the pre-bridge zone to accommodate logistics complexes, trading platforms and production facilities aimed at joint work with Russia. Here we are talking about imports and exports, the opening of joint productions as well as tourism infrastructure. It is the residents of the Heihe Free Trade Zone who can get maximum benefits from the Chinese Government, ready infrastructure at an affordable price and collaboration with other businesses in the area. Not only Chinese companies, but also companies with Russian founders can become residents of the Zone. At a time when cross-border bank transfers have been greatly complicated by sanctions - registering your own company in China can be a good solution for Russian importers.”


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For information

The Heihe Free Trade Zone

China's Free Trade Zones are special economic areas established to attract foreign investment, stimulate economic development and promote innovation. These Zones provide entrepreneurs and companies with special rules and conditions for trade and investment that differ from national regulations. In total, China has 22 Free Trade Zones.

Heihe is the northernmost free trade zone in China and one of three free trade zones in Heilongjiang Province, along with Harbin and Suifenhe.

Heihe Free Trade Zone officially opened on September 17, 2019. The total area is 20 square kilometers. The Zone is divided into three zones: a central zone, an interaction zone, and a joint development zone. The central zone includes a special customs control zone; a cross-border customs cluster, a trade and tourism zone, and a city-industry integration zone.

The main goal of the Free Trade Zone is to maximize the development of economic ties between the border cities of Heihe and Blagoveshchensk.

The main objective is to create a cross-border industrial cluster and a demonstration zone for international cooperation on the border between the two countries. It is also necessary to form a key trade, logistics, and industrial hub in the area near border crossings between China and Russia.

Priority areas:

1. Developing border infrastructure

2. Processing and using energy resources from across borders

3. Producing products that are environmentally friendly

4. Trading

5. Logistics

6. Tourism

7. Health care

The Free Trade Area has preferred regimes:

Simplified customs clearance;

Simplified procedures for the import and export of goods;

Preferential price for heating fees, rental of premises, as well as steam, gas, water used in industry.

Other preferences:

An enterprise with foreign investment with an actual capital of 2 million dollars, 5 million dollars and 10 million dollars after commissioning receives a remuneration of 3%, 6% and 7%, respectively.

If the total investment in fixed assets is 30 million yuan, 50 million yuan, 100 million yuan, the remuneration is 1,000,000 yuan, 3,000,000 yuan, 7,000,000 yuan respectively.

The administrative service center of the Free Trade Zone is where companies are registered. The whole process of company formation takes one day.

The Heihe Free Trade Zone is actively forming 7 key platforms for industrial development: a platform for international cooperation and political interaction, a platform for cross-border logistics, a platform for inter-market trade, an investment and financing platform, a cross-border e-commerce platform, a platform for science, technology and talent development, a platform for the provision of legal services in international affairs.

7 major cross-border industries: cross-border energy cooperation, organic food processing, cross-border forestry processing, cross-border electromechanical processing, cross-border pharmaceutical industry, cross-border tourism and health services, low temperature vehicle testing.

Statistics:

From September 17, 2019 to March 21, 2024, 4,238 enterprises were registered in the Heihe Free Trade Zone.

The turnover of the Heihe Free Trade Zone in 2023 amounted to 24.4 billion yuan. This is 58.7% more than a year earlier.