With the 2026 Yiwu Commerce Conference set to open on October 23 under the theme "Digital Trade Opens New Paths, AI Opens New Business Seas," Yiwu enterprises are quietly piloting artificial intelligence across cross-border logistics, warehousing, and overseas marketing, according to Yiwu Business Daily.
Zhejiang Kaiya Holdings Group, a company that started in Yiwu, is a case in point. With more than ten branches across China and operations in the United States, Mexico, and Brazil, the firm employs nearly 500 people globally. Chairman Jin Jianfeng said the company has ridden every wave of industry transformation, from traditional freight forwarding to cross-border e-commerce logistics, digital business systems, and now AI-driven operations.
AI now covers multiple business scenarios at Kaiya. Its AI service system breaks cross-border logistics into stages — inquiry, domestic collection, booking, arrival, and overseas customs clearance — using real-time monitoring and analysis to enable intelligent identification of customer issues and automatic replies. In warehousing, AI visual recognition compares physical goods against order information to flag mismatches and reduce misloading and leakage risks. The company also uses AI tools to assist image design and video production, with finished content automatically published to overseas platforms for advertising.
Kaiya's exports reached US$953 million last year and are expected to grow about 30% this year. Jin credited Yiwu's business environment — ample warehousing, smooth customs clearance backed by close government-customs communication, and normalized government-enterprise dialogue — for the company's steady growth.
As the commerce conference approaches, local enterprises hope to share their digital transformation experiences and take AI-enabled cross-border logistics services from Yiwu to the world.
