Shaanxi Trading Company Wins US & EU Paper Cup Market

Industry Case Study: How a Shaanxi Trading Company Successfully Opened the European and American Disposable Paper Cup Market

Q: Hello, please introduce your company and business first.

A: We are Shaanxi Xinyan Yongzhen Industrial Co., Ltd., located at Guorunji, Qindu District, Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province. Our company focuses on the export business of eco-friendly disposable paper products, including paper cups, paper bowls, and paper bags. We do not manufacture ourselves, but instead integrate resources from multiple domestic factories with strong export capabilities to provide one-stop procurement services for overseas customers.

Q: How did you initially come up with the idea to enter this industry?

A: We saw two trends. One is that global plastic bans are tightening. In January 2026, the UAE just implemented a new phase of its plastic ban, and demand for eco-friendly paper products in European and American markets has been growing. The other is that China's supply chain is truly strong. We have partner factories in Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Hubei, some of which supply to Burger King and Carrefour, with guaranteed quality. We thought, why not integrate these resources to help foreign clients save the trouble of searching for factories one by one?

Q: What was the biggest difficulty you encountered when starting your export business?

A: The biggest difficulty was building customer trust. After all, we are a trading company, not a factory. Foreign clients would initially worry: Are you just a middleman? Can product quality be guaranteed? Who do we turn to if problems arise? We faced quite a few rejections because of these concerns.

Q: How did you solve this problem?

A: We did three things.

First, we organized all the factory qualification certifications into a portfolio. Our partner factories have international certifications such as FDA, LFGB, BRC, and FSC. We prepared scanned copies of certificates and test reports, ready to provide whatever clients requested.

Second, we prioritized samples. Regardless of whether a client showed intent to order, as long as they were willing to provide an address, we would send samples. Letting the products speak for themselves is far more effective than anything we could say.

Third, we proactively invited clients to conduct video factory inspections. Once, a German client had extremely high-quality requirements. We scheduled a time, took our phone into the workshop, and broadcasted the entire process live—from the raw material warehouse to the production line to finished product packaging. After that, the client confidently placed an order.

Q: Can you share a memorable success story?

A: Sure. Last year, we connected with a client in California, USA, who imports eco-friendly tableware. They had been purchasing directly from a Chinese factory, but due to that factory's insufficient production capacity, deliveries were frequently delayed, and they wanted to switch suppliers.

At the beginning of our communication, the client sent us a 20-plus page questionnaire covering company qualifications, partner factory lists, quality control processes, social responsibility, environmental policies—very detailed. We spent an entire week translating all the materials into English and filling out each item meticulously before sending it back.

Then came two months of sample testing. The client sent our paper cups to a third-party laboratory for testing, including all indicators required for FDA certification, compressive strength, heat resistance, leak-proof performance, and more. During that period, we were quite nervous because the previous factory had been replaced precisely due to failing a certain indicator.

Fortunately, when the results came back, all our samples passed. Only then did the client begin discussing pricing and cooperation details.

The real turning point came last November. The client suddenly announced they wanted to visit China and see our partner factories in person. We accompanied them to two factories in Jiangsu and Hubei. For those few days, we acted as both translators and guides, accompanying them from morning till night, answering various questions on the spot. When they were leaving, the client said something that left a deep impression on me: "You may not be a factory, but you understand what we need better than the factories do."

Now this client has become our stable partner, placing regular orders every month, growing from a few thousand dollars initially to 40,000-50,000 dollars monthly.

Q: What do you think is the most important lesson learned from these years in export?

A: I believe it's "professionalism."

Professionalism doesn't mean speaking fluent English; it means understanding the industry and understanding what clients worry about. Clients essentially worry about three things: quality, delivery time, and what happens if problems arise.

For quality, we photograph every batch before shipment and conduct spot checks on key products. For delivery, we include penalty clauses for delays in our contracts with factories and remind them to prepare inventory one week in advance. For after-sales, if problems do occur, we respond immediately—whether it's resending products or compensating—ensuring our clients aren't put in difficult positions.

Once, a French client received a shipment and found that a batch of paper bowls had indentations, actually caused by compression during transportation. Without hesitation, we reproduced the batch and shipped it by air freight at our own expense. Although we lost money on that order, this client later referred three new clients to us.

Q: What are your future plans?

A: We are currently building a professional sales team this year to deepen our market presence. We will continue to cultivate European and American markets while also paying attention to opportunities in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, where plastic bans are also advancing and demand is rising.

In the long term, we hope to become a professional bridge connecting high-quality Chinese factories with international markets. We want foreign clients looking for Chinese paper products to think of us first.

Q: Finally, a piece of advice for those just entering or considering entering the industry?

A: Choosing the right factory is more important than anything else. The product is the number 1; sales and service are the zeros that follow. If you choose the right factory, everything else will fall into place.