In recent years, Ezhou has continuously expanded trade cooperation with the countries along the "Belt and Road" and helped local companies enter the competitive international market. Ezhou was included on the General Administration of Customs' s list of the Top 100 Foreign Trade Cities in 2016.
Data provided by the Bureau of Commerce of Ezhou showed that in 2017, the city's total import and export volume was US $556.86 million, an increase of 14.3 percent year-on-year. With 24 new foreign export enterprises, there are altogether 82 foreign export companies.
In the Maldives, a country in the Indian Ocean, the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge being built with aid from China is undergoing the main bridge steel box girder closure.The bridge is expected to be completed on July 20. The steel for the bridge is produced by Echeng Iron & Steel Corporation (EISC) in Ezhou.
The bridge connects the capital of Male Island with Hulhumale,where the airport is located. The total length is 2.1 kilometers, and the length of the main bridge is 760 meters. It is the first bridge to be constructed in the Maldives. After the bridge is completed ,locals and tourists can take a bus or walk from Male Island to the airport.
The China-Maldives Friendship Bridge is the first bridge to be built on coral reefs in the world, which created some challenges for the builders. To build the main structure of the bridge, the steel casing of the hollow pile foundation is first driven into the designated section of the coral reef, then the rocks inside the hollow pile are dilled out. Next, concrete is poured into the pile to form a pier. Coral reef foundations require strong steel casings. The main bridge has a total of 35 of these steel casings.The largest is 3.6 meters in diameter and 70 meters in length, weighing over 200 tons, which is quite rare for a bridge project. After weighting and price negotiations, EISC, which has extensive experience in major projects, successfully obtained the supply rights for the steel.
In recent years, EISC has adopted the strategy of gradually switching production from complete sets of metallurgical equipment and parts into diversified infrastructure support equipment. Its products have repeatedly been chosen for China's key projects, including the Xiaolangdi Hydropower Station on the Yellow River and the Three Gorges project. The quality of EISC's products meets strict standards in Europe and the United States. At the end of 2015, the company participated in the "Belt and Road" by providing the lifting machine and all components for the installation of the box girder for the Brunei Temburong Bridge project.
Shao Guohao of EISC,responsible for the Maldives project supply, said that the steel products weighed 6,600 tons. On February 21, 2016, the steel began its journey from Yangluo Port by water to Shanghai Port and finally arrived in the Maldives a lttle over 20 days later.
According to Shao, EISC values the opportunity to participate in major international construction projects and earn a good reputation. Thanks to the "Belt and Road" initiative, EISC is looking to increase participation in global markets.
