The Chinese textile company Shanghai Jingqingrong Garment is to open its first foreign production plant in Catalonia. With this project, which is receiving support from the Catalan Government through ACCIÓ, the Ministry of Business and Labour agency for business competitiveness, the company will invest 3 million euros and create around 30 jobs.

The company is currently adapting the plant where it will be located, in Ripollet (Vallès Occidental). Knitwear production is expected to start in the first half of 2024.

According to the Catalan Minister for Business and Labour, Roger Torrent i Ramió, “it is no coincidence that Chinese companies such as Shanghai Jingqingrong Garment have decided to begin their international expansion strategy in Catalonia: it is one of the most industrialised areas in Europe and one of the main gateways to the continent”. In this respect, he stressed that “Chinese companies have invested more than 1,000 million euros in Catalonia in the last five years, in projects that have created over 2,000 jobs”.

Founded in 2004, Shanghai Jingqingrong Garment specialises in the design, manufacture and distribution of items of clothing worldwide. The company works for large international fashion multinationals (such as Uniqlo, H&M and COS) and has clients mainly in the European Union, the United States and Canada. In total, the company employs 2,000 people and has three factories in China, in Shanghai and the provinces of Henan and Anhui.

China’s growing investment in Catalonia

The Chinese company was one of those the Catalan institutional delegation, headed by Minister Torrent, met in the Asian country last October. Specifically, company executives met with the Director General for Industry, Oriol Alcoba i Malaspina.

The aim of the trip was to promote trade relations with Catalonia and attract new foreign investment projects. The agenda of the official visit included working meetings with Chinese multinationals in the technology, automotive, semiconductor and chemical sectors and a promotional event with some 50 Hong Kong company directors.

Over the last five years, Chinese foreign investment in Catalonia has totalled 1.16 billion euros, creating 2,100 new jobs, according to ACCIÓ data from the Financial Times fDi Markets. There are currently 114 Chinese company subsidiaries established in Catalonia. Furthermore, in recent years ACCIÓ has promoted various initiatives to help Chinese companies set up in Catalonia. The initiatives include Barcelona China’s European Logistics Center (Barceloc, in conjunction with the Port of Barcelona, Barcelona City Council and various specialised logistics operators) and the China Desk. In addition, several collaboration agreements have been signed with companies and public bodies in recent years to promote technological collaboration and boost trade relations between the two territories.