The Zhejiang International Legal Service Partnership Conference is held in Hangzhou on Nov 23. [Photo/Lawyers Association of Zhejiang]

Zhejiang province launched the Zhejiang Merchants Foreign-Related Legal Service Center on Nov 23, establishing one of the country's most extensive overseas legal support networks for businesses going global.

The center now operates 370 overseas service nodes across 94 countries and 125 major global cities, a scale that places it among the national leaders in foreign-related legal services.

Designed as a comprehensive hub, the center integrates domestic and international legal resources and maintains direct links with overseas institutions. It offers a unified hotline and online platform providing services such as foreign-related legal consultation, commercial mediation and arbitration, corporate compliance guidance, foreign law ascertainment, outbound risk alerts, remote notarization, litigation support, and talent training.

Zhejiang's heavy reliance on private enterprise and vibrant cross-border trade — exemplified by the Yiwu International Trade Market — means many of its SMEs face fragmented and small-scale transactions overseas. To meet their needs, the center has appointed more than 300 senior mediators, including experts from the United States, Thailand, and other jurisdictions.

Zhejiang's foreign trade underscores the demand for such services. In 2024, the province's goods trade totaled 5.26 trillion yuan ($740 billion), third nationwide. Export and import volumes ranked second and fifth, respectively, covering more than 200 countries and regions. In the first three quarters of this year alone, Zhejiang recorded over 120,000 enterprises with import-export activity, including 112,000 private firms, with more than 8,000 newcomers entering the market.

At the conference, the service center signed cooperation agreements with eight overseas and 10 domestic institutions, further expanding its global legal support network and enabling Zhejiang companies to better navigate international markets.