A cross-border story of trust and perseverance has finally reached a happy ending. A total of 3.4 tons of Zanyu branded SLES 70% has been successfully closed, marking my very first deal for SLES 70%.

We connected on Facebook. When I first stepped into foreign trade, I was like a headless chicken, reaching out to contacts one after another to hunt for demands. That was how I met this Iraqi client. We soon added each other on WeChat and made a promise: if he ever came to China, we would meet in person. My first quotation far exceeded his budget. I invited him over, and he agreed at once, yet his visa kept getting stuck. That planned meet-up once seemed almost impossible. We did not push for sales; instead, we kept in touch casually like old friends.

Then came the pleasant surprise. He messaged me saying he would arrive in China on November 1st. He asked me to prepare the goods for his local agent and arranged to meet me in Yiwu. We locked the price and confirmed the order after tough negotiations. I thought everything would go smoothly afterwards, only to find that cargo release would turn out to be the biggest test of patience.

Production was interrupted by an unexpected power cut at the factory. Even amid the anxious wait, this Iraqi client firmly stood by me for this Zanyu SLES 70%. His heartfelt vote of confidence kept me going. I kept negotiating with the manufacturer, begging them to prioritize my shipment. Fortunately, the factory promised that this batch of SLES 70% would be ready within three days.

I booked a forwarder well in advance for pickup, yet mishaps came one after another. The assigned driver did not wake up in Shanghai until 11 a.m., ruining the original pickup schedule. I rushed to switch freight forwarders. The new truck arrived at the plant but got stuck in a long queue; electric vehicles were not allowed inside the factory gate. We had to pay extra to change trucks, losing another two hours. Same-day pickup became impossible. We rescheduled, but the new driver got lost. He barely made it to the factory before the cutoff time, only to run into trouble with the bill of lading. The shipper even suggested giving up. I reset the location, told the driver to wait firmly at the site and keep chasing the shipper. Finally, the goods were loaded at 6 p.m.

After all the storms, the cargo safely arrived at the warehouse. Staring at these hard-won packs of Zanyu SLES 70%, my heart was overflowing with excitement. The client originally planned a full inspection. But the moment he saw the Zanyu SLES 70%, he patted me on the shoulder and said there was no need for checks — he would transfer the payment right away.

This deal is far more than a simple raw material transaction. From our first online contact and distant promise to overcoming countless hurdles together, mutual sincerity and perseverance made this cross-border trust bear fruit. I will hold onto this original intention and keep pursuing more win-win partnerships built on mutual recognition.