eSignGlobal, a digital signature services provider based in Hangzhou, is turning US-China trade tensions into a growth opportunity by expanding its global footprint. Eric Jin, founder and CEO, explained that Chinese enterprises—both state-owned and private—are increasingly cautious about using US-based services due to rising data security concerns amid geopolitical tensions. This shift has opened the door for domestic alternatives like eSignGlobal to gain market share.
Jin highlighted two main drivers for the company’s growth: the retreat of Chinese firms from US e-signature solutions and the expansion of Chinese companies abroad, which broadens eSignGlobal’s client base. Serving over 6.1 million businesses and 120 million individual users, the company partners with more than 3,000 organizations, including Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm of Alibaba Group Holding.
Following the establishment of offices in Hong Kong in 2023 and Singapore in 2024 to support Southeast Asian markets, eSignGlobal plans to build a sales team in Japan by the end of this year and is exploring further expansion into South America, Europe, and the Middle East.
A recent HSBC report underscores the benefits of global expansion for Chinese firms. Mainland-listed companies featured in HSBC’s proprietary going global index, such as Great Wall Motor and Huali Group, recorded stronger earnings growth than major Chinese benchmarks like the CSI 300 and CSI 500 indexes during the first quarter of 2025 and throughout 2024. Overseas revenue now accounts for an increasing share of total sales among these companies, with the information technology sector generating the highest international revenue proportion at 31.4 percent last year.
Hangzhou-based electric vehicle maker Leapmotor exemplifies this trend. Co-president Michael Wu expects overseas sales to represent at least 10 percent of EV deliveries in 2025, up from 4 percent in 2024. The company, which collaborates with Dutch carmaker Stellantis, aims for global sales between 500,000 and 600,000 units this year.
Despite a recent 90-day truce in the US-China tariff war, higher tariffs last year negatively impacted Chinese exports to the US, which dropped over 21 percent year-on-year in April. Negotiations resulted in reduced duties on Chinese imports and lower tariffs on US goods, but experts warn that a permanent resolution is needed to fully resolve trade tensions.
Kelvin Leung, deputy president of CPA Australia’s Greater China division, noted that smaller firms in early global expansion stages tend to be more agile and better positioned to quickly adapt to shifting policies and markets, offering them a competitive advantage amid ongoing uncertainty.
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