The first free trade pilot zone in northern China is dedicated to financial openness and serving foreign investment and trade.

The logistics platform company Shi Qiao Group, located in the central business district of Tianjin Pilot Free Trade Zone, has received over 1.8 billion yuan in foreign credit since 2020, with the funds mainly used for the expansion of financing lease business. With the support of "finance + technology", the company has provided financial support to over 8,000 vehicles. "With the policy support of the Free Trade Zone, we have been approved to join the credit system of the People's Bank of China, profiling the group of truck drivers, helping them finance their purchases and effectively lowering the threshold," said Liu Le, compliance director of Shi Qiao Group. Since April 2015, Tianjin, with the development positioning of "financial innovation operation demonstration zone", has become the first pilot free trade zone in northern China and has continuously deepened the opening and innovation in the financial field. In May 2022, Highl Packaging Limited, headquartered in Italy, completed the first offshore trade settlement under the "Tianjin model" of offshore trade. Today, such businesses have become normalized.