Sam's Club. Photo: VCG

Sam's Club, a Walmart-owned membership warehouse club, has rolled out a "green channel" initiative tailored for export-oriented enterprises in China, a recent move from the US retail giant to show support for Chinese exporters amid mounting tariff pressure between China and the US.

A Chinese expert said that such a move sends a strong signal that the company's commitment to a sustained presence and long-term development in China remains unchanged.

Sam's Club sincerely invites high-quality partners to jointly create high-quality differentiated products for customers. We will speed up the approval process for eligible foreign trade enterprises, helping them quickly engage in the integrated development of domestic and foreign trade, said Walmart China on its official WeChat account on Friday.

Also, on April 24, Walmart China said in a WeChat statement that Chinese suppliers are welcome to join its supplier recruitment system to sell their products through Walmart supermarkets in the country. 

In order to actively respond to the call for the integrated development of domestic and foreign trade, Walmart China has opened a green channel for qualified foreign trade companies, simplified the access process, accelerated approval efficiency, and helped related companies quickly expand the domestic market, it said. 

This move taken by Walmart China will provide support for Chinese exporters to shore up their businesses amid tariff uncertainties, as it helps streamline entry procedures and speed up approvals, enabling qualified exporters to quickly bring their products into Walmart China's domestic retail ecosystem, Tian Yun, an economist based in Beijing, told the Global Times on Friday. 

Walmart had been in the spotlight earlier when the Ministry of Commerce and other departments summoned the company in March as it reportedly required some of its Chinese suppliers to slash prices significantly in an attempt to shift the burden of US tariffs on China to Chinese suppliers and consumers, Yuyuantantian, a media outlet affiliated with China Media Group, reported on March 13. 

In an earlier interview with the Global Times, Zhou Mi, a senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said that these major US retailers are feeling the pressure of rising costs, which are being passed down from the supply chain to American consumers. As a result, they want to cut costs - but this situation stems from the unilateral tariffs imposed by the US government. 

CNN reported on April 29 that Walmart and Target have resumed business with some of their Chinese suppliers, after pausing orders for a few weeks due to uncertainties over the imposition of steep US tariffs.

This welcome attitude from Walmart China toward Chinese exporters fully demonstrates the continued confidence in the resilience of the Chinese economy and long-term commitment of foreign enterprises to the Chinese market, Li Yong, a senior research fellow at the China Association of International Trade, told the Global Times on Friday.

"Walmart is helping Chinese companies reach global markets and local consumers -- this is a win-win that reflects their pragmatic and long-term view of China," Li said, adding that the moves also reflect China's important role as a global innovation hub and growth engine for the US retailer.

Walmart saw strong sales growth in China during its fiscal quarter ending January 31, according to the latest earnings report issued by the company. 

Walmart reported $5.1 billion of net sales in China on a constant currency basis in the previous quarter, rising 27.7 percent year on year, higher than the growth rate of 16 percent to 17 percent in the previous three quarters, Xinhua News Agency reported.