“When markets become more complex, the real differentiator is not who has more information, but who makes better judgments.”

— Erman Tan, Asia Polyurethane Mfg Pte Ltd

By 2026, global trade has entered a deep phase of zero-sum competition.

Slowing demand, fragmented channels, relentless price competition—the golden age of foreign trade, once powered by grit and hustle alone, is quietly fading away.

According to industry data, the average B2B foreign trade sales funnel conversion rate in 2025 stood at 2.35%, while top-performing companies achieved 5.31%.

Where does the gap come from?

One relies on gut instinct. The other relies on data-driven judgment.

Founded 40 years ago in Singapore, Asia Polyurethane Mfg Pte Ltd (APU) specializes in the R&D and export of polyurethane materials. Without chasing trends or depending on platforms, APU has continued to achieve high-quality growth despite industry headwinds.

After four decades of patient, long-distance running, what story does APU tell?

1. From “Casting a Wide Net” to “Drilling Deep”: The Efficiency Trap of Information Overload

“We use Alibaba, WeChat, and online trade fairs,” APU founder Erman Tan admits candidly.

“But these platforms only create access—they don't help you make judgments.”

Over the past decade, many foreign trade companies have fallen into a state of false prosperity:

Platforms generate massive inquiries, AI tools automate outreach, and social media amplifies brand exposure.

Yet Erman quickly realized the downside:

“We had too much information. It was too complex and changed too fast. Instead of becoming more efficient, we actually became slower.”

More critically, not all leads were quality leads.

“About 90% of inquiries came from price shoppers, middlemen, or even competitors testing the waters,” he said.

“We chased every lead, burned out our team, earned thin margins—and missed the truly high-potential customers.”

This state of information overload leading to decision paralysis is a common pain point in foreign trade today. As management guru Peter Drucker once said:

“The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence—it is acting with yesterday's logic.”

APU's response was decisive:

Stop reacting blindly. Return to data-driven judgment.

2. Where Does Judgment Come From? Replacing Guesswork with Real Trade Flows

The turning point came when APU adopted the Tendata global trade data platform.

“Before, we asked: 'Who is buying polyurethane?'” Erman explained.

“Now we ask: 'Who is consistently importing high-end elastomers? Who has stable procurement cycles? Whose supply chain is shrinking and urgently needs alternative suppliers?'”

With Tendata's global import-export database and trend analysis tools, APU began making decisions based on real trade behavior, not assumptions:

· Which countries' import volumes are growing against the trend?

· Which long-time customers have quietly switched suppliers?

· Which niche segments—such as polyurethane components for new energy vehicles—are showing structural opportunities?

“The most practical features are product scope comparison and importer tracking,” Erman noted.

“We discovered a client who used to purchase only basic materials, but last year began sourcing high value-added formulations. That signaled a production line upgrade—exactly the right moment for our technical products to enter.”

This is not experience-based guessing—it's data-driven calculation.

“When information is used correctly, it saves enormous amounts of time and effort,” he emphasized.

3. From Selling Products to Building Trust: The New Foundation of Foreign Trade

But data alone is not enough.

“Today's customers don't just look at price and lead time,” Erman said.

“They care about whether you're reliable, transparent, and capable of sharing risk long-term.”

To that end, APU systematically built digital trust assets:

· Publishing technical white papers and application case studies on its website

· Sharing factory quality-control process videos on LinkedIn

· Proactively providing verifiable export records

“The Tendata global trade data platform became part of our credibility,” Erman explained.

“When customers ask, 'Do you really have export experience?' we can instantly pull up three years of shipment records to Mexico. That's more powerful than a hundred promises.”

In this restructuring of foreign trade logic, compliance is the entry ticket—but trust is the moat.

And real, verifiable trade data is the foundation of that trust.

4. Three Growth Engines of a “Long-Distance Runner”: Goals, Customers, and Tools

Looking back over 40 years, APU's steady growth was no accident. It is driven by a clear three-engine model:

1) Goal-Driven

Avoid internal price wars. Break outward instead.

“In a zero-sum era, real breakthroughs come from discovering or creating new incremental opportunities.”

2) Customer-Driven

Go deep with high-value customers—drill one deep well instead of covering the surface.

3) Tool-Driven

Embed professional tools like the Tendata global trade data platform into daily decision-making, so every judgment has evidence behind it.

“People often stop moving forward because the information is too complex,” Erman said.

“We chose to make more careful judgments—and to use tools to improve the quality of those judgments.”

Today, APU focuses 80% of its sales efforts on 20% of its highest-potential customers, steadily improving retention and revenue per client.

This confirms a simple truth:

Long-termism isn't about waiting—it's about continuous evolution.

The Next 40 Years Belong to “Thinking Traders”

As China's economy enters the era of new productive forces, global trade is also calling for a new kind of enterprise:

Not traffic harvesters, but value creators.

Not information movers, but judgment providers.

APU's story shows that in an age of information overload, true competitiveness lies in:

· Extracting signals from noise

· Turning data into insight

· Making clear decisions amid complexity

As Erman puts it:

“You have to ask yourself:

What makes your product unique?

Is your value-for-money real?

Can you solve the last-mile problem?

How long will your product actually last?

The answers aren't on platforms. They lie in a company's strategic discipline and judgment.

And global trade data platforms like Tendata exist to support that discipline—with precise industry insights and reliable data.”

Leaving the past behind, and looking toward the next 10, 20, or 40 years…

We believe APU—already ahead in this long-distance race—

will continue writing its own new story.

And what powers this journey is not just experience and resilience,

but global trade data platforms like Tendata—

Making real trade flows visible,

making customer insights actionable,

and giving every decision greater confidence.

Click the video to watch Erman Tan's story>>