Must-read for Foreign Trade Practitioners! 3 Iron Rules to Survive in 2024

When Mr. Zhang received the email from his European client canceling the order for the third time, he stared at the customized packaging boxes piled up in the warehouse and smiled wryly: "These boxes printed with the client's logo can only be sold as waste paper now." Meanwhile, Ms. Li's cross-border e-commerce team was packing the newly developed smart pet feeders overnight, and the order volume in the US market had soared by 300% year-on-year. This is the most realistic A and B sides of foreign trade export at present — some people leave the stage dejectedly, while others achieve growth against the trend.

According to the latest forecast of the World Trade Organization, the growth rate of global merchandise trade volume will slow down to 2.6% in 2024. Beneath this seemingly calm sea surface, undercurrents are surging:

• Regionalization Replacing Globalization: The proportion of internal trade within the North American Free Trade Area has increased to 47%, and Southeast Asia has become a new manufacturing center.
• Fragmentation of Orders: More than 60% of purchasers split large orders into multiple batches and small-volume orders.
• Surging Compliance Costs: After the implementation of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), the certification costs of steel export enterprises have increased by 12 - 18%.

The Zhongshitong Research Institute has tracked and surveyed 37 foreign trade enterprises that achieved growth against the trend and found that they are all implementing:

• Product Reengineering: A certain lighting enterprise upgraded its traditional desk lamp to a "vision-protecting + smart home control center", and the unit price per customer increased fivefold.
• Channel Innovation: Test new products through TikTok live broadcasts and obtained more than 2,000 accurate inquiries within three weeks.
• Delivery Evolution: Set up a transit warehouse in Mexico, and the fulfillment cycle of orders in North America has been shortened from 45 days to 7 days.

For new players preparing to enter the market, these hard-earned experiences are worth collecting:

• Always think one step ahead of the customers: Foods exported to Muslim countries need to apply for halal certification six months in advance.
• Use data instead of intuition: Screen out the fastest-growing niche markets through Google Market Finder.
• Embed risk control into DNA: When paying by letter of credit, the authenticity of the SWIFT code of the issuing bank must be verified.
• Cultivate a "policy sense": Keep a timely eye on the updates of the RCEP rules of origin.

When AI customers can automatically reply to 80% of the inquiries, and when blockchain enables the second-level transmission of bills of lading, the business processes of traditional foreign trade are being reconstructed. A certain machinery exporter used the 3D product display video generated by AI, reducing the cost of sample mailing by 62%. Technology has never been a multiple-choice question, but a survival question.

Standing at the crossroads of the new trade era, perhaps we should re-understand the definition of "export" — it is no longer just the spatial transfer of goods, but also the global expression of value propositions. Is your enterprise ready for this revolution in thinking? Welcome to share your ways to break through in the comment section.