The "New Three" of China's exports are changing the world

When Mr. Zhang opened his mobile phone to check the cross-border e-commerce orders, a set of data surprised him: In just three days, the intelligent gardening system he designed received orders from Germany, Japan, and Brazil. Behind this is the profound transformation of China's trade exports from "exchanging shirts for airplanes" to "intelligent solutions".

New Trends Behind the Data

The latest data from the General Administration of Customs shows that in 2023, China's export volume reached a new high again, and among them, the performance of the "New Three" was particularly remarkable:

• The export volume of new energy vehicles increased by 120% year-on-year.
• The export value of photovoltaic modules exceeded 50 billion US dollars.
• The export of lithium batteries covered 80% of the global market.

It is worth noting that the proportion of traditional labor-intensive products has dropped to 28.6%, while the proportion of mechanical and electrical products has increased to 58.6%. This structural change is reshaping the pattern of the global supply chain.

Three Breakthroughs Driven by Innovation

Ms. Li's technology company recently received additional orders from Middle Eastern customers. The desert agricultural water-saving system developed by her team has successfully solved the local problem of food self-sufficiency. Such cases are becoming the new normal:

• Technological Breakthrough: From OEM production to independent patent output.
• Model Innovation: Cross-border e-commerce enables small and medium-sized enterprises to directly reach overseas consumers.
• Standard Leadership: Chinese standards such as 5G and high-speed rail are going global.

The analysis of the Zhongshitong Research Institute points out that the R & D investment has maintained double-digit growth for five consecutive years, which is a key factor supporting this transformation.

Challenges and Opportunities Coexist

At the port of Shenzhen, containers full of goods are waiting to be shipped to all parts of the world, but practitioners are also facing new challenges:

• The certification challenges brought by green trade barriers.
• The coping strategies for the reconstruction of regional industrial chains.
• The urgent need for the compliant operation of cross-border e-commerce.

The data of a certain cross-border e-commerce platform shows that for small and medium-sized enterprises that complete exports through digital tools, the average logistics cost has been reduced by 37%, which indicates the importance of digital transformation.

The Future is Here, and the Road is Under Our Feet

When we see Chinese electric buses on the streets of Paris and Chinese smart homes in Australian families, these scenes are telling new export stories. Perhaps the next time you travel abroad, you can notice: How many "Made in China" in the local supermarket have already become "Designed in China"?

Please share the new changes of Made in China that you have observed or your interesting stories about cross-border trade in the comment section.