General

In recent years, with the continuous development of digital technologies such as the Internet and the steady progress of China's institutional opening up, new forms and models of foreign trade have developed rapidly, becoming an important force in promoting high-level opening-up in China. The Central Economic Work Conference emphasized the need to make greater efforts to stabilize the scale and optimize the structure of foreign trade, promote the stable stock and expansion of foreign investment, and cultivate new growth points for international trade and economic cooperation. The new formats and models are the driving force for China's foreign trade development and an important trend in international trade development. Therefore, in order to make greater efforts to promote the stable scale and optimized structure of foreign trade, it is particularly necessary to accelerate the development of six new business forms and models: cross-border e-commerce, overseas warehouses, market procurement trade, comprehensive foreign trade service enterprises, bonded maintenance, and offshore trade.

The development trend of new forms and models of foreign trade

The new forms and models of foreign trade are important trends in the development of global trade. Currently, new forms and models of foreign trade in China are flourishing, with a continuous increase in the number of business entities and platform carriers, and a more refined business scope, which has played an important role in promoting the development of foreign trade.

Various business entities are constantly emerging. In recent years, the number of enterprises related to new forms and models of foreign trade in China has been continuously increasing, especially after 2020, with a significant increase. Data shows that in 2020, there were 2957 cross-border e-commerce related enterprises in China, a year-on-year increase of 99.93%. In 2021, there were 4727 cross-border e-commerce related enterprises in China, a year-on-year increase of 59.86%. Small and medium-sized enterprises that do not possess traditional foreign trade business capabilities in more fields have the opportunity to "go global" in international trade transactions through new forms and models of foreign trade. At the same time, it has also given birth to a group of new foreign trade service enterprises with wider service scope and higher degree of specialization. At present, there are over 2000 comprehensive foreign trade service enterprises, and more than 14000 cross-border e-commerce related enterprises have been registered with the customs. Among them, 1713 e-commerce overseas warehouse enterprises have been registered, and more than 3250 new ones were added from January to October 2022.

The business scope is developing towards specialized sub areas. With the continuous maturity of the industry development, new forms and models of foreign trade continue to innovate in all aspects, constantly emerging new concepts, products, technologies, and models, and the level of business specialization, refinement, and diversification continues to improve. In 2021, the penetration rate of cross-border e-commerce increased from 29% in 2017 to 36.32%, with a more diversified business format. The coverage of the entire industry chain of warehousing, transportation, and distribution logistics continued to expand. Overseas warehouse enterprises are more focused on "refined management within the warehouse", and the innovation of market procurement and trade system mechanism is continuously extending to the field of professional market small commodity exports. The scope of bonded maintenance business is further expanded to include the maintenance of high-tech instruments such as aircraft internal combustion engines, aircraft landing gears, drones, and B-type ultrasonic diagnostic instruments. Offshore trade is deeply aligned with the requirements of international high standard trade rules, and the classification of new offshore international trade customers is more precise. The upstream and downstream channels of the trade industry chain are constantly expanding.

The layout of platform carriers is constantly deepening and optimizing. At present, China has established 165 comprehensive cross-border e-commerce pilot zones and 43 national import trade promotion and innovation demonstration zones. The number of overseas warehouses exceeds 2000, with a total area of over 16 million square meters, distributed in countries and regions such as Russia, Japan, the United States, South Korea, etc., and the business scope radiates globally. 39 market procurement trade pilot projects are distributed in 21 provinces and 38 cities across the country, with 21 pilot free trade zones and Hainan Free Trade Port carrying the development of offshore trade. 156 comprehensive bonded zones and Yangshan Special Comprehensive Bonded Zone in 31 provinces and cities across the country are accelerating the development of bonded maintenance.

The supporting and driving role for the development of foreign trade continues to strengthen. In recent years, against the backdrop of profound changes in the international environment and the sudden increase in external uncertainty caused by unexpected factors, new formats and models such as cross-border e-commerce have bucked the trend and flourished, running out of the "acceleration" of China's foreign trade development. In 2022, the import and export scale of new foreign trade formats such as cross-border e-commerce and market procurement trade methods exceeded 3 trillion yuan, accounting for over 7% of foreign trade. Among them, cross-border e-commerce imports and exports (including B2B) amounted to 2.11 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 9.8%. Among them, exports increased by 11.7% year-on-year, imports increased by 4.9% year-on-year, and more and more "Made in China" entered the international consumer goods market through cross-border e-commerce. Especially from January to February 2023, China's cross-border e-commerce imports and exports increased by 15.8%, showing strong vitality and momentum despite a year-on-year decrease of 8.3% in overall imports and exports.

An important direction for accelerating the development of new forms and models of foreign trade

Accelerating the development of new forms and models of foreign trade should focus on improving the level of digital intelligence, enhancing the innovation ability of business entities, promoting the construction of foreign trade infrastructure, and optimizing the layout of platform carriers, in order to promote the stable, healthy, and high-quality development of new forms and models of foreign trade.

To enhance the level of digital intelligence and empower high-quality development of foreign trade. By utilizing new technologies and tools, we will fully leverage the driving role of new business formats and models in upgrading the supply chain of the foreign trade industry chain. We will focus on technological innovation and application optimization, enhance all aspects of the foreign trade process, and promote the establishment of a marketing system that integrates online and offline integration, as well as domestic and overseas linkage. Continuously promote the transformation and upgrading of traditional foreign trade, and support traditional foreign trade enterprises to improve their digital level. Explore the construction of major digital platform carriers such as big data bases and overseas logistics smart platforms for new forms and models of foreign trade, encourage enterprises to use online exhibitions, big data platforms, and other channels to explore the international trade market and carry out independent brand promotion, and guide small and medium-sized enterprises to borrow ships to achieve digital transformation at sea.

Enhance the independent innovation ability of business entities. We will carry out innovative exploration in various pilot areas and related fields of new foreign trade formats and models, and accelerate the integration and development of new foreign trade formats. Continuously deepen the integration of market procurement and foreign trade comprehensive services, cross-border e-commerce development, explore new models such as "cross-border e-commerce+overseas warehouses" and "cross-border e-commerce+industrial clusters", and create a group of competitive regional brands integrating domestic and foreign trade. We will continue to promote the coordinated development of new forms and models of foreign trade, institutional innovation, management innovation, and service innovation, follow the new trend of international trade development, optimize the system, mechanism, and management model, enhance the integration of all aspects, and amplify the driving effect on surrounding regions and upstream and downstream industries. Strengthen the cultivation of professional talents, encourage middle and higher education institutions to accelerate the establishment of relevant majors, strengthen school local cooperation and school enterprise cooperation in relevant fields, and actively cultivate and introduce management talents and high-quality technical and skilled talents that meet the development needs of new forms and models of foreign trade.

Promote the construction of new foreign trade infrastructure. Build a dedicated international internet channel for digital marketing of foreign trade enterprises, create a three-dimensional logistics channel suitable for new business formats and models such as cross-border e-commerce, and open up more cross-border e-commerce dedicated lines. Accelerate the construction of international IoT base stations, promote the construction of international mail exchange bureaus, and enhance the distribution capacity of postal parcels. Encourage enterprises to establish retail outlets, after-sales service outlets, and wholesale display centers overseas. Give full play to the role of business institutions stationed abroad, support and guide small and medium-sized foreign trade enterprises to go abroad for docking and negotiation, and independently build cross-border e-commerce platforms and logistics networks.

Optimize the carrier layout of new business formats and models. Build a more scientific and reasonable pilot system for new business formats, and explore the institutional mechanisms for using the logistics marketing system of new business formats and models to undertake domestic and foreign industrial transfer. Using bonded maintenance, offshore trade, and other measures to enhance the pivotal role of the free trade pilot zone in utilizing two markets and resources, and promoting active integration with international high standard trade rules in important fields. Accelerate the layout of new business forms and new models of trade in traditional trade cooperation areas, rely on the sea and land channels, build overseas warehouses for countries along the "the Belt and Road" and important node cities and regions of China EU trains, and actively expand emerging international trade markets.

Provide guarantees for the development of new forms and models of foreign trade

As a new force in the development of foreign trade, new formats and models have put forward higher requirements for various guarantees. Starting from the current internal and external environment of China's foreign trade development, it is necessary to optimize institutional policies, promote institutional openness, international cooperation, and risk response, in order to provide solid guarantees for accelerating new forms and models of foreign trade.

Optimize the policy system for new forms, models, and systems of foreign trade. We will improve the relevant policy system with the idea of "filling the gaps", guide enterprises to accelerate their overseas layout in key areas such as cross-border e-commerce, and introduce supportive policies to strengthen the construction of new infrastructure. Continue to deepen the reform of institutional mechanisms, promote the timely transformation and upgrading of financial and other supporting services, provide adaptive services for business entities based on new business models and models of foreign trade, enhance the risk management capabilities of foreign trade enterprises, and promote innovation in regulatory methods. Maintain a good foreign trade order, further clarify the rules and standards in all aspects, optimize the domestic business environment, strengthen anti-monopoly and anti unfair competition regulations, protect fair competition, and focus on preventing and stopping monopoly and unfair competition in new foreign trade formats.

Steadily promoting institutional openness in new forms, models, and fields of foreign trade. Relying on institutional open key platforms such as the Shanghai Free Trade Zone Lingang New Area and the Hainan Free Trade Port, we will take the lead in some key areas, break through various barriers to the deep integration of new formats and models such as cross-border e-commerce and offshore trade into the international market from institutional and regulatory aspects, and explore the establishment of international rules that adapt to and lead the development of new foreign trade formats and models. Build a comprehensive service base for Chinese foreign trade enterprises with new business models and models to "go global", identify, select, and cultivate a group of domestic enterprises that adapt to high-level international foreign trade rules, and actively promote them to the outside world through professional docking platforms. At the same time, based on high-level international trade standards, we will promote the business transformation of qualified local enterprises and actively enhance their international market adaptability and competitiveness.

Continuously deepen international exchange and cooperation in new forms and models of foreign trade. Actively creating a stable external environment, further promoting economic and trade cooperation with major countries and neighboring economies in areas such as intellectual property protection and cross-border logistics, and promoting two-way openness. Make full use of the opportunity of jointly building the "the Belt and Road", strengthen economic and trade cooperation with neighboring countries, and vigorously develop the Silk Road e-commerce. Guide business entities in new forms and models of foreign trade to actively expand into emerging international trade markets such as South Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, and support enterprises to make good use of regional comprehensive economic partnership agreements to expand their markets. Strengthen communication and cooperation with foreign enterprises in new formats and models, explore the establishment of international cross-border e-commerce joint exchanges, overseas warehouse alliance associations and other cooperation platforms, and actively promote trade docking and standard mutual recognition among members.

Enhance the risk resistance ability of business entities in new forms and models of foreign trade. Establish a mechanism for information collection and risk assessment in important areas of new forms and models of foreign trade, organize professional forces to regularly conduct risk assessments of new forms and models of foreign trade, and publish them in corresponding forms. Accelerate the issuance of laws, regulations, and specific planning documents on new forms and models of foreign trade, provide legal protection for foreign trade enterprises, and clarify relevant statistical systems, standard certification systems, and tax arrangements. Enhance the scope and strength of legal support for foreign trade enterprises, provide legal assistance to foreign trade enterprises in trade friction events, and provide basic technical guidance for foreign trade enterprises in risk response, rule adaptation, and other aspects. Appropriately increase subsidies for trade friction cases of enterprises, and enhance the resilience of foreign trade enterprises in the event of unexpected events and systemic risks.