Innovative Development of Foreign Trade

Innovative Development of Foreign Trade

From January to November 2020， Chinas imports and exports totaled RMB 29.04 trillion， up 1.8 percent and reached a record high for the same period. Among them， new forms and models of foreign trade developed rapidly， and cross-border e-commerce and mart procurement projects also grew significantly.

The eastern regions have continued to expand their export of general trade and further strengthened their capacity for independent development； while the central and western areas have quickened their pace to develop export-oriented economy， achieving an export growth rate higher than the national average. The scale of market entities in the sector， especially private enterprises， have experienced substantial growth. In addition， Chinas exports continue to move up the value chain. Exports of high-tech and highvalue-added products have grown at a robust rate.

Digitalization in Agriculture and Rural Areas Reaches 36 Percent Nationwide

In 2019， digital development in Chinas rural areas at county level reached 36 percent， an increase of three percentage points over the previous year， according to a recent report which has collected data from 2，329 counties （cities and districts） across the country.

County-level agricultural and rural information management services cover 75.5 percent of the local population， e-commerce sites cover 74 percent of administrative villages， and online government services are available in around 25.4 percent of the counties. Since 2012， digital transformation of agricultural production has been accelerated. However， problems and challenges still exist. The imbalance of digital development between different counties， insufficient financial input， both institutional and team immaturity， and the weak ability to monitor the whole supply chain of agricultural products with digital means， etc.， all need to be addressed.

Health and Wellness Market to Grow in 2021

Health and wellness-related categories will continue to enjoy growth in China， according to a report on fast-moving consumer goods （FMCG） in China.

The country saw FMCG sales flatten during the first nine months of 2020 after seeing a more than five percent annual growth for three consecutive years. Home care enjoyed a dual growth in volume of 7.1 percent and average selling prices of 1.8 percent during the first nine months of 2020. It was also the only bright spot among the other three major categories tracked by the study – packaged food， beverages， and personal care – to see increased prices. Livestreaming accounted for as much as seven percent of the total FMCG， apparel， and electronics sales.

Chinas Marine Economy to Exceed RMB 9.9 Trillion in 2021

According to the China Marine Economy Report （2019-2020）， from 2019 to 2020， Chinas marine economy faced severe international and domestic challenges. It is estimated that Chinas marine output value could reach around RMB 9.1 trillion in 2020 with a growth rate of around two percent. The growth rate of gross marine product in the five major economic zones has slowed down and may even be negative， due to the great impact of COVID-19.

Traditional marine industries such as marine transportation， marine fisheries， and coastal tourism， and emerging ones， such as marine shipping and seawater utilization， are bearing the brunt of the pandemic. Optimistically speaking， despite the short-term impact of the pandemic， with the sectors solid foundation， continuous industrial upgrading， and a rising share of the added value of emerging marine industries， Chinas gross marine product is expected to exceed RMB 9.9 trillion， at a growth rate of nine percent， in 2021.