The US may restore tariffs on various countries to a "reciprocal" level; the EU plans to impose a unified fee on cross-border small parcels; China an

This week, the United States declared that if countries fail to reach trade agreements with the US, tariffs will return to the "reciprocal" level. Meanwhile, Trump threatened to impose a 50% tariff on EU goods starting from June. Coupled with the EU's plan to impose a unified fee on cross - border small parcels, global trade policy fluctuations have intensified. On the positive side, China and ASEAN have completed the negotiations on the 3.0 version of the free trade area, adding nine major cooperation areas such as the digital economy, injecting new vitality into regional trade.

Chinese enterprises are accelerating their pace of going global: Miniso has 3,213 overseas stores, and it has achieved scale expansion in the North American market; Baidu's Apollo Go has deployed over a thousand driverless cars in Dubai, becoming the first Chinese enterprise to commercialize autonomous driving in the Middle East; Tmall's 618 promotion will extend free shipping services to 12 global sites, covering core markets in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. It is worth noting that Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland have signed a "single window" cooperation agreement, further improving the trade facilitation level in the Greater Bay Area and helping enterprises cope with global policy changes.

Let's read this week's overseas expansion news to understand the latest trends in going global.

US Treasury Secretary: If countries fail to reach trade agreements with the US, tariffs will return to the "reciprocal" level

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday that if countries fail to reach trade agreements within the 90 - day tariff suspension period, tariff rates will soon return to the "reciprocal" level. "President Trump has warned them that if they don't negotiate in good faith, tariffs will rise back to the level on April 2nd," Bessent said in a program.

Bessent revealed that the US is focusing on finalizing agreements with 18 "important" trading partners, but did not specify the specific speed at which tariffs will return to the "reciprocal" rate. "For many smaller trade relationships, we can directly set the tariff rates. In addition, we may reach many regional agreements - 'This is the tariff rate for Central America, and this is the tariff rate for a certain region in Africa,'" he added. (Sina Finance)

The EU plans to impose a unified fee on small parcels ordered online

The media reported, citing a draft proposal, that the EU is considering imposing a unified fee on small parcels entering the region. The proposal does not set the fee level, but according to people familiar with the matter who told the Financial Times, the fee may be about 2 euros. Part of the revenue will be used to cover customs costs, but it may also be included in the EU budget. (Sina Finance)

Ministry of Commerce: The 3.0 version of the China - ASEAN Free Trade Area will create an inclusive, modern, comprehensive and mutually beneficial free trade agreement

According to the official website of the Ministry of Commerce, China and the ten ASEAN countries have fully completed the negotiations on the 3.0 version of the China - ASEAN Free Trade Area. The 3.0 version will create an inclusive, modern, comprehensive and mutually beneficial free trade agreement. The 3.0 version includes nine new chapters such as the digital economy, the green economy, supply - chain connectivity, standards, technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures, customs procedures and trade facilitation, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, competition and consumer protection, small and medium - sized enterprises, and economic and technological cooperation. This is conducive to the two sides promoting regional economic integration in a wider range of fields and at a deeper level under the new situation, and will strongly promote the in - depth integration of the two sides' industrial and supply chains, which is of great pioneering significance. Next, the two sides will actively promote their respective domestic signing and approval procedures to promote the formal signing of the upgrade protocol of the 3.0 version of the China - ASEAN Free Trade Area by the end of this year. (36Kr)

From January to April, China's full - scale outward direct investment reached $57.54 billion, a year - on - year increase of 7.5%

It was reported that the Ministry of Commerce briefed on China's foreign investment and cooperation situation in the first four months of this year. From January to April 2025, China's full - scale outward direct investment reached $57.54 billion, a year - on - year increase of 7.5%. (Ministry of Commerce)

Trump threatens to impose a 50% tariff on EU imports starting from June

On May 23rd, US President Trump said on his social media that he proposed to directly impose a 50% tariff on the EU starting from June 1st, 2025. In addition, he also posted that he hopes Apple to manufacture and produce iPhones sold in the US in the US, otherwise it needs to pay at least a 25% tariff to the US. Trump believes that the EU's trade barriers and other measures have led to a trade deficit of over $250 million with the US every year, which is unacceptable. The European Commission said that it will formally respond to the new developments in US trade tariffs after the trade commissioner talks with the US Trade Representative. (People's Daily)

Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland sign a "single window" cooperation arrangement

The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the General Administration of Customs of China today (the 19th) signed the "Cooperation Arrangement on the 'Single Window'" (the "Cooperation Arrangement") to further strengthen the cooperation and exchanges between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland in the "single window" area and promote the connection of the two sides' systems. Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Mr. Yau Ying - wah said that the Chinese mainland is Hong Kong's largest goods trading partner, and cross - border trade between the two sides is frequent, so an efficient and convenient goods clearance process is particularly important.

The "single window" provides an one - stop electronic platform for the industry to submit various trade documents required for customs declaration and goods clearance to the government, which is an important measure for trade facilitation. The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau and the Hong Kong Customs have always maintained close contact with the General Administration of Customs on the development of the "single window". Signing the "Cooperation Arrangement" will promote the connection and cooperation of the "single window" between the two sides to a new level, optimize the existing exchange and cooperation mechanism, and explore different cooperation areas. (Voice of the Greater Bay Area)

Ministry of Commerce: China has remained Africa's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years

Tang Wenhong, Assistant Minister of Commerce, said at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office that in 2024, the China - Africa trade volume reached $295.6 billion, a year - on - year increase of 4.8%, hitting a record high for the fourth consecutive year. China has remained Africa's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years. Among them, China's imports from Africa reached $116.8 billion, an increase of 6.9%, and its exports to Africa reached $178.8 billion, an increase of 3.5%. China's large - scale market advantage provides broad opportunities for African goods. Taking pecans as an example, 90% of the pecans produced in South Africa are exported to China every year, and the Chinese market has helped South Africa become the world's third - largest pecan producer. (Securities Times)

To avoid the uncertainty of trade policies, US importers are rushing to build bonded warehouses to stockpile Chinese goods

Facing the US's abuse of export control measures, US importers are accelerating the construction of bonded warehouses to stockpile Chinese goods, showing the high - level integration of the Chinese and US economies. According to a Reuters report on the 21st, from clothing to auto parts, US importers are in a frenzy of building bonded warehouses for various Chinese imported goods. According to a previous CNN report, bonded warehouses allow US importers to store imported goods for up to five years. These enterprises plan to use bonded warehouses to avoid tariffs and the uncertainty brought about by the US government's chaotic trade policies, and will take out the goods and pay tariffs according to the latest rates after the situation becomes clear. (Global Times)

Miniso: As of March 31, 2025, the number of overseas stores has reached 3,213

Miniso released its financial report for the first quarter of 2025. The report shows that in the first quarter, the overseas business revenue was 1.59 billion yuan, a year - on - year increase of 30%. At the same time, the proportion of overseas revenue in the group's total revenue continued to increase, rising by three percentage points year - on - year. As of March 31, 2025, the number of overseas stores of the Miniso brand has reached 3,213. Among them, in the US market, the total number of Miniso stores has exceeded 300, entering a new stage of large - scale operation. (36Kr)

With over 1,000 driverless cars deployed globally, Apollo Go has landed in Dubai and Abu Dhabi

On the evening of May 21st, Robin Li, the founder of Baidu, revealed at Baidu's Q1 2025 earnings conference call that Apollo Go now covers 15 cities globally and has deployed over 1,000 driverless cars. Currently, Apollo Go has carried out open - road verification tests in Dubai, and the tests in Abu Dhabi are about to start. At the same time, the test scope in Hong Kong has been further expanded. It is worth mentioning that Apollo has reached a cooperation with CAR Inc. to launch the world's first self - driving car rental service. (36Kr)

Tencent Cloud and WeRide's cooperation is further upgraded to expand the commercial operation of Robotaxi and the overseas market

Tencent Cloud and WeRide, a globally leading autonomous driving technology company, signed a deepened strategic cooperation agreement. According to the agreement, the two sides will jointly promote the large - scale commercial operation of L4 - level autonomous driving Robotaxis and explore the possibility of accessing WeRide's Robotaxi services in future "travel services" on the WeChat platform and Tencent Maps. Tencent will also provide cloud and map data services for WeRide in the technical R & D and commercial operation of Robotaxis. For global development, the two sides will jointly build intelligent driving solutions for the overseas market. (36Kr)

Meituan's overseas version of Freshippo, Keemart, enters Saudi Arabia

Recently, there were reports that Keemart, the overseas version of Meituan's Freshippo, has entered Saudi Arabia, with its first stop in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Currently, Keemart has started preparatory work and is recruiting a large number of suppliers and riders. On the Google and Apple app stores, the Keemart Courier app for delivery has been launched, but it is only available for registration with Saudi mobile phone numbers. On the official website, Keemart has also opened an application for merchants to settle in. On Xiaohongshu, Keemart is also recruiting for positions such as personal care sourcing and procurement, business development managers, and recruitment operation managers. (Cross - border Pro)

Cainiao's driverless cars are accelerating their commercialization progress. The new models will enhance AI autonomous driving and human - machine interaction functions

Recently, there were reports that Cainiao will launch several new functional models of driverless cars and upgrade the AI algorithm, and will be the first to achieve the light - map function and more sufficient human - machine interaction in L4 autonomous driving. Li Qiang, CTO of Cainiao and General Manager of the driverless car business, said in May that with the progress of technology and the permission of policies, the driverless car market will soon reach an inflection point. In the next three to five years, the express delivery industry alone will deploy more than 200,000 driverless cars. It was revealed that Cainiao's updates in the autonomous driving algorithm this time mainly focus on three aspects: light - map, human - vehicle interaction, and cloud intelligence. (36Kr)

OpenAI plans to launch 100 million AI "companion" devices, aiming to deliver them by the end of next year

It was reported that OpenAI CEO Altman showed his employees on Wednesday the device he is jointly developing with former Apple designer Jony Ive and plans to launch 100 million artificial intelligence "companions". These devices are planned to start shipping at the end of 2026. (Caixin)

Tmall's 618 free - shipping area on Taobao expands to 12 global sites

During the 618 promotion, Taobao will expand its "Global Free Shipping Plan" to 12 countries and regions, covering Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Hong Kong (China), Macau (China), Taiwan (China), Australia, Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia. Among them, Kazakhstan and Mongolia are joining Taobao's free - shipping area for the first time. (36Kr)

The global pet market scale will exceed $300 billion in 2025

Recently, the "2025 Pet Brand Influencer Marketing Ecosystem Report" was officially released. It mentioned that in 2025, the global pet market scale will exceed $300 billion, and it is expected to soar to $500 billion by 2030. North America and Europe remain the main battlefields, but emerging markets such as Southeast Asia and the Middle East are rising strongly with an annual growth rate of over 30%. TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube have become the "traffic gold mines" for brands going global. (Yien)

Zeng Yuqun, Chairman of CATL: The electrification penetration rate of heavy - duty trucks will reach 50% in the next three years

At the launch event of the new - generation heavy - duty truck battery - swapping ecosystem on May 18th, Zeng Yuqun, Chairman of CATL, said that in the next three years (by 2028), the electrification penetration rate of the domestic heavy - duty truck market will reach 50%. This figure was 10% in 2024. At this event, CATL officially released the No. 75 standard battery - swapping block for medium - and heavy - duty trucks. (Jiemian News)

Suzhou's industrial robot exports reached 300 million yuan from January to April, a year - on - year increase of 106.5%

On May 19th, it was reported that according to the statistics of Suzhou Customs, from January to April, the total value of Suzhou's goods trade imports and exports reached 852.1 billion yuan, a year - on - year increase of 6.8%, accounting for 6% and 46.1% of the country's and the province's total import and export values respectively. Among them, the total value of goods trade imports and exports in April was 219.65 billion yuan, an increase of 5.6%. Among the exported products, mechanical and electrical products, as the "main force going global", are more innovative. From January to April, Suzhou exported mechanical and electrical products worth 423.28 billion yuan, an increase of 9.7%. Among them, the export of integrated circuits was 53.91 billion yuan, an increase of 26.7%; the export of electrical equipment was 28.14 billion yuan, an increase of 20.6%; the export of computer accessories was 12.17 billion yuan, an increase of 65.6%. During the same period, the export of industrial robots was 300 million yuan, an increase of 106.5%. (TMTpost)

Guangdong: Pilot the "cross - border e - commerce belt" in counties

The Comprehensive Deepening Reforms Commission of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China issued the "Several Measures on Promoting the High - Quality Development Project of 'One Hundred Counties, One Thousand Towns, and Ten Thousand Villages' through Reforms". It proposed to promote the innovative development of cross - border e - commerce. Improve the development level of cross - border e - commerce in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and eastern Guangdong, improve the development mechanism of the "cross - border e - commerce + industrial belt", and pilot the "cross - border e - commerce belt" in counties. Strengthen the information interconnection in logistics, customs clearance, inspection and quarantine, etc., and build a "green channel" for the customs clearance of fresh agricultural products. (36Kr)

The 2025 Hangzhou International Intelligent Connected New Energy Vehicle Exhibition will be held in June

The Hangzhou International Intelligent Connected New Energy Vehicle Exhibition (hereinafter referred to as the Hangzhou New Energy Vehicle Exhibition) with the theme of "Empowering the Ecosystem, Creating the Future" will be held at the Hangzhou Convention and Exhibition Center in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province from June 20th to 22nd. (Science and Technology Network)

This article is from the WeChat official account "Hangzhou Qiantang Enterprise Overseas Service Base". Author: Qiantang Going Global. It is published with permission from Qiantang.