Mexico and Canada agree to strengthen trade cooperation to deal with US tariffs; China's annual average growth rate of foreign investment exceeds 5%;

This week's overseas expansion news: Since the 14th Five-Year Plan, China's international cooperation in industrial and supply chains has been advancing in an orderly manner. The average annual growth rate of outward investment has exceeded 5%, and the total scale has remained among the top three in the world. The General Administration of Customs announced the implementation of zero tariffs for 53 African countries with which China has diplomatic relations, deepening the layout in emerging markets. The proportion of exports to the United States has decreased by nearly 3 percentage points in four years, and the overseas markets are becoming more diversified.

In terms of enterprises, TikTok is fully shifting to AI advertising tools to empower overseas marketing, and the consumer electronics industry chain is going public in Hong Kong to expand globally. The shutdown of Saudi e-commerce platform Zode warns of risks in emerging markets, while Jensen Huang's proposal of "Physic AI" indicates a new wave of technological empowerment.

Let's read this week's overseas expansion news to learn about the latest trends in overseas expansion.

China's average annual growth rate of outward investment exceeds 5%

On July 18, Wang Wentao, Minister of Commerce, said at a press conference on the theme of "High-quality Completion of the 14th Five-Year Plan" held by the State Council Information Office that since the 14th Five-Year Plan, China's international cooperation in industrial and supply chains has been advancing in an orderly manner. The average annual growth rate of outward investment has exceeded 5%, and the total scale has remained among the top three in the world. The overall performance of overseas contracted projects has been stable with a slight increase, and multiple memorandums of cooperation on industrial and supply chains have been signed with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. (China Net)

General Administration of Customs: Zero tariffs will be implemented for 53 African countries with which China has diplomatic relations

Lu Daliang, the spokesperson of the General Administration of Customs, said that since December 1 last year, China has granted zero-tariff treatment to 100% of tariff items for all the least developed countries with which China has diplomatic relations. In the first half of this year, China's imports from the above-mentioned countries achieved double-digit growth.

Next, China will also implement zero tariffs for 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic relations, and use China's large market to drive the common development of all countries. With a large population, China is currently intensifying the implementation of the strategy of expanding domestic demand and carrying out special actions to boost consumption. It is the world's most promising super-large market with high growth potential. China's market continues to expand, and China's door to the world is opening wider and wider. China's imports will benefit the world more. (China Net)

Mexico and Canada agree to strengthen trade cooperation to cope with US tariffs

On the 16th local time, Mexican President Cyborg said that against the background of US President Trump's wanton imposition of tariffs on many countries, after a phone call with Canadian Prime Minister Carney, they agreed to strengthen trade cooperation between Mexico and Canada. Cyborg emphasized that the trade agreement among the United States, Mexico, and Canada must be respected.

Previously, Trump had written letters to the leaders of 14 countries, including Mexico and Canada, threatening that if these countries failed to sign trade agreements with the United States before August 1, the United States would unilaterally impose tariffs on them. (CCTV News)

Ministry of Commerce: The proportion of China's exports to the United States in the total export volume has decreased from 17.4% in 2020 to 14.7% in 2024

On July 18, Wang Wentao, Minister of Commerce, said that China is actively optimizing the layout of international markets and promoting a diversification strategy, with an increasing number of trading partners. Wang Wentao pointed out that the proportion of China's exports to the United States in the total export volume has decreased from 17.4% in 2020 to 14.7% in 2024. In the first half of this year, while exports to the United States decreased, the overall exports achieved growth. When the West is not bright, the East is. China's foreign trade and imports and exports have achieved a diversification strategy. (Yicai Global)

Vietnam's draft e-commerce law is significantly upgraded: Live sales are included in legislative supervision for the first time On July 18, it was reported that the draft of Vietnam's "E-commerce Law" was recently submitted to the Ministry of Justice for review, including live sales in the scope of e-transaction supervision for the first time. According to the draft, live sellers on platforms such as Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok need to complete real-name authentication through official identity systems such as VNeID. The data of live content needs to be stored for 1 year, and e-contracts need to be retained for 3 years. The Vietnam E-commerce Association (VECOM) said that this move aims to combat false advertising, counterfeit goods, and tax evasion, and is expected to effectively improve market transparency. Experts pointed out that this is the first legislative case in Southeast Asia to implement comprehensive identity recognition for live e-commerce, marking a new stage in Vietnam's e-commerce supervision and may reshape the platform ecosystem. (Yibang Power)

Russia's heatwave gives rise to a cooling economy: The sales of air conditioners and fans soar by 61% On July 18, it was reported that the continuous high temperature in Russia from June to July has boosted the sales of cooling products. Data from e-commerce platforms show that the weekly sales of air conditioners increased by 61% (73% of which were split-type air conditioners), and the sales of floor fans priced at 2,000 rubles doubled. The sales of swimming pool products increased by 48%, and the demand for a full set of swimming pool installation services priced at 250,000 rubles doubled. Paradoxically, the sales of heating equipment also increased by 53% during the same period, reflecting abnormal climate fluctuations. In terms of prices, the average price of cooling equipment decreased by 22%, while high-end swimming pool cleaning robots such as Neptun Z-200 were sold at 142,000 rubles, indicating a trend of consumption segmentation. (Yien.com)

Upgrading of cross-border e-commerce supervision: The EU plans to取消150 euros tax exemption limit and strengthen platform responsibilities On July 15, it was reported that the Federal Council of the EU passed new regulations to strengthen the responsibilities of cross-border e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Shein, and Temu for defective products. According to the new regulations, if a platform cannot prove that an EU economic operator is responsible for defective products, it needs to bear the corresponding responsibilities itself. In serious cases, the platform may even face the risk of being blocked. The new regulations also require platforms to provide consumers with key information such as the company's headquarters, return address, and fee details before transactions. In addition, the European Parliament also proposed to取消150 euros cross-border tax exemption limit and further strengthen customs supervision to improve the protection of consumer rights. These measures mark a new stage in the EU's supervision of cross-border e-commerce platforms. (Yien.com)

The Philippines imposes a new tax, aiming to generate 25 billion in revenue On July 16, it was reported that Ralph Recto, the Finance Minister of the Philippines, recently announced the implementation of the "Capital Market Efficiency Promotion Act" (CMEPA). Through a series of reforms, the act aims to activate the vitality of the capital market: the stock transaction tax will be sharply reduced from 0.6% to 0.1% to align with regional markets; the stamp duty on mutual funds will be取消, and retirement savings matching contributions can enjoy a 50% tax deduction; the stamp duty rate for financial products such as bonds will be unified at 0.75%. The act is expected to generate more than 25 billion pesos in fiscal revenue from 2025 to 2030, which will be used for infrastructure and social projects. Recto emphasized that this move will promote President Marcos' "investment for all" strategy, attract foreign investment by lowering the threshold, encourage the middle class to participate, and build a "reliable, inclusive, and robust" capital market ecosystem. (DNY321)

WeRide starts fully driverless operation of autonomous minibuses in Singapore

On July 17, WeRide announced that its autonomous minibus Robobus has started fully driverless operation at Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore, becoming the first autonomous vehicle in Southeast Asia to achieve "driverless operation inside the vehicle". (36Kr)

Saudi e-commerce platform Zode shuts down after only 9 months of operation, having had in-depth cooperation with Chinese enterprises such as JD.com and Huawei Cloud On July 18, it was exclusively reported that Saudi local e-commerce platform Zode officially shut down on July 1 local time, and the after-sales service will be handled until July 14. Previously, the company had held multiple investment promotion activities in China. Public information shows that Zode was launched in Saudi Arabia in November 2024. Its founding team comes from well-known business families in Saudi Arabia (such as Sami Juffali from the Mercedes-Benz family) and has reached technological and supply chain cooperation with Huawei Cloud and JD.com. It was positioned as a "key participant in Saudi Arabia's digital economy". (Overseas Expansion Reference)

Mercado Libre officially launches its Chinese official website

On July 18, it was reported that Mercado Libre, a leading e-commerce platform in Latin America, officially launched its Chinese official website mercado libre.cn, aiming to provide comprehensive support for cross-border sellers, including entry guidance, policy analysis, and operation training.

The platform integrates resources from five core markets, including Brazil and Mexico, covering third-party services such as ERP, logistics, and taxation. It also has a special seller university that provides live courses and shares successful cases. It is understood that Mercado Libre has provided services for tens of thousands of Chinese sellers, and its business covers 18 countries in Latin America. In 2024, the platform's overall transaction volume increased by 47% year-on-year. The upgrade of the official website will help reduce the difficulty for Chinese sellers to enter the Latin American market and strengthen their local operation capabilities. (Mercado Libre)

Starting from July 15, TikTok will fully shift to AI advertising tool GMV Max

On July 15, according to kr-asia, TikTok will require all sellers to adopt its AI-driven advertising tool GMV Max starting from July 15, completely replacing its original advertising system. This tool aims to maximize GMV and return on investment (ROI) and can automatically execute ad placement, audience targeting, and creative optimization, thereby reducing the operating costs of TikTok Shop sellers. (kr-asia)

Luobo Kuaipao plans to connect thousands of driverless cars to Uber's global mobility network

On July 15, Luobo Kuaipao announced a strategic partnership with the mobility service platform Uber. Luobo Kuaipao plans to connect thousands of driverless cars to Uber's global mobility network. Before the end of this year, the two sides will deploy Luobo Kuaipao's sixth-generation driverless cars in Asian and Middle Eastern markets, and will gradually expand to more markets around the world in the future. (Jiemian News)

General Administration of Customs: China's exports of industrial robots increased by 61.5% in the first half of this year

On July 14, it was reported that Wang Lingjun, Deputy Director of the General Administration of Customs, said that Chinese foreign trade enterprises have seized the new trend of global energy transformation, continuously increased the supply of high-quality green products, and accelerated the exploration of new fields and tracks. In the first half of the year, the export growth rates of lithium batteries and wind turbines both exceeded 20%. Recently, everyone may have been paying attention to the "Robot World Cup", that is, the robot football game. From dancing to marathons to football, robots are becoming more and more versatile, fully demonstrating the innovative vitality of China's robot industry. Last year, China's export market share of industrial robots jumped to the second place in the world, and in the first half of this year, exports continued to grow by 61.5%. Robots for cooking, cleaning, food delivery, and entertainment are becoming more and more intelligent, bringing more convenience to the lives of global consumers. (China Net)

Jensen Huang: The next wave of artificial intelligence is Physic AI

On July 17, it was reported that at the theme event of the advanced manufacturing chain at the 3rd China International Supply Chain Promotion Expo, Jensen Huang, the founder and CEO of NVIDIA, will have a fireside chat with Wang Jian, the director of Zhejiang Lab and the founder of Alibaba Cloud. Jensen Huang said that the next wave of artificial intelligence is Physical AI - Physic AI. Artificial intelligence is a new way of developing software, predicting results by replacing human coding with basic principles. We use algorithms to learn how to predict results from examples, information, and data. This method of using computers to learn how to carry out projects has proven to be very scalable. (Sina Technology)

Consumer electronics industry chain accelerates overseas expansion by going public in Hong Kong to layout globally

On July 15, it was reported that against the backdrop of the changing global trade situation and the increasing demand for local services from customers, the domestic consumer electronics industry is accelerating its globalization process. Recently, consumer electronics supply chain enterprises such as Lens Technology and Luxshare Precision have flocked to the Hong Kong stock market or announced plans to go public in Hong Kong. Behind this trend lies their more far-reaching globalization development plans. Many interviewees said that in the future, having a complete one-stop management model for production, sales, services, and supply chains in overseas markets will become the standard for the development of consumer electronics brand enterprises. Supply chain enterprises without global production capacity layout and operational service advantages may face an unfavorable situation. (Securities Times)

The scale of the cold chain logistics market continues to expand

On July 14, it was reported that in 2024, the global cold chain logistics market scale was about $363.8 billion, and China accounted for more than 20%. Currently, China has more than 2,500 overseas warehouses for cross-border e-commerce. The TIR transport, cold chain international trains, and the iron-sea intermodal transport of the New Western Land-Sea Corridor are developing steadily. Ezhou Huahu Airport, the first professional freight airport in Asia, has been completed and put into operation, and significant progress has been made in the application of digitalization and intelligence.

Cui Zhongfu, the chief economist of the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing, said that the global cold chain logistics market has great potential for demand. By 2028, the global cold chain logistics market scale will exceed $600 billion. (China Economic Net)

On July 25, the 2025 Overseas Expansion Conference with the theme of "From Ingenuity to the World" will be held in Qiantang, Hangzhou

The 2025 Overseas Expansion Conference with the theme of "From Ingenuity to the World", jointly organized by 36Kr and Qiantang Construction and Investment, will be held in Qiantang, Zhejiang. It will discuss the "certainties" in the overseas expansion journey and help more Chinese enterprises "go global" and "integrate".

Meanwhile, the sub-venue "Investing in BRICS" - the country cooperation docking meeting will be held on the afternoon of July 25. With the theme of "Building a New High - ground for Open Cooperation and Jointly Building a New Future for BRICS Development", relevant units from the UAE, overseas expansion service providers, and representatives of overseas expansion enterprises are expected to be invited. It includes sessions such as the promotion of investment opportunities in the UAE and a round - table forum on exploring cooperation models and experiences in overseas investment. The aim is to promote exchanges and cooperation among all parties, and after the meeting, all parties will focus on practical cooperation docking in the UAE market. (Zhejiang Enterprises' Overseas Expansion)

The 3rd China International Supply Chain Promotion Expo will open tomorrow, with 1,200 exhibitors

This year's Supply Chain Expo will be held in Beijing from July 16 to 20. With the theme of "Linking the World, Creating the Future", it will set up six major chains, including advanced manufacturing, green agriculture, digital technology, healthy living, intelligent vehicles, and clean energy, as well as a supply chain service exhibition area. (China News Service)

This article is from the WeChat public account "Hangzhou Qiantang Enterprise Overseas Expansion Service Base". The author is Zhejiang Enterprises' Overseas Expansion, and it is published with the authorization of Qiantang.