China-US economic and trade talks are held in Sweden; Indonesia raises the tax rate for cryptocurrency transactions starting from August 1st; The glo

This week's focus on going global: China and the United States held economic and trade consultations in Stockholm, Sweden. The two sides had candid and in - depth exchanges on core issues. In emerging markets, China's exports to Africa increased by 23% year - on - year, and Africa continued to lead China's incremental foreign trade market; Mexico imposed a 33.5% tariff on imported goods worth less than $2,500, and the United States suspended the duty - free treatment for low - value goods.

The acceleration of industrial globalization and cross - border integration: The user scale of Temu in Southeast Asia has exceeded 22 million; Taotao Vehicle Industry reached strategic synergy with Unitree Technology to explore innovative paths in the robotics field; North American Curb cooperated with TikTok across industries to promote the access of short - video content to the taxi TV network. In terms of trends, the globalization of new energy and gaming industries is worthy of attention: There have been 44 cases of China's hydrogen energy application equipment exports, technology R & D and other models going global; the report "Research on the Globalization of China's Gaming Industry" pointed out that in 2024, the proportion of overseas sales revenue of self - developed Chinese games reached 33.62%.

Let's read this week's news on going global to understand the latest trends.

China - US economic and trade talks were held in Stockholm, Sweden

From July 28th to 29th local time, He Lifeng, the Chinese lead negotiator for China - US economic and trade issues and Vice - Premier of the State Council, held China - US economic and trade talks with the US lead negotiators, US Treasury Secretary Bessent and Trade Representative Greer in Stockholm, Sweden. The two sides had candid, in - depth and constructive exchanges on economic and trade issues of common concern such as China - US economic and trade relations and macro - economic policies, and reviewed and affirmed the implementation of the consensus reached in the China - US economic and trade talks in Geneva and the London framework. According to the consensus of the talks, the two sides will continue to extend the suspension of the 24% part of the US reciprocal tariffs and China's counter - measures for 90 days as scheduled. (CCTV News)

Exports increased by 23% in the first half of the year, and Africa became one of the "hottest" markets for China's foreign trade this year According to data from the General Administration of Customs, in the first half of this year, China's imports and exports to Africa increased by 14.4% year - on - year, of which exports increased by 23.0% and imports increased by 2.3%. Among the final destination countries (regions) of exports listed by the customs, Africa far exceeded the growth rates of the European Union (7.9%), Southeast Asia (14.3%), Latin America (8.4%), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (9.6%), and countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative (10.8%), becoming the fastest - growing regional market. Among them, China's exports to South Africa, which is separately listed by the customs, only increased by 3.2%, which means that many other African countries not listed have witnessed rapid growth this year. (Yicai Global)

Mexico will impose a 33.5% import tax on imported goods worth less than $2,500 On July 31st, the Mexican government announced that starting from August 15, 2025, it will impose a 33.5% import tax on imported goods worth less than $2,500, a significant increase of 14.5 percentage points compared with the previous 19%. The new tax policy is mainly targeted at countries that have not signed free - trade agreements with Mexico, especially Chinese goods. For example, for a package worth $500, the tax will increase from $95 to $167.5, a rise of 76%. This move will directly affect the operating costs of cross - border e - commerce platforms such as Shein and Temu in the Mexican market, possibly leading to higher commodity prices or shrinking profits. Analysts pointed out that the new tax rate will reshape the cross - border e - commerce landscape in Mexico and accelerate the adjustment of platforms towards local supply chains. (Yibang Power)

Indonesia will raise the tax rate related to cryptocurrency trading from August 1st On July 30th, the Indonesian Ministry of Finance issued a new regulation to raise the tax rate related to cryptocurrency trading from August 1st: The trading tax rate for sellers on local exchanges will be raised from 0.1% to 0.21%, and for sellers on overseas platforms, it will be raised from 0.2% to 1%; buyers will no longer pay value - added tax, and the original tax rate was 0.11% - 0.22%. In addition, the value - added tax rate for cryptocurrency mining will be raised from 1.1% to 2.2%, and the original 0.1% special income tax will be abolished in 2026 and replaced by personal or corporate income tax. (Reuters)

The United States suspended the de minimis duty - free treatment for low - value goods On July 31st, the White House of the United States issued a statement on the 30th local time, saying that US President Trump signed an executive order to suspend the de minimis duty - free treatment for low - value goods. The statement said that starting from August 29th, imported goods worth $800 or less that are sent through means other than the international postal network and originally met the de minimis duty - free conditions will be subject to all applicable tariffs. For goods transported through the international postal system, parcels will be taxed according to ad valorem or specific duties. (CCTV News)

Alibaba's Amap accelerates the expansion of overseas travel services and launches taxi - hailing services in 24 countries in Europe and Asia

On July 30th, Amap, a subsidiary of Alibaba Group, announced the official launch of the taxi - hailing function in 24 countries in Europe and Asia, covering popular tourist cities such as Paris, London, Munich, and Amsterdam. Previously, Amap reached a cooperation with the ride - hailing platform "Bolt". The latter will take advantage of Amap's mature travel service model and perfect product functions to meet the taxi - hailing needs of users in the cities where the taxi - hailing service is launched in the above 24 countries. From now on, users from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao can use the taxi - hailing service in overseas cities without changing their mobile phone cards or downloading new applications. (36Kr)

The monthly active users of Temu in Southeast Asia have reached 22 million On July 29th, it was reported that the monthly active users of Temu in Southeast Asia have reached 22 million. Among them, the number of users in the Philippines and Thailand has more than doubled year - on - year, contributing 86% of the regional traffic. Temu has rapidly penetrated the Southeast Asian market with its ultra - low - price strategy, "gamified" promotion design, and rich product categories, which are particularly in line with the consumption habits of middle - income countries such as Malaysia. Although the GMV contribution of Southeast Asia is still lower than that of the European and American markets, IMF data shows that the per capita GDP of this region is only 7% of that of the United States. (Bloomberg Intelligence)

Taotao Vehicle Industry reached a strategic cooperation with Unitree Technology On July 30th, it was reported that Zhejiang Taotao Vehicle Industry Co., Ltd. (referred to as "Taotao Vehicle Industry") and Hangzhou Unitree Technology Co., Ltd. (referred to as "Unitree Technology") officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement. The two sides will deeply coordinate their core resources, integrate Taotao Vehicle Industry's omni - channel advantages with Unitree Technology's advanced robotics technology, and carry out in - depth strategic cooperation in areas such as the exploration of overseas markets such as North America for robots, the exploration of C - end scenarios, the secondary development and sales of products, and commercialization, to jointly explore new opportunities for the development of the robotics industry. (People's Finance and Economics)

North American Curb cooperated with TikTok to introduce short - video content into the North American taxi TV network On July 30th, it was reported that Curb, a leading taxi media platform in North America, announced a cooperation with TikTok to integrate its dynamic video content into the taxi TV network. As part of TikTok's "Out of Phone" program, selected short - videos will be played on more than 15,000 taxis through the Curb platform, covering more than 65 markets in the United States, and are expected to reach millions of passengers every year. This cooperation marks the first large - scale entry of TikTok content into the offline travel scenario, enhancing the passenger experience through audio and full - screen forms. TikTok's "Out of Phone" program aims to extend digital content to real - world scenarios, including billboards, restaurants, and cinemas, further promoting the popularization of the online - offline hybrid experience. (Yibang Power)

Meta will spend up to $72 billion on AI infrastructure construction in 2025 On July 29th, it was reported that Meta is making significant investments to expand the physical and technological infrastructure required for its AI ambitions. The company said in its second - quarter earnings report on Wednesday that it plans to more than double its spending on building AI infrastructure such as data centers and servers. Meta said: "We currently expect our capital expenditures (including principal payments on finance leases) in 2025 to be between $66 billion and $72 billion... The median represents an increase of approximately $30 billion year - on - year." Meta's stock price soared 10% after hours, and investors responded positively to its overall performance this quarter and the better - than - expected outlook for the third quarter. Meta reported second - quarter revenue of $47.5 billion and expects third - quarter revenue to reach between $47.5 billion and $50.5 billion. The advertising business drove Meta's revenue growth, which benefited from its AI tools (such as AI translation and video generation), which helped advertisers create more meaningful and targeted advertising campaigns. (GeekPark)

ZhiYuan Robotics plans to enter overseas markets According to Yao Maoqing, the president of the embodied business of ZhiYuan Robotics, in an interview with reporters, ZhiYuan Robotics has made arrangements with local partners in countries and regions such as North America, Europe, the Middle East, Japan, and Southeast Asia regarding the localization and globalization of overseas markets. (Sina Finance)

Amazon withdrew from Google Shopping Ads Recently, Amazon has completely stopped advertising on Google Shopping Ads globally, covering major markets such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan. Industry data shows that its share of shopping ad impressions in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany dropped sharply from 60%, 55%, and 38% to 0%. This move is considered by the industry to be the most significant strategic adjustment in the retail advertising field in recent years. It is worth noting that as early as May this year, Amazon had cut its spending on Google Shopping Ads in the US market by 50%, indicating that this full - scale withdrawal is a continuation of its long - term strategic plan, not an impulsive decision. (Sina Finance)

International cooperation continues to deepen, and China's entire hydrogen energy industry chain accelerates its globalization On July 31st, it was reported that since 2025, Chinese hydrogen energy enterprises have been actively going global. Enterprises have deepened international cooperation through various models such as equipment exports, technology R & D, joint - venture factories, and joint development. According to statistics, as of July 30th, there have been as many as 11 overseas hydrogen - related developments in China since July; since the beginning of this year, there have been 44 cases of Chinese hydrogen energy enterprises going global, involving core markets such as the Middle East, Europe, and Southeast Asia. (Securities Daily)

The global e - commerce AI market will reach $11.1 billion in 2032 On July 30th, it was reported that the global e - commerce AI market will reach $11.1 billion in 2032, with a compound annual growth rate of 17.8%. This growth is mainly driven by customer loyalty management, the increasing demand for social commerce, and warehouse automation systems. AI technology has achieved accurate and personalized recommendations by analyzing users' purchase history and browsing behavior, significantly improving the conversion rate; in the future, it will also optimize the entire logistics chain from warehouse robots to dynamic route planning. However, the high initial investment and data protection issues are still the main obstacles restricting the rapid expansion of the market. (Meticulous Research)

Report: The proportion of overseas sales revenue of self - developed Chinese games reached 33.62% in 2024 On July 29th, the "Forum on the Globalization of the Gaming Industry" at the 2025 Game Business Conference was held in Shanghai, and the report "Research on the Globalization of China's Gaming Industry" was released at the meeting. The report pointed out that after more than 20 years of development, the globalization of China's gaming industry has entered the initial stage of localization. Leading Chinese gaming enterprises represented by Tencent Games have initially formed a localized R & D layout and independent overseas brands. In 2024, the proportion of overseas sales revenue of self - developed Chinese games reached 33.62%. Currently, China and the United States are the world's top two gaming markets, with market sizes of $47 billion and $46.1 billion respectively in 2024. (36Kr)

The rise of China's IP toy market, and enterprises are accelerating their layout overseas On July 30th, it was reported that although the scale of China's IP spending is still lower than that of mature markets, the emotional value and new media channels have promoted the rapid development of the IP toy market. The categories of domestic trendy toys are constantly being enriched, and the launch of original IPs is accelerating. Leading enterprises such as Pop Mart had a revenue of 13 billion yuan in 2024 and plan to further increase the proportion of self - developed products. Data shows that China's share of the overseas trendy toy market has increased from 3% in 2020 to 18% in 2025. Many enterprises are accelerating their "going global" pace, giving priority to expanding the Southeast Asian market, and promoting the transformation from "product globalization" to "cultural globalization". (Goldman Sachs Research Report)

The European back - to - school consumer market is expected to have sales of 725 million euros On July 31st, it was reported that the European back - to - school consumer market is expected to have sales of 725 million euros in 2025, a year - on - year increase of 3.3%. A survey showed that although only 10% of families plan to make back - to - school purchases (lower than last year's level), consumer behavior shows a significant concentration trend - nearly 80% of shopping lists include candies, and more than 70% include school supplies. Consumer willingness is polarized: 30% of families plan to increase their spending, while more than one - third of consumers said they will cut their budgets. Retailers need to focus on essential categories such as candies and stationery with high repurchase rates to cope with the differentiated consumer market environment. (Yien.com)

On July 25th, the 2025 "From 'Ingenuity' to the 'World'" Globalization Conference was successfully held in Qiantang District, Hangzhou.

On July 25th, guided by the Department of Commerce of Zhejiang Province, the Secretariat of the China Cooperation Center for Special Economic Zones of BRICS countries, the Hangzhou Bureau of Commerce, and the Qiantang District Bureau of Commerce, the 2025 "From 'Ingenuity' to the 'World'" Globalization Conference jointly hosted by 36Kr and Qiantang Construction and Investment Group was grandly opened in Qiantang, Zhejiang. In this wave intertwined with challenges and opportunities, Chinese brands use "ingenuity" as the core key to break through the situation, and Chinese enterprises going global are realizing a leap from "Made in China" to "Created in China" and then to "Believed in China".

This article is from the WeChat public account "Hangzhou Qiantang Enterprise Globalization Service Base", author: Zhejiang Enterprises Going Global. Republished with permission from Qiantang.