At the forefront of going global | 25 cross-border trade facilitation measures to be rolled out nationwide; Google to expand AI shopping features; Me

Major Events in Going Global

25 Cross - border Trade Facilitation Measures to be Promoted Nationwide

From April to September 2025, the General Administration of Customs, together with 20 departments (units) including the Cyberspace Administration of China and the Ministry of Commerce, carried out a special cross - border trade facilitation campaign in 25 cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Chongqing, achieving positive results and forming a number of good practices. To further release policy dividends, promote the improvement of quality and efficiency of foreign trade, and help achieve a good start in the 15th Five - Year Plan, relevant departments have decided to replicate and promote 25 relatively mature policy measures across the country. For example, to promote the efficient and smooth cross - border logistics, strengthen the connection between channels and transportation modes, and promote the docking and cooperation between important shipping channels such as the "Silk Road Maritime" and cross - border land transportation channels such as the China - Europe Railway Express and the New Western Land - Sea Corridor. (Overseas Edition of People's Daily)

State Administration of Foreign Exchange: Policies on Overseas Lending to be Issued

Li Bin, the spokesperson and deputy director of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, said at a press conference that 2026 is the first year of the 15th Five - Year Plan. The foreign exchange administration will better balance development and security and continuously build a foreign exchange management system that is "more convenient, more open, safer, and smarter". In the next stage, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange will issue policies on overseas lending and the management of domestic foreign exchange loan funds to better support enterprises in "going global" and the development of foreign trade. (Economic Information Daily)

Ministry of Commerce: Orderly Relaxation of Market Access in the Service Sector

Wang Wentao, the Party secretary and minister of the Ministry of Commerce, said in an interview that China will improve the negative list management system for cross - border trade in services and orderly relax market access in the service sector. In accordance with the principle of "one industry, one policy", a number of more valuable policy measures will be introduced to accelerate the export of producer services, encourage professional service institutions to enhance their international service capabilities, and expand the export of emerging services such as R & D, design, consulting, testing, and maintenance based on innovation advantages in artificial intelligence, the digital economy, and biomedicine to cultivate new growth points in foreign trade. (Xinhua News Agency)

New Market Observations

Three Departments: The "First Line" is between the Customs - regulated Area under Specific Closed - loop Management in the Shenzhen Park of the Hetao Area and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

The Ministry of Finance and two other departments issued a notice on the relevant tax policies for the import and export of goods in the Shenzhen Park of the Hetao Shenzhen - Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone. The policy clarifies that the "first line" is between the customs - regulated area under specific closed - loop management in the Shenzhen Park of the Hetao Shenzhen - Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone (hereinafter referred to as the customs - regulated area) and Hong Kong, and the "second line" is between the customs - regulated area and other regions within the customs territory of the People's Republic of China. (36Kr)

Tianfeng Securities: The Growing Demand for European Power Grid Transformation Benefits Main - grid Transformers and Switches

A research report from Tianfeng Securities shows that with the accelerated construction of data centers in Europe, the contradiction between power supply and demand has emerged, further spurring the demand for offshore wind power and power interconnection. Offshore wind power and power interconnection are unique to Europe, and attention should be paid to the European offshore wind power "going global" chain. The continuous high growth of the demand for European power grid transformation benefits main - grid transformers and switches. (36Kr)

Nepal Lowers the Cash Transaction Limit

The Central Bank of Nepal issued an announcement on the 15th, stating that as of now, the public cash transaction limit will be lowered from 1 million Nepalese rupees (about $6,914) to 500,000 Nepalese rupees (about $3,457). The Nepalese cabinet recently decided that as of January 15, 2026, for any purchase or sale of goods or services and other transactions with a single - transaction amount exceeding 500,000 Nepalese rupees, they must be completed through financial institutions or banking instruments. (China News Service)

Company Updates

Apple Partners with Google, Siri to Get "Gemini AI Foundation"

Apple and Google jointly issued a statement, announcing a multi - year in - depth cooperation agreement: The next - generation Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google's Gemini models and cloud technology. These models will support future Apple Intelligence functions and provide core technology support for the personalized Siri to be launched this year. (Daily Economic News)

Google Collaborates with Retailers like Walmart to Expand Shopping Function of AI Model

Google said on the 11th that it will cooperate with large retailers such as Walmart to expand the shopping function of its "Gemini" artificial intelligence (AI) model, promoting the upgrade of the Gemini application from a "smart assistant" to a "virtual merchant" that can directly complete transactions. The Gemini application will introduce an "instant checkout" function, allowing consumers to purchase goods from some merchants within the chat interface without opening an interface outside the application. (Xinhua News Agency)

Coca - Cola Appoints Chief Digital Officer

Coca - Cola announced a series of leadership adjustments on January 14, and all appointments will take effect on March 31, 2026. Current Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Henrique Braun will succeed James Quincey as Chief Executive Officer, and Quincey will continue to serve as Executive Chairman. In addition, Coca - Cola will create a new position of Chief Digital Officer. Sedef Salingan Sahin, the current president of the Eurasia and Middle East business unit, will take on this role and report directly to Braun. (Jiemian News)

Industry Trends

China Remains the World's Largest Online Retail Market for 13 Consecutive Years

It was announced at the National E - commerce Work Conference held in Beijing from January 13th to 14th that China's total digital consumption scale exceeds 23.8 trillion yuan, and it has remained the world's largest online retail market for 13 consecutive years. Specifically, the continuous deepening of the integration of the digital and real economies is a prominent feature. Since the 14th Five - Year Plan, more than 1,500 industrial e - commerce docking activities have covered nearly 10,000 enterprises, effectively empowering the upgrading of traditional industries and promoting the mutual promotion of online and offline operations. As of now, the number of China's "Silk Road E - commerce" partner countries has increased to 36, the creation of pilot zones is progressing smoothly, and events such as the "Benefiting the World" share China's large e - commerce market. (Xinhua News Agency)

Meta Reportedly Plans to Double the Production Capacity of AI Smart Glasses, with Annual Output Possibly Reaching 20 Million Pairs

According to people familiar with the matter, Meta and EssilorLuxottica are discussing the possibility of doubling the production capacity of AI - powered smart glasses by the end of this year to meet the growing demand and curb competition. The people said that as the sales of Ray - Ban Meta smart glasses are gradually picking up, Meta has proposed to increase the annual production capacity to 20 million pairs or more by the end of 2026. (Sina Finance)

South Korean Industry Minister: Continuously Monitor US Chip Tariff Dynamics to Minimize Industry Impact

According to a statement from the South Korean Ministry of Industry, Industry Minister Kim Jeong - guan said on January 15 that the government will continuously monitor the dynamics of the US tariffs on some artificial intelligence semiconductor chips to minimize their impact on the domestic industry. A second statement from the ministry said that the ministry had held a meeting with representatives of South Korean semiconductor companies to discuss countermeasures. On January 14, the White House announced a 25% tariff on some advanced chips. (Sina Finance)

This article is from the WeChat public account "Comprehensive Service Port for Zhejiang Enterprises Going Global", author: Zhejiang Enterprises Going Global.