The Frontline of Going Global | Brazil Announces Visa Exemption for Chinese Citizens; Thailand's E-commerce Scale Exceeds One Trillion Thai Baht; Chi

Brazil Announces Visa-Free Policy for Chinese Citizens

The Brazilian government announced on the 7th that starting from May 11, 2026, Chinese citizens holding ordinary passports will be granted visa-free entry. According to the communiqué issued by the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, citizens of the People's Republic of China holding ordinary passports can enjoy short-term visa-free entry and stay for a maximum of 30 days per entry. (Xinhua News Agency)

Ministry of Commerce Interprets the Implementation of Zero-Tariff Measures for 53 Diplomatic African Countries

China will implement zero-tariff measures for 53 diplomatic African countries starting from May 1, 2026. When answering reporters' questions about the relevant situation of this measure on April 29, the person in charge of the WTO Department of the Ministry of Commerce said that China's huge market will bring unprecedented new opportunities for Africa's development and will surely inject strong impetus into China-Africa trade and investment cooperation and Africa's economic modernization. So far, China has implemented zero-tariff policies for all diplomatic African countries. China has become the world's first major economy to implement unilateral and comprehensive zero-tariff policies for all diplomatic African countries and all least-developed diplomatic countries. "This is a major measure for China to unswervingly expand high-level opening-up and actively expand independent opening-up; it is an innovative measure to implement the outcomes of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and build an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era, setting a benchmark for cooperation among global developing countries," the person in charge said. (Xinhua News Agency)

Ministry of Commerce: Rejects and Firmly Opposes the EU's Ban on Funding Projects Using Chinese Inverters

The spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce said on the 7th that without any actual evidence, the EU has for the first time designated China as a so-called "high-risk country" and, on this basis, banned funding for projects using Chinese inverters. This is a stigmatizing act against China and constitutes unfair and discriminatory treatment of Chinese products. China rejects this and firmly opposes it. (Xinhua News Agency)

South Korea's Exports in Q1 Reach Nearly $220 Billion, a Record High, with Chip Exports Soaring 139%

South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said on Wednesday that driven by the strong growth of global artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, South Korea's exports in the first quarter of this year reached a record high. According to the department's statistics, from January to March this year, South Korea's exports reached $219.9 billion, a year-on-year increase of 37.8%, setting a record high for quarterly exports. Semiconductor exports were the main driving force, increasing by 139% year-on-year to $78.5 billion, mainly due to the surge in AI-related server investments. (Sina Finance)

Thailand's E-commerce Market Exceeds 1 Trillion Thai Baht, with Three Platforms Dominating the Market

The scale of Thailand's digital retail market has exceeded 1 trillion Thai baht, approximately equivalent to $30 billion, accounting for 30% of the country's total retail sales and becoming the core driving force for retail growth. Currently, the market has formed a tripartite pattern: Shopee leads with a 50% share by relying on buy-now-pay-later and its own logistics; TikTok Shop has risen to second place with a 32% share in three years through its entertainment shopping model; Lazada ranks third with an 18% share. (Yien.com)

The New Western Land-Sea Corridor Expands Again, and the Iron-Sea Intermodal Transport of the Asia-Chengdu-Europe Corridor Starts in Chengdu

A freight train carrying Sichuan products departed from Chengxiang Station of Chengdu International Railway Port on May 1. After transshipment at Nansha Port, it will sail directly to Laem Chabang Port in Thailand by sea. This marks that the high-quality iron-sea intermodal transport route of "Chengdu International Railway Port - Nansha Port in the Greater Bay Area - Laem Chabang Port in Thailand" recently opened by Chengdu International Railway Port has officially entered the stage of stable operation, laying a solid logistics foundation for the western hinterland to connect with the ASEAN market. Compared with the traditional transportation mode, this high-quality iron-sea intermodal transport route has prominent advantages in terms of timeliness and cost. The goods are shipped from Chengdu International Railway Port, directly transported by rail to Nansha Port for transshipment and loading on the ship. The overall transportation timeliness is improved by more than 30% compared with the traditional mode, effectively shortening the goods transshipment cycle. Relying on the characteristics of large rail transport capacity, low carbon and environmental protection, and controllable costs, it significantly reduces the comprehensive logistics costs of foreign trade enterprises. At the same time, it meets the export needs of various Sichuan products such as mechanical and electrical products, daily necessities, agricultural and sideline products, and auto parts to ASEAN, providing strong support for "Sichuan products going global." (Xinhua News Agency)

Samsung's Home Appliance Sales Shrink, and Its Stores in China Enter an Adjustment Period

The adjustment of Samsung's home appliances in the Chinese market is now reaching the front line of stores. Reporters found during their visits that some store staff said that the relevant home appliance products "are being severely pressured by domestic products" and they expect to stop selling them by the end of this month or mid-next month. However, the shrinkage of the sales end does not mean the withdrawal of the manufacturing end. Samsung's relevant production lines for home appliances are still in China, and the products are more targeted at overseas markets. Experts believe that this reflects the changing competition logic in the Chinese home appliance market. If foreign brands cannot keep up in terms of localization, product innovation, and service support, it will be difficult for them to win consumers with just their brand aura. (Yicai Global)

The World's Largest Container Shipping Company Bypasses the Strait of Hormuz to Open a New Route

Affected by the conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran, the Middle East trade route is currently facing the severe challenge of surging demand but interrupted supply. Enterprises in all links of the global supply chain have taken corresponding measures. According to a report in Australia's Financial Review on the 3rd, starting from the 10th of this month, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the world's largest container shipping company, will bypass the Strait of Hormuz and open a new route, launching a new service connecting Europe and the Middle East. MSC said in an announcement that the new route will use overland truck transportation across Saudi Arabia and combine small feeder vessels in the Persian Gulf to connect Europe with the blocked Middle East ports, replacing the blocked Strait of Hormuz route. The Strait of Hormuz is the global energy and trade lifeline. (Sina Finance)

JD Logistics Collaborates with Jishi Automobile to Build an Automotive Spare Parts Center in the Middle East

JD Logistics has reached in-depth cooperation with Jishi Automobile. JD Logistics will build and operate a regional automotive spare parts center for it in the UAE. After the spare parts center is put into operation, it can achieve the fastest next-day delivery in the UAE and cover most areas in the Middle East and North Africa within a week. Its logistics services will help shorten the vehicle maintenance cycle in more than 10 countries in the region by more than 70%, improving the after-sales experience of local Jishi Automobile users. Currently, JD Logistics has deployed multiple overseas warehouses in countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Qatar, serving hundreds of local brands, Chinese brands going global, and cross-border merchants. (36Kr)

China's Robot Exports Got off to a Good Start in Q1

According to customs statistics, in the first quarter of this year, China's robot industry accelerated its pace of expanding overseas markets. The total export value of various separately listed robots reached 11.32 billion yuan, and the products were exported to 148 countries and regions around the world. In terms of sub - sectors, cleaning robots stood out. As a newly added robot tax number category this year, the export value of cleaning robots in the first quarter reached 7.75 billion yuan, accounting for 68.5% of the total robot export value, and has become the absolute main force of China's robot exports. In the first quarter, China's industrial robot exports reached 3.16 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 42%. China's robot industry is accelerating the transformation from single product output to comprehensive output of "technology + solutions + services." The growing industry scale and expanding application scope are making robots a "new calling card" for China's foreign trade. (CCTV News)

CITIC Securities: Computing Power Drives Power Reconfiguration, and the US Self-Powered Power Supply Opens a Trillion-Dollar New Track

A research report by CITIC Securities points out that computing power drives power reconfiguration, and the US self-powered power supply opens a trillion-dollar new track. The explosion of AI computing power has triggered a subversive reconfiguration of the global power supply and demand pattern. As the core position for global AIDC construction, the US is facing an unprecedented power shortage crisis. The serious mismatch between the power grid construction cycle (3 - 8 years) and the AI server deployment cycle (6 - 12 months), combined with the structural defects of the US power grid, such as natural dispersion and insufficient cross - regional power transmission capacity, have promoted the upgrade of AIDC self - powered power supply from an "optional solution" to a "rigid necessity." In March 2026, the seven major US AI companies signed the "Electricity Bill Payer Protection Promise," clearly stating that "all new electricity consumption will be self - supplied and all costs will be self - borne," officially kicking off the industrialization of AIDC self - powered power supply. (36Kr)

Hotel Industry in the US Cools Down Ahead of the World Cup Due to Lower - Than - Expected Booking Rates

The FIFA World Cup jointly hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico will kick off in more than 30 days, but the hotel industry in the 11 US host cities has not witnessed the expected "booking boom." An industry survey report points out that the local hotel industry has been "doused with cold water" by the weak reality, and most respondents attribute this situation to the US visa policy and geopolitical tensions. Experts are calling on the US government to take measures to reduce obstacles to international travel. (Xinhua News Agency)

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