On January 17, Chengdu Customs notified Sichuan's foreign trade situation in 2019. In 2019, the total foreign trade volume of Sichuan reached a new high: the province's total import and export of goods reached 676.59 billion yuan, an increase of 13.8% year-on-year, which was higher than the overall national import and export growth rate of 3.4% in the same period.

 

Given the complex and volatile economic situation at home and abroad, where did Sichuan’s “best in history” foreign trade report come from? This reporter interviewed foreign trade authorities and foreign trade companies.

 

New kinetic energy

 

Market procurement, cross-border e-commerce and other emerging foreign trade formats gather new momentum, and go abroad in groups to stimulate the vitality of private enterprises

 

On January 17, a batch of daily necessities worth 1.16 million U.S. dollars was cleared at Qingbaijiang Customs under Chengdu Customs by way of market procurement trade. The goods will be exported to European countries on the China-Europe Express (Chengdu).

 

The method of market procurement trade refers to the purchase of goods in a single-ticket declaration form with a value of less than US$150,000 (including US$150,000) and purchased by qualified operators in the market agglomeration area recognized by the national commercial authority. The trade method that handles customs clearance procedures for export commodities in a local area. The Jinniu District of Chengdu, where the Chengdu International Trade City is located, is currently the only pilot area in the western region.

 

"This type of business has the characteristics of single, small and miscellaneous goods, and has the advantages of value-added tax exemption and convenient customs clearance. It allows small and micro merchants to participate in foreign trade." said Yang Jianmin, director of the Chengdu Jinniu District Market Procurement Trade Service Center.

 

Emerging business formats will inject new momentum into Sichuan's foreign trade in 2019. According to statistics from Chengdu Customs, since March 2019, the trial market procurement trade method was approved for operation, the import and export value has reached 1.34 billion yuan in the past 10 months.

 

Not only that, a series of institutional innovations have allowed the new forms of foreign trade to flourish, injecting new impetus into the province's foreign trade. Not long ago, a factoring product based on government subsidies allowed cross-border e-commerce company Chengdu Mingyuan E-commerce Co., Ltd. to obtain a financing of 2 million yuan, which solved the urgent need. "This product effectively solves the contradiction between the long time required for the government subsidy approval process and the eagerness of cross-border e-commerce companies to cash it out. The interest is only about 5%, which can well meet our financing needs." said He Chao, general manager of the company. .

 

"The renewal of momentum is also reflected in the rapid growth of imports and exports of private enterprises." The relevant person in charge of the Foreign Trade Operations Department of the Provincial Department of Commerce believes. Through the group attack, small and medium private enterprises have achieved results in the international market. As of the end of 2019, the "Mianyang Enterprise Import and Export Alliance" led by Changhong Electric Co., Ltd. has grown from the original 14 sponsors to nearly 50 companies, further strengthening its international market position and expanding marketing channels.

 

Statistics released by Chengdu Customs also show that in 2019, the import and export of private enterprises in Sichuan was 162.27 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 20.2%, which was higher than the growth rate of traditional foreign-invested enterprises' import and export, and accounted for 24% of the province's total scale.

 

New market

 

With regard to the rapid growth of imports and exports of countries along the “Belt and Road”, 14 new countries and regions have been added to the province’s export market

 

In July last year, Volvo XC60 two plug-in hybrid models produced by Volvo Cars Chengdu plant were successfully sold to 25 European countries including the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Belgium.

 

As China's first automobile manufacturer to transport complete vehicles via the Eurasian Continental Railway, Volvo cars produced in Chengdu take the China-Europe Express train, further expanding the global market. David Pansinger, vice president of logistics for Volvo Cars Asia-Pacific region, told reporters that the model innovatively adopted a "container + cage" mixed transportation solution, and it took only 18 days to reach the port of Ghent, Belgium, spanning 9,783 kilometers.

 

It has become a trend to expand into new markets. According to data reported by the Chengdu Customs, in 2019, although the United States, ASEAN, the European Union, my country's Taiwan region and Japan are still our province’s top five trading partners, our province’s imports and exports to countries along the “Belt and Road” are 197.99 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase 20%, accounting for nearly 30%.

 

"Expanding emerging markets is the self-issued behavior of enterprises. Our job is to optimize the business environment and provide good services so that enterprises have no worries." According to the relevant person in charge of Chengdu Customs, in 2019, 14 new countries and regions have been added to the export market in our province. .

 

433 billion yuan! The import and export volume ranks first in the national comprehensive protection zone for 21 consecutive months. The Chengdu High-tech Comprehensive Bonded Zone, which won the "national champion" in 2019, is an example: the overall customs clearance time of Jincheng Customs, the competent customs of the Chengdu High-tech Comprehensive Bonded Zone It has been compressed to within 24 hours and about 1 hour, nearly half and 28% respectively compared with 2018.

 

There are system updates and more practical actions. Italian Shoe Fair, Hannover Industrial Exhibition, "One Belt One Road" Sichuan International Sister Cities Cooperation and Development Forum Trade and Logistics Sub-forum... In 2019, 215 "Ten Thousand Enterprises Going Abroad" events promoted nearly 3,600 sub-companies to open up the international market. The provincial import and export enterprises exceeded 5,100, a net increase of nearly 600.

 

"In order to promote enterprises to go global, we provide nanny-style services." The relevant person in charge of the Foreign Trade Operations Department of the Provincial Department of Commerce told reporters that our province has not only set up a special fund of 20 million yuan to support enterprises to expand international markets, but also established a regular contact mechanism with enterprises , Keep abreast of the production and operation of foreign trade enterprises, effectively promote products, and promote "Made in Sichuan" products to go abroad.

 

New pattern

 

Chengdu continues to maintain its "leadership" position, with bright spots in southern Sichuan and northeastern Sichuan frequently appearing, and the province’s foreign trade "main branches and branches" coordinated development

 

In 2019, Chengdu achieved an import and export value of 582.27 billion yuan, accounting for 86.1% of the province's total foreign trade import and export value during the same period, maintaining its "leading" status. Foreign trade in southern Sichuan, northeastern Sichuan and other regions also showed many development highlights. In 2019, Dazhou's foreign trade increased by 2.5 times year-on-year, and Nanchong's foreign trade increased by 5.4 times.

 

"The pattern is renewed and the content is renewed." Li Yuguo, director of the Sichuan Institute of International Economics and Trade, believes that under the guidance of the provincial party committee's "one branch, multiple branches, five districts, coordination", "four-way expansion, global opening" strategy, our province actively promotes strong trade Prerequisites for foreign trade, such as provincial construction, attracting export-oriented industries, and building logistics channels, continue to mature, and the quality and efficiency of foreign trade continue to improve.

 

Looking at the products, the export of some high value-added and high-tech commodities in Chengdu has grown rapidly. Railway locomotives have increased by 221 times, liquid crystal display panels have increased by 2.4 times, and the growth rate of exports of integrated circuits and turbine engines is higher than Chengdu's overall export growth of 20.6%. speed. By vigorously developing the smart terminal industry, and driving the rapid growth of the export of smart phones and other products, Yibin's import and export value reached 14.11 billion yuan in 2019, an increase of 45.7%. By accelerating the acceptance of orders from well-known international and domestic companies, Suining focused on the development of the production of related equipment such as 5G and big data services. In 2019, the value of foreign trade import and export reached 3.62 billion yuan, an increase of 43.4%.

 

Looking at the pattern, with responsibility objectives and policy-oriented measures as the starting point, the import and export of the three economic zones of Chengdu, Northeast Sichuan and Panxi maintained positive growth in 2019. According to data from Chengdu Customs, the proportion of Chengdu and Northeast Sichuan Economic Zones in the province’s foreign trade structure has increased by 0.7 and 1 percentage points respectively over the previous year. The foreign trade growth of most cities in the Southern Sichuan Economic Zone is close to 30%. Continuously coordinated development between. (Reporter   Luo Zhizai)