Cross-border e-commerce empowers small, medium and micro enterprises to grow (open talk)
In recent years, benefiting from the vigorous promotion of national policies, the wide application of digital technology and the continuous improvement of the quality of “Made in China”, the superimposed epidemic has given rise to the rapid rise of the global “home economy”. The role of import and export trade, linking domestic and international markets, and promoting the optimal allocation of global resources has become increasingly prominent, and has become an effective channel for Chinese goods to export overseas and an important channel for small, medium and micro enterprises to "go global."
In the first quarter of this year, China's cross-border e-commerce export growth rate reached 69.3%, which became a prominent highlight of economic development during the normalization period of epidemic prevention and control.
In this context, the subjects of cross-border trade have become increasingly diversified, and a large number of entrepreneurs and small enterprises have joined the ranks of cross-border e-commerce.
The original pattern of large enterprises dominating global trade is undergoing profound adjustments, and the emergence of small, medium and micro enterprises has increasingly become an important force in promoting the development of cross-border e-commerce, known as "micro multinational enterprises."
Although these micro multinational companies are small in scale, they can quickly complete the business processes of product selection, procurement, sales, logistics, customs declaration, collection, and foreign exchange tax rebate by making good use of digital platforms, even under the dual challenges of the epidemic and the trade war. The sales growth has more than doubled, which is much higher than the 40% export growth rate of cross-border e-commerce as a whole.
In the future, with the development of digital technology, the growth of personalized demand and the reduction of transaction costs, there will be more and more micro-multinational enterprises of this kind, and will gradually become the main force in global trade.
However, from the current point of view, while small, medium and micro cross-border e-commerce companies are developing rapidly, there are still some problems and hidden worries. Related supporting facilities and services in cross-border logistics and transportation, payment and settlement, personnel training, and regulatory systems need to be optimized.
Small, medium and micro cross-border e-commerce companies focus on light assets, with serious homogeneity of their operating products and fierce competition. They mainly rely on cost competition, their core competitiveness is weak, their bargaining power in international trade is weak, and they are subject to fluctuations in international market demand The impact of the company is greater, and the ability to resist risks needs to be enhanced.
Professional services such as cross-border logistics and cross-border payment need to be optimized.
At present, small, medium and micro cross-border e-commerce companies mainly focus on retail. Their operating characteristics are small amount, small size, and high frequency. They mainly use international parcels and international express delivery, B2C foreign trade enterprise alliance collection, and B2C foreign trade enterprises themselves collect goods. The cost of logistics is relatively high for third-party logistics mode and overseas warehouse transportation.
There is a shortage of professional talents in cross-border e-commerce, especially those with English online store management, online English communication, overseas network marketing planning and execution, search engine optimization, overseas customer demand analysis and other application capabilities, as well as understanding of international payment methods and international logistics tools , International trade common sense, cross-cultural communication and other knowledge, and the lack of compound talents familiar with relevant laws and regulations restricts the rapid development of the industry.
In addition, compared with the booming demand of small, medium and micro cross-border e-commerce, the government's facilitation measures in customs, inspection and quarantine, taxation, and foreign exchange receipts and payments also urgently need to be followed up.
To this end, it is necessary to target the development needs and pain points of small, medium and micro cross-border e-commerce enterprises, continuously improve the sustainable and healthy development mechanism of cross-border e-commerce empowering small, medium and micro enterprises, create a healthy and fair market environment, and optimize warehousing, customs clearance, and logistics. And other services to promote the continuous development and growth of small, medium and micro cross-border e-commerce enterprises.
(The author is the director of the Strategic Policy Office of China Academy of Macroeconomics)