General Administration of Customs of China discusses export situation, 'The sky will not fall'

On April 14th, at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office, Lv Daliang, spokesperson for the General Administration of Customs of China and director of the Statistics and Analysis Department, stated that in the first quarter, China's export scale exceeded 6 trillion yuan, achieving a rapid growth of 6.9% and demonstrating strong resilience under pressure.

From the perspectives of demand, innovation, and competitiveness:

In terms of international market demand, the average global manufacturing PMI in the first quarter was 49.9%, higher than the fourth quarter of last year and also higher than the same period last year. Among them, the manufacturing industries in Asia and Africa were both expanding in March. According to customs data, China's exports to the above-mentioned regions increased by 7.8% and 12.5% respectively, with growth rates higher than the overall growth rate. The month on month increase in consumer spending in the European Union and the United Kingdom, coupled with relatively stable consumer confidence indices, has driven demand for our products in the aforementioned markets. In the first quarter, China's exports to over 170 countries and regions achieved growth. 

In terms of domestic industrial innovation, China's manufacturing industry has strong momentum for high-end, intelligent, and green transformation. For example, China's exports of ships and marine engineering equipment have maintained a growth momentum for four consecutive years, with a further increase of 10.8% in the first quarter; The export of specialized equipment has grown for 9 consecutive years, with a growth rate of 16.2% in the first quarter. China's new energy products continue to play an important role in the global green transformation. In the first quarter, exports of wind turbines, lithium batteries, electric vehicles, and other products increased by 43.2%, 18.8%, and 8.2%, respectively.

At the same time, the majority of foreign trade operators have quickly responded to the diversified demands of the global market. Some traditional industries, relying on their advantages of complete supporting facilities, fast transformation and upgrading, and flexible operation, have also continuously launched "new products", "trendy products", and "explosive products" to promote the "rejuvenation" of competitiveness. Industries such as toys and clothing have significantly reduced their delivery cycle from one month to less than one week through the "small order fast response" model of small orders, multiple batches, and quick response, significantly enhancing their international competitiveness. In the consumer field, domestic trendy products are constantly emerging and have won wide recognition and praise around the world. In the first quarter, China's exports of sports goods to the European Union and cosmetics to Southeast Asia both saw double-digit growth.

Lv Daliang said that currently, China's exports are indeed facing a complex and severe external situation, but "the sky will not collapse". In recent years, China has actively built diversified markets and deepened industrial and supply chain cooperation with various parties, which not only empowers each other's development but also enhances our own resilience. At the same time, China has a vast domestic demand market and is an important rear area. We will steadfastly handle our own affairs and respond to the uncertainty of the external environment with our own certainty.