Recently, import and export data for the first half of the year have been released in many places, highlighting the new momentum of foreign trade in the "three new categories" (electric manned vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, solar cells).

For example, on July 19th, the official website of the Guangdong Branch of the General Administration of Customs released data showing that in the first half of this year, Guangdong's foreign trade imports and exports reached 4.37 trillion yuan, setting a new historical high for the same period and increasing by 13.8% compared to the same period last year; Among them, electric manned vehicles increased by 78.3% year-on-year. Previously, according to statistics from Taiyuan Customs, the import and export of goods in Shanxi Province reached 86.37 billion yuan in the first half of the year, a year-on-year increase of 18.7%; Among them, the export of "new three types" reached 1.28 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 135.8%.

Song Siyuan, Associate Researcher at the Institute of International Trade and Economic Cooperation of the Ministry of Commerce, told a reporter from Securities Daily, "The sustained growth in global demand for green products and services, effective support from relevant policies, strong momentum for domestic industrial innovation and development, and continuous optimization of trade market structure have provided sufficient support for the good foreign trade performance of the 'new three types' in many regions

Adapt to the trend and meet the demands of the international market

Once, clothing, furniture, and household appliances were popular overseas. Nowadays, with the changes in China's comparative advantages in the global industrial division of labor and the positive results of the transformation and upgrading of manufacturing industries in various parts of the country, the "new three types" are galloping in the international market, and the surging momentum continues to be released.

Reporters have found that among the top ten cities in terms of total import and export volume in the first half of 2024, many of the "new three types" have performed well. For example, the latest data released by Suzhou Customs shows that Suzhou achieved a total import and export value of 1231.69 billion yuan in the first half of this year, an increase of 9.2% compared to the same period last year; Among them, the export of new energy vehicles reached 5.99 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 9 times.

Song Siyuan analyzed that green and low-carbon transformation has become a global consensus. As representatives of green and low-carbon products, the "New Three Types" conform to this trend and effectively meet the urgent demand for clean energy and low-carbon technology in the international market, which has attracted widespread attention in the field of foreign trade.

As a hot topic in the field of foreign trade, "New Three Types" also represents the new trend and growth point of China's foreign trade development. Associate Professor Liu Chunsheng from Central University of Finance and Economics stated in an interview with Securities Daily that with the new progress made in China's high-quality economic development, the structure of foreign trade is gradually shifting from traditional labor-intensive products to high-tech and high value-added products. The export performance of many regions' "new three types" is an important manifestation of the above transformation. In the future, its vast market prospects and enormous development potential are even more worth looking forward to.

Multiple measures help 'new three types' step out with resounding footsteps

From the "old three styles" to the "new three styles", the trend of upgrading China's foreign trade export products is becoming increasingly evident. The popularity of the "new three styles" is not only a reflection of the continuous optimization of foreign trade structure, but also a true portrayal of the new driving force of foreign trade promoting high-quality economic development. In the future, how can we further enhance our ability for independent trade development and promote the development of high-quality economic growth through the implementation of the "new three approaches"?

Professor Lyu Yue from the National Institute of Opening up at the University of International Business and Economics suggested in an interview with Securities Daily that we should continue to introduce industrial and trade policies that support the accelerated development of the "new three types", and use industrial structure optimization to support the optimization of foreign trade structure; Focus on breakthroughs in key core technologies, continue to increase research and development innovation efforts, especially in the areas of power battery technology for new energy vehicles, photovoltaic conversion efficiency of solar cells, energy density and safety of lithium batteries, and tackle market and technological "pain points"; Actively participate in the formulation of international standards and promote high-level opening up to the outside world; Actively explore diversified trade partners, tap trade cooperation opportunities within the "the Belt and Road" countries, more emerging economies and developing countries, and provide more possibilities for the "new three kinds" of exports.

The outstanding performance of the "New Three Types" export also relies on the continuous efforts and contributions of many enterprises behind it. According to data released by the General Administration of Customs, in 2023, the number of foreign trade entities with import and export records in China exceeded 600000 for the first time. According to CCTV News, in the first five months of this year, China's foreign trade entities with import and export performance increased by 8.7% year-on-year.

Improving the service system related to foreign trade business entities is one of the directions for accumulating strength in the future. It is recommended that relevant parties, based on in-depth research, understand the practical needs of various foreign trade enterprises, and help them participate in international exhibitions, expand sales channels, and gain higher international market recognition for the 'new three types'. "Professor Yu Nanping from the School of Politics and International Relations of East China Normal University told Securities Daily reporters.