首届全球数字贸易博览会之江数字贸易主论坛在杭举行

This article summarizes all key takeaways from the Zhijiang Digital Trade Main Forum of the first Global Digital Trade Expo. The core insights are as follows:

1. Basic event information: Held in Hangzhou on December 12, the forum was co-hosted by the Zhejiang Provincial People’s Government and the Ministry of Commerce. Under the theme "Focus on New Development of Digital Trade, Unite for a New Future of Digital Economy," it aims to build an international cooperation platform leading global digital trade and drive the reshaping of digital trade rules, values and competitive advantages. Nearly 380 people attended the event on site, with a number of Chinese and foreign political leaders, heads of international organizations, experts and corporate executives attending or delivering video speeches.

2. Core outcomes: 24 major digital economy and digital trade projects were signed on site, with a total investment of 49.3 billion yuan. The Hangzhou International Digital Trading Center was officially inaugurated. Multiple authoritative institutions released outcomes including digital trade development reports, top 100 enterprise rankings, and a blue book on economic and trade rules. Leading enterprises announced key digital trade achievements such as the eWTP Cambodia cooperation initiative. Multiple experts and corporate executives delivered keynote speeches on the development of digital trade.

This forum released a large volume of favorable insights for brands looking to expand in the digital trade sector. Core takeaways are as follows:

1. Industry development trend: The world is currently at a critical stage of digital trade rule reshaping and industrial upgrading, with countries actively advancing digital trade cooperation. Brand globalization has become a core strategic direction for brand growth. Platforms including Amazon have explicitly committed to supporting the upgrade from "Made in China" to "Branded in China," providing solid support for brands going global.

2. Connectable resources and opportunities: The inauguration of the Hangzhou International Digital Trading Center and the release of the Global Top 100 Digital Trade Enterprises list give brands access to a new official trading platform to expand global trade channels, while ranking on the list offers industry exposure and enhanced brand influence.

3. Referenceable practical experience: Leading brands including Alibaba and Tencent shared practical insights on empowering trade innovation and open integrated development through digital technology. Brands can draw on these experiences to build out their digital布局, optimize marketing and channel systems, and capture growth opportunities brought by digital trade.

This forum revealed abundant industry opportunities and policy signals for sellers engaged in digital and cross-border trade. Core insights are as follows:

1. Policy signal: Co-hosted by China’s Ministry of Commerce and Zhejiang Provincial Government, the forum saw the official release of the *China Digital Trade Development Report 2021*, sending a clear signal that the central government strongly supports the development of digital trade. The industry is currently in a period of strong policy dividends, with broad room for growth.

2. Emerging market opportunities: Emerging markets in Africa and Southeast Asia are actively advancing digital trade infrastructure. At the forum, Alibaba debuted its digital trade outcomes from the eWTP Cambodia cooperation, demonstrating that digital trade corridors have taken shape in these emerging markets. Sellers can enter these markets early to unlock new growth.

3. Referenceable development experience: Leading platforms including JD.com and Amazon shared practical insights on supply chain-network integration and brand globalization. Sellers can learn how to leverage digital technology and large platform resources to reduce compliance and channel costs when expanding overseas, capture the dividends of global digital trade growth, and scale their business.

This forum outlined clear directions and business opportunities for manufacturing factories to pursue digital transformation and expand into digital trade. Core takeaways are as follows:

1. Business cooperation opportunities: 24 major digital economy and digital trade projects were signed at the forum, with total investment reaching 49.3 billion yuan, covering the entire digital trade industry chain. Manufacturing factories can connect with these projects to secure capital and technical support for digital upgrading, as well as access new trade orders and expand sales channels.

2. Insights on digital transformation: Multiple speakers noted that digital trade is driving the upgrade of Chinese manufacturing from OEM/ODM contract manufacturing to branded production. Amazon has also outlined the direction from "Made in China" to "Branded in China," indicating that factories can directly connect with global consumers via digital trade to achieve brand upgrading and expand profit margins.

3. Platform resource support: With the official inauguration of the Hangzhou International Digital Trading Center, factories can access global digital trade resources and open up new trade channels through this official platform, and adjust product design and production based on global market demand to improve product competitiveness.

This forum clarified the development trend of the digital trade industry and outlined clear business directions for digital trade service providers. Core insights are as follows:

1. Industry development trend: Global digital trade is currently in a period of rapid growth, marked by the reshaping of rules, values and competitive advantages. Multiple countries and international organizations are actively promoting digital trade cooperation, opening up enormous room for industry growth and generating massive business demand for service providers.

2. Clear client pain points: All types of market participants, including factories, brands and sellers, are currently building out their global digital trade布局, and generally face pain points including a lack of channel resources, unfamiliarity with overseas rules, and insufficient digital capabilities. These pain points translate directly into business opportunities for service providers.

3. Referenceable solution frameworks: Leading enterprises have already developed mature digital trade models including open integration and supply chain-network integration. Service providers can draw on these proven models to build customized solutions for different client groups covering digitalization, compliance, and channel connection, to capitalize on the industry’s growth momentum.

This forum conveyed the latest market demand for digital trade platforms and provided references for platform operation and development. Core insights are as follows:

1. Clear market demand: Governments and industry players around the world have strong demand for digital trade cooperation and urgently need professional international platforms to match supply and demand resources. The inauguration of the Hangzhou International Digital Trading Center at the forum is a strategic move responding to this demand, confirming that professional digital trade platforms still have substantial room for growth.

2. Referenceable operational experience: Leading platforms including Alibaba, Tencent, JD.com and Amazon shared their practical experience in the digital trade space, including the eWTP international cooperation model, open integrated development, and supply chain-network integration. These proven cases provide valuable references for all types of platforms in their operation and global expansion.

3. Future development direction: Platforms can capitalize on the current boom in global digital trade cooperation to expand into emerging markets, connect with the demand of various industry players, and pursue business recruitment and expansion. At the same time, platforms need to keep pace with changes in global digital trade rules, build compliance capacity in advance, and mitigate policy risks.

This forum revealed the latest developments in global digital trade and provided rich, up-to-date research materials for researchers in industrial and economic and trade fields. Core takeaways are as follows:

1. Latest industry developments: China’s hosting of the first Global Digital Trade Expo to build an international cooperation platform leading global digital trade reflects the new trend of booming global digital trade development. The forum saw 24 signed projects with total investment of 49.3 billion yuan, and multiple authoritative institutions released industry reports, top 100 rankings and blue books that outline the latest development status of digital trade in China and globally, all available for research use.

2. New directions for rule research: A core goal of the forum is to promote the reshaping of global digital trade rules. Multiple experts shared core insights on new digital trade rules, and the official release of a blue book on international economic and trade rules provides the latest research directions for scholars studying global digital trade governance.

3. Materials for business model research: Multiple leading enterprises shared innovative digital trade business models including eWTP cooperation and supply chain-network integration, providing first-hand, up-to-date case materials for researchers studying business model innovation in the digital trade sector.