At present, the world economic recovery is sluggish, and the international market is full of instability, uncertainty, and unpredictable factors. my country's foreign trade has withstood the pressure, and the import and export scale has stabilized and improved, with steady growth, reflecting strong resilience and huge potential. Judging from the data for the whole year of 2023, my country's import and export scale is increasing quarter by quarter; cross-border e-commerce import and export is 2.38 trillion yuan, an increase of 15.6%; the export of "three new" products such as electric passenger vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and solar cells It exceeded the one trillion yuan mark for the first time; the number of foreign trade business entities with import and export records exceeded 600,000 for the first time.

A series of supporting policy measures and related domestic reforms are the internal reasons for the positive development of foreign trade. In order to effectively promote the stable scale and optimal structure of foreign trade, my country has introduced a number of foreign trade support policies and measures, and encourages localities to improve supporting policies according to local conditions and enhance policy synergy. In order to reduce costs and burdens for foreign trade enterprises, a number of convenient measures have been introduced to speed up the progress of export tax refunds and optimize export tax refund services. The normal processing time for export tax refunds has been greatly shortened, and the process has continued to be optimized and simplified; tax preferential policies will continue to be optimized, including continuing to add value to small-scale taxpayers. The tax reduction and exemption policy will be extended to the end of 2027; focusing on the key manufacturing industry chains, financial institutions will be encouraged to provide targeted diversified financial support measures based on the characteristics of the industry chains; etc. At the same time, we will make every effort to create a market-oriented, legal and international first-class port business environment, promote the digital transformation of ports, and continuously improve the convenience of cross-border logistics, including "direct pick-up at the ship's edge", "direct loading at the port" and "linked unloading". "The scope of pilot projects for facilitation measures such as" has been continuously expanded, the supervision and inspection process of high-tech equipment has been continuously optimized, and the efficiency of inspection and release of bulk resource commodities has been continuously improved.

Promoting international economic cooperation and vigorously expanding emerging markets are external reasons for the positive development of foreign trade. my country continues to strengthen cooperation with trading partners in areas such as rules and standards. It has signed 21 free trade agreements with 28 countries and regions, 107 standardization cooperation agreements with 65 national standardization agencies and international organizations, and 112 Countries and regions have signed double taxation agreements. my country is also promoting the construction of the international logistics supply chain system, accelerating the construction of the "Two Coasts and Ten Corridors" international logistics corridor, promoting the development of various international logistics and transportation modes, and expanding and extending the international logistics service network. At present, the foreign trade throughput of ports across the country is growing at a good pace, international air cargo and mail volume is growing steadily, China-Europe trains remain stable and smooth, and the cargo handling capacity of major land ports continues to improve.

The development of new foreign trade formats, new models and trade promotion platforms is an important support for the positive development of foreign trade. Relying on the country's 165 comprehensive cross-border e-commerce pilot zones and combining the industrial endowments and location advantages of various regions, my country has vigorously developed "cross-border e-commerce + industrial belts", promoted the construction of online comprehensive service platforms, and expanded cross-border e-commerce retail export commodities. and cross-border e-commerce online shopping bonded retail imported goods return cross-customs area trial scope, gradually solve the problem of "difficulty in returns" of cross-border e-commerce enterprises, better promote my country's foreign trade enterprises to enter the international market, cross-border e-commerce has gradually become my country's foreign trade enterprises An important way to obtain orders. Accelerate the comprehensive reform of the Comprehensive Bonded Zone, introduce 23 comprehensive reform measures to promote the high-quality development of the Comprehensive Bonded Zone, and further release the vitality of opening up. The layout of the free trade pilot zone has been continuously improved to form an innovative pattern of reform and opening up covering the east, west, south, north, and middle, coordinating the coastal, inland, and border areas. It has cultivated a number of internationally competitive industrial clusters and strengthened new momentum for foreign trade development.

In 2024, the world's economic recovery will still face huge challenges, and the external environment for my country's foreign trade development will still be complex and severe. In order to further improve the stability and quality of foreign trade and continue to play the supporting role of import and export in the domestic economy, multiple measures should be taken to consolidate the rebound momentum of foreign trade.

On the one hand, we should closely track the implementation of supportive policies and measures, deeply understand the demands and new problems encountered by enterprises and local governments, predict the risks and challenges we may face in the later period, strengthen the reserve of policy measures to stabilize foreign trade, and launch them in a timely manner. New support policy measures. Deepen cooperation with trading partners, promote cooperation in trade security and convenience, inspection and quarantine, and reduce trade barriers. At the same time, accelerate the upgrading of multilateral and bilateral cooperation mechanisms with trading partners, and accelerate the implementation of the free trade zone strategy based on neighboring countries and regions. , focusing on promoting the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 negotiations and forming a global high-standard free trade area network.

On the other hand, we should implement the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) with high quality and give full play to the role of comprehensive experimental platforms for reform and opening up such as free trade pilot zones and free trade ports. Focusing on trade in goods, trade in services, temporary entry of business personnel, digital trade, business environment, risk prevention and control, etc., we will increase the intensity of pilot projects, expand the scope of pilot projects, align with high-standard international economic and trade rules, and accelerate institutional opening up. We will run key exhibitions such as the China International Import Expo, Canton Fair, and Consumer Expo well, and encourage foreign trade companies to expand business through new business formats and models such as cross-border e-commerce, explore international markets, and create new foreign trade growth points.