Since the beginning of this year, the state has successively introduced a number of cross-border e-commerce related policies to support and encourage industry innovation and development. It has increased support for the cross-border e-commerce industry in terms of funds, talents, policies, taxation, and technology. Domestic cross-border e-commerce The industry is ushering in rapid development, and many players including traditional foreign trade companies have poured into the track of cross-border e-commerce. According to data, there are 32,000 cross-border e-commerce related companies in my country, and the number of registrations has been increasing year by year in the past three years. In the first three quarters of 2021, a total of 7,943 cross-border e-commerce related companies have been registered, with an average growth rate of 90.6% in two years. The cross-border e-commerce industry is quietly undergoing a major change. UPS raises air and ground fuel surcharges on January 3 United Parcel Service of America will increase the level of fuel surcharges levied on most of its air and ground delivery customers. According to calculations by consulting firm TransImpact LLC based on information published on the UPS website, starting from January 3, the level of domestic aviation and ground service surcharges will increase by 8% to 10%. This will be UPS’s third increase in fuel surcharges in less than eight months. However, the UPS report stated that if highway diesel prices remain within this range, starting from January 3, the surcharge will rise to 12%. UPS said that all new surcharges will take effect on January 16, and will remain until further notice. The average selling price of Christmas gifts in the UK rises by 41% The data shows that due to delivery bottlenecks and blockade measures, as well as the soaring cost of technology products, toys, home accessories, and clothing segments, the prices of popular Christmas gifts in 2020 have risen by an average of 41% in 2021. Among them, the price of VR headsets rose by as much as 41%. At the same time, TV prices have also risen by 12%. In addition, the price of action figures has increased by 14%, the price of children’s scooters has increased by 11%, and the price of Barbie dolls has increased by 8%. The prices of kitchen appliances such as bread machines and food processors have also increased by 5% and 10% respectively. According to the Ministry of Commerce, from January to November 2021, the nationwide service trade will continue to maintain a rapid growth trend. Statistics show that in the first November of 2021, the total value of imports and exports of services was 4676.78 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 14.7%; of which, service exports were 223.64 billion yuan, an increase of 31.5%; imports were 2440.34 billion yuan, an increase of 2.6%. The growth rate of service exports exceeded imports by 28.9 percentage points, driving the service trade deficit to drop by 69.9% to 203.9 billion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 473.12 billion yuan. Compared with the same period in 2019, service imports and exports fell by 4%, with an average drop of 2% in two years, of which exports increased by 28.5%, with an average growth of 13.4% in two years; imports fell by 22%, and an average drop of 11.7% in two years. Latin American e-commerce Mercado Libre announces 2021 product bestseller list On January 4, Latin American e-commerce giant Mercado Libre announced the highest-selling products in the Latin American market in 2021. The following are the details of the data: The demand for masks in Latin America has been on the rise in 2021. Lamb fabrics and mayonnaise on Mercado Libre in Argentina are the most popular. According to data from Mercado Libre, the number of Mercado Libre buyers has increased to 66 million in 2021, and the number of sellers has also increased to 17 million, both setting records. Although buyers in the Latin American market have very strong purchasing power in Mercado Libre in 2021, they have not surpassed the purchasing level in 2019. Tencent leads investment in South African payment platform Ozow and digital bank Tyme According to news on January 4, two financial technology companies in South Africa have recently completed a new round of financing, both led by China’s Tencent. Among them, South African online payment platform Ozow raised US$48 million, and South African digital bank Tyme raised US$70 million. At present, the inclusiveness and timeliness of South Africa’s financial services, especially the payment industry, is insufficient. Tencent’s investment in South Africa’s financial “Rising Star” may provide assistance for the improvement of South Africa’s payment services. The online payment platform Ozow focuses its business on instant payment services.
