China's courier sector saw its delivery volume exceed 100 billion parcels as of Tuesday, which is 71 days earlier than in 2023, with monthly average business volume and revenues hitting record highs, according to the State Post Bureau.
This milestone has come amid the ongoing expansion of the courier business, said the bureau. So far this year, the average monthly parcel volume has exceeded 13 billion, and the average monthly business income of the sector has topped 100 billion yuan (about 13.94 billion U.S. dollars).
The courier market is seeing accelerated growth in the central and western regions of the country, with improving industry-wide infrastructure, more efficient connection between the place of origin and the consumer market, better integrated cold-chain logistics and two-way flows of parcels in rural areas.
The latest data showed that the delivery volume in rural areas of China has gained a 10-fold increase in the past decade. So far China has built more than 1,200 county-level public delivery service centers and more than 300,000 village-level delivery logistics comprehensive service stations, forming a relatively complete rural delivery logistics system.
"We have stepped up the construction of delivery logistics system in rural areas and diversified the development of services. The convenient and efficient delivery service network has gradually become an important channel to promote the circulation of urban and rural products. As China’s economy continues to pick up and consumer demand remains strong, the express delivery industry has actively tapped into new fields such as factory services, tourism services, and event services, with the market size expanding steadily. The progress highlights the prosperity and vitality of China's express delivery market and the continuous improvement of development quality and efficiency, and moreover shows the vitality and resilience of China's economy," said Wang Yuehan, an official with the bureau.
China's courier sector achieves milestone delivery volume
China's courier sector achieves milestone delivery volume
Long-standing challenges in Mexico's automotive industry have been exacerbated with the implementation of the U.S. tariff on imported cars, which took effect Thursday, fueling uncertainty and job losses.
Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 25 percent tariff on all imported automobiles.
Ciudad Juarez, one of Mexico's largest trade ports and a key manufacturing hub, is now facing even greater challenges as rising trade protectionism deepens existing pressures.
At a medal parts manufacturing factory that has been in operation for over 30 years, the workforce has drastically reduced from 60 workers to just 25 due to uncertainty about the future.
Even before the U.S. tariffs on imported cars took effect, mounting pressure had already begun to ripple through the industry, prompting many companies to suspend investment and procurement plans.
"Some 95 percent of the products exported from Chihuahua, where Ciudad Juarez is located, are industrial manufactured goods. We have held multiple meetings to discuss solutions. In fact, over the past year and a half, more than 55,000 factory workers here in the city have lost their jobs," said the owner of the factory.
The automotive industry is a key pillar of Mexico's economy, generating nearly 100 billion U.S. dollars in output. The auto parts assembly industry alone provides over 900,000 jobs for the country, while automotive assembly companies create 175,000 jobs.
According to statistics from the Mexican Association of Automotive Dealers (AMDA), over 40 percent of the components used by American auto manufacturers are imported from Mexico. Last year, Mexico produced four million cars, approximately three million of which were exported to the U.S.
Industry insiders indicate that due to the high degree of interdependence in the sector between the U.S. and Mexico, along with a shortage of skilled labor, the U.S. goal of bringing automotive manufacturing back to its shores through tariffs is unlikely to be realized in the short term.
Moreover, the established industrial chain in Mexico faces the risk of being disrupted, which will ultimately have repercussions on consumer spending and further exacerbate inflation in the long run.
"Young people from the U.S. are no longer willing to work in the manufacturing sector. I believe there will be no growth in the relocation of automotive parts and vehicles factories in the short term," said Guillermo Rosales Zarate, ADMA's executive president.
"Personally, I hope this avalanche of tariffs doesn't continue; otherwise, it will lead to more significant issues affecting the U.S. economy. If these tariffs remain in place long-term, it will be the American people who suffer the most," said Ricardo Ramos, a professor with the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez.
U.S. automotive tariffs deepen industry pressures, halt investments in Mexico
