China's total logistics volume in the first quarter of this year reached 91 trillion yuan (about 12.74 trillion U.S. dollars), a 5.7-percent increase year on year, accelerating by 0.4 percentage points compared to the January-February period and highlighting a solid start of the sector this year, according to the data released by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP) on Tuesday.
The overall structure of logistic demand has improved, with new growth drivers gradually emerging.
Logistics of industrial goods grew by 5.9 percent year on year, accounting for over 80 percent of the total logistics volume, maintaining its position as the main engine of growth in demand, the data showed.
"The logistics demand for industrial products, particularly in high-tech manufacturing sectors and new growth drivers such as new energy vehicles, smart manufacturing, and photovoltaic devices, has been growing at a relatively fast pace," said Liu Yuhang, director of the China Logistics Information Center.
The impact of government policies has continued to support logistics demand.
Large-scale equipment upgrades and trade-ins of consumer goods have helped sustain the growth.
In the first quarter, logistics demand for general and specialized equipment went up 9.4 percent and 4.1 percent, respectively, while demand for consumer goods like communication equipment, home appliances and audiovisual products, and furniture shot up by 26.9 percent, 19.3 percent, and 18.1 percent, respectively.
Emerging e-commerce models such as instant-delivery online retail and live-streaming sales have kept strong momentum.
In the first quarter, online retail sales of physical goods rose by 5.7 percent year on year, with a 0.7-percentage-point increase compared to the January-February period. "New business models have continued to gain momentum, driving steady growth in logistics demand. The logistics network in both urban and rural areas has been further improved, unlocking the vast potential of the rural market," said Peng Chun, deputy dean of the Department of Logistics Management at Beijing Jiaotong University.
China's logistics sector logs steady growth in Q1
China's logistics sector logs steady growth in Q1
Chinese credit rating agency Dagong Global and the Belt and Road research institute under the Tsinghua University on Monday released a report on evaluating investment environments in Latin American and Caribbean countries.
The report came one day before the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum in the Chinese capital city.
The report offers national investment environment evaluations for Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Chile and Peru.
It highlights regional investment trends, offering targeted decision-making guidance for Chinese firms venturing abroad to drive high-quality growth of China-CELAC economic and trade cooperation, according to officials from the organizing institutes.
"Chinese companies need to adopt a gradient and differentiated strategy when investing in various regions. They can also learn from the development zone model, form an industrial cluster effect through local employment and industrial chain matching, and reduce corporate operating costs. They should also strengthen risk prevention mechanisms and systemic risks management. Chinese companies should enhance communication with local government chambers of commerce and communities, predict policy fluctuations, improve dynamic monitoring mechanisms, and promote cultural and economic exchanges through people-to-people connectivity. For example, they can make a use of local characteristic cultural labels such as Brazilian coffee and Chilean cherries to empower China-CELAC economic and trade cooperation to further promote trade growth and cultural exchanges," said Lyv Bole, chairman of Dagong Global Credit Rating.
"Latin America holds significant investment potential for China, its large youth population creates a substantial consumer market. The region's rich natural resources, such as lithium, copper, and iron ore, complement China's technological capabilities. Latin American countries are also pursuing energy transitions, offering opportunities for companies like BYD to drive the new energy industry. Additionally, the region's well-developed legal system and high-quality workforce are strong draws for Chinese investment," said Shi Zhiqin, executive dean of the Belt and Road Initiative Strategy Institiue at the Tsinghua University.
China's rating agency, top university release investment report on CELAC countries
