Think tank: World, China accelerating to digital supply chain era

With the help of digital platforms, small and medium-sized enterprises have joined cross-border e-commerce to operate in multi-country markets and are becoming the backbone of B2B cross-border supply chains.

Traditionally, the flow of goods, technology, capital and other factors in international trade has been concentrated among large enterprises. However, with the rapid development of digital technology, the threshold for global trade and international division of labor has been lowered, allowing SMEs to participate more extensively in global trade and international supply chain cooperation.

Not only can SMEs use cross-border e-commerce platforms or digital platforms to sell their products to a wider market, but they can also use the platforms to conduct cross-border procurement. They can also become a key player in global supply chain competition by offering a wide range of "local manufacturing" and customized services to global buyers.

In recent years driven by policy, demand and supply chains, China's SMEs have shown positive growth in their participation in international supply chains. However, there are still many bottlenecks in the cross-border supply chain, which greatly increase SMEs' trade costs and hinder the further expansion of global inclusive trade.

At the same time, the small-order and multi-frequency nature of SMEs' cross-border international supply chains has posed a series of challenges to customs and government regulation, requiring governments to strengthen cooperation and innovate the entire chain based on cross-border payments, regulatory procedures, cross-border logistics and other links.

According to the report, thanks to the national macro policy dividend and innovation in business models, digital platforms such as Alibaba International and Dunhuang.com have supported the digitization of China's trade by continuously improving digitalized cross-border service trade and the full-chain cross-border supply chain system, providing integrated services for SMEs across the entire industry chain and supply chain.

In addition, more SMEs will be promoted to integrate into global inclusive trade and participate in global supply chain competition. At the same time, it helps to enhance the added value of Made in China exports and move up the value chain, and plays an important role in enhancing the efficiency and resilience of the supply chain of the SME industry chain.

As a new model spawned by economic globalization and digital transformation, digital international supply chains will be a strategic node for creating a dual domestic and international cycle, as well as a major driving force for the digital transformation of trade, requiring more strategic guidance and policy support.

The report recommends efforts to expand the strategic layout of digital international supply chains at home and abroad, increase policy support for the integration of SMEs into the digital supply chain system, step up the formulation of a policy system for the continuous optimization of digital international supply chains and actively lead the formation of a new framework for global digital supply chains and economic and trade rules.

Zhang Naiwen contributed to this story.