On January 16th, Guangdong's foreign trade "report card" for 2023 was released. According to the statistics from the Guangdong Sub-Administration of GACC, the total value of Guangdong's imports and exports in 2023 reached 8.3 trillion RMB, a year-on-year increase of 0.3%, enabling it to maintain the position as the largest trading province in China.

A closer look at this "report card" reveals that the scale, quality and efficiency of Guangdong's imports and exports have all improved steadily to a new high, which fully demonstrates Guangdong's role as a leading economic province. Among them, three positive trends are worth mentioning.

Firstly, Guangdong has been advancing steadily. Looking at the scale, Guangdong's import and export values were 1.82 trillion RMB and 2.02 trillion RMB in the first and second quarters respectively, and then increased to 2.2 trillion RMB in the third and fourth quarters, up by 2.1% and 1.8% year-on-year respectively. Placed within the framework of current international trade conditions, we can better understand the significance of this upward trend: with the uncertainties of the world economy, weakened external demand, declining prices, and sluggish growth in major economies, Guangdong's foreign trade has withstood the pressure and reached a new historical high, demonstrating its strong economic resilience and fundamentally positive long-term outlook.

Secondly, Guangdong boasts new advantages. Looking at the market entities, the number of enterprises engaged in import and export business in Guangdong has exceeded 130,000 for the first time in 2023, with private enterprises accounting for more than 80% of the total. In terms of trade structure, the export of lithium batteries, solar cells, and electric vehicles increased by a total of 33.7%. The rapid increase in the number of private enterprises and the strong growth of the export of these three items have injected new vitality into foreign trade. At the same time, Guangdong has fully utilized its advantages as a province with a large private economy and a strong manufacturer to promote more innovative companies, products, and technologies to the world and expand its share of the international market, highlighting its new competitiveness.

Thirdly, Guangdong rides on a progressive trend. As Guangdong seized opportunities in emerging markets, the volume of its imports and exports to countries related to the Belt and Road Initiative reached 3.04 trillion RMB in 2023, accounting for 36.6% of the total. Trade with Latin America and Africa increased by 7.5% and 3.9% respectively. In fact, over the past decade since the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative, Guangdong's trade cooperation with participating countries has become ever closer, making it the province with the largest trade volume and the most bilateral investments among all participating provinces. It can be envisioned that as the international "circle of friends" expands while the international market becomes more diverse in structure, Guangdong will bring not only more competitive products and services to the world but also opportunities for cooperation and mutual benefits.

With steady advancement, new advantages, and a progressive trend, the positive momentum in Guangdong's foreign trade is inspiring, which fully demonstrates the province's high-quality development. However, it is also necessary to soberly recognize the rising complexity, severity, and uncertainty of the external environment. Facing the challenge of insufficient demand, the high-quality development of Guangdong's foreign trade should be taken seriously.

Source:Yangcheng Evening News

评论｜从最新“成绩单”看广东外贸三“势”

1月16日，广东2023年外贸“成绩单”出炉：据海关总署广东分署统计，2023年广东外贸进出口总值8.3万亿元人民币，同比增长0.3%，继续稳居全国外贸第一大省。

细看这份“成绩单”，广东进出口规模、质量、效益同步提升、稳中有进、再创新高，充分体现广东作为经济大省勇挑大梁的责任担当。当中，有三种“势”值得特别关注。

一是“稳”的态势。从规模走势上看，广东一、二季度分别进出口1.82万亿元、2.02万亿元；三、四季度提升至2.2万亿元的高位，且同比分别增长2.1%和1.8%。要置于当前国际贸易的坐标系下，我们才更能理解这条持续上扬曲线的“含金量”：面对世界经济复苏势头不稳，外需走弱、价格下跌，主要经济体增长乏力等多重不利因素，广东外贸顶住压力，规模再创历史新高，折射出广东经济韧性强、长期向好的基本面没有改变。

二是“新”的优势。从市场主体看，2023年广东有进出口业务的企业数量首次突破13万家，其中民营企业数量占比超八成；从贸易结构看，锂离子蓄电池、太阳能电池、电动载人汽车等“新三样”出口合计增长33.7%。民营企业数量快速增加，“新三样”出口迅猛增长，为外贸注入了新的动能。同时，广东充分发挥民营经济大省、制造业大省的优势，推动更多创新企业、创新产品、创新技术“出海”，扩大国际市场份额占比，外贸竞争新优势进一步凸显。

三是“进”的趋势。抢抓新兴市场机遇，2023年广东对共建“一带一路”国家进出口3.04万亿元，占进出口总值的36.6%，对拉美、非洲分别增长7.5%和3.9%。事实上，共建“一带一路”倡议提出十年来，广东与共建国家间经贸合作日益密切，已成为共建“一带一路”国家贸易量最大、双向投资最多的省份。可以想见，随着国际“朋友圈”日益拓展，国际市场结构更加多元，广东为全球带去的不只是更具竞争力的产品和服务，更是合作共赢的机遇。

“稳”的态势、“新”的优势、“进”的趋势，广东外贸“成绩单”持续向好的势头令人鼓舞，充分传递出了广东外贸高质量发展的有力信号。但也要清醒地看到，当前外部环境复杂性、严峻性、不确定性上升，需求不足制约仍较突出，广东外贸高质量发展面临的挑战，依然不容轻视。

文｜李妹妍
翻译 | 洪婷