Latest news with #Zhuang
Qatar Tribune
03-08-2025
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
Chinese sellers scramble as US closes e-commerce loophole
Agencies Washington's decision to suspend the 'de minimis' tariff exemption for all countries – expanding on an earlier move that targeted Chinese shipments – is set to disrupt and ultimately reshape the global cross-border e-commerce sector, analysts said. The White House announced the order on Wednesday as part of efforts to close loopholes used to evade tariffs and smuggle 'deadly synthetic opioids as well as other unsafe or below-market products' into the United States. It will come into effect on August 29. In May, the US eliminated the exemption – which had allowed small packages worth less than US$800 to enter the country duty-free – for goods from move aimed to close what many considered a regulatory loophole exploited by Chinese platforms like Temu and Shein to rapidly scale their said the latest action marked a return to trade normality and left Chinese exporters with limited options: either compete in an already saturated domestic market, or battle fellow Chinese sellers abroad. 'Before, they could source from other countries to get around rules — that's no longer viable, as the pathways to the US market are all blocked,' said Zhuang Bo, global macro strategist at Loomis Sayles Investment Asia, an affiliate of Natixis Investment Managers. While expected, the move marks a significant setback for China's digital trade dominance, as the whole 'business model was largely driven by Chinese firms, both operationally and in market share', he added. 'We'll likely see Chinese outbound FDI become far more common, as companies seek to maintain market access Sellers will now either continue the brutal price competition at home or face off with fellow Chinese firms in markets beyond the US.' The most effective solution, Zhuang added, would be to accept slower growth and allow industrial capacity to normalise. 'But as long as national policy still targets high growth, companies will be forced to keep cutting prices to defend market share.' Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Thursday that Beijing had 'taken note' of the latest US move. He urged Washington to uphold 'the principles of fair competition' and provide a 'fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment' for all foreign firms. In early February, Trump sought to revoke the 'de minimis' exemption for low-value parcels from China and Hong Kong, citing trade imbalances. The move was part of an executive order he signed on February 1 that also raised tariffs on Chinese goods by 10 per cent. While the rule briefly took effect, it was quickly delayed to give US agencies more time to establish systems for collecting duties – effectively pausing enforcement. The exemption had played a crucial role in driving the growth of China's cross-border e-commerce sector, allowing vendors to send small shipments directly to US consumers without incurring import duties or facing customs checks. Over the past decade, shipments entering the US under the exemption have surged by more than 600 per cent – from about 139 million in the 2015 financial year to over 1 billion in the 2023 financial year, according to US Customs and Border Protection. For small Chinese businesses, the news did not come as a surprise. Many have already shifted their focus to the domestic market or diversified to alternative export destinations.
CNBC
26-07-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Bank of America says these five stocks have more room to run ahead of earnings
Bank of America said this week it sees a host of companies that are well positioned ahead of earnings. Analysts named stocks like Amazon that have compelling valuations or expected catalysts as quarterly reporting season continues. Other buy-rated names it cited include: Anheuser-Busch InBev, Oddity Tech , Bilibili and AppLovin. Oddity Tech The global beauty tech platform is firing on all cylinders, the firm wrote. Analyst Anna Lizzul praised the company's "innovative" digital offering in a recent note and says it has a wide moat for growth. "With the vast majority of its sales direct-to-consumer (DTC) we see ODD at a strategic vantage point to grow with this rise," she wrote. The firm also raised its price target to $80 per share from $68 in advance of the company's earnings report on Aug. 4. "We see ODD well positioned to benefit from the beauty category increasingly moving to online sales as consumers' preferred purchasing channels shift," she went on to say. Shares are up 64% this year. Bilibili Analyst Miranda Zhuang is standing by shares of the China-based online video platform. Bank of America recently attended an investor day and came away feeling even more constructive on the stock. "Management highlighted strategies centering on high-quality content, AI empowerment to content and monetization, long-lifecycle games," she wrote. Zhuang raised her price target on the stock to $27 per share from $25 citing the company's second-quarter earnings report in mid-August as yet another positive catalyst for the stock. "We reiterate our Buy rating given Bilibili's unique platform value proposition, long growth runway, and benefits from AI," Zhuang said. Bilibili shares are up 28% this year. Anheuser-Busch InBev Shares of the alcoholic beverage giant have plenty more room to run, according to the firm. The company is scheduled to report its second-quarter earnings on July 31. "Volume in Q2 will likely be held back, again, by China and the US, but we expect continued margin expansion in Q2, supporting +5.6% organic EBITDA growth," analyst Andrea Pistacchi wrote. However, despite the possible volume decline, the firm says there's plenty of other positive catalysts. "One of the main areas of focus for Q2/H1 results will be share buy backs," he said. Meanwhile, shares of the company are up almost 40% this year. "We continue to like ABI, as one of the most reliable staples compounders," he went on to say. Oddity Tech "An innovative consumer tech platform, ODD utilizes proprietary technology to provide consumers with product recommendations. We see ODD well positioned to benefit from the beauty category increasingly moving to online sales as consumers' preferred purchasing channels shift. ... With the vast majority of its sales direct-to-consumer (DTC) we see ODD at a strategic vantage point to grow with this rise." Bilibili "Management highlighted strategies centering on high-quality content, AI empowerment to content and monetization, long-lifecycle games. ... We reiterate our Buy rating given Bilibili's unique platform value proposition, long growth runway, and benefits from AI. ... We expect 2Q ad business to benefit from good ad spend from ecommerce campaigns and the digital products category." Anheuser-Busch InBev "Volume in Q2 will likely be held back, again, by China and the US, but we expect continued margin expansion in Q2, supporting +5.6% organic EBITDA growth. .... One of the main areas of focus for Q2/H1 results will be share buy backs. ... We continue to like ABI, as one of the most reliable staples compounders." AppLovin "APP remains top pick under coverage. We see big upside to CY26 EBITDA expectations, with this print potentially prompting upward revisions; the vast majority of investors we spoke with appear to exclude both a continued managed service onboarding ramp, and a major self-serve ramp in CY26." Amazon "Expect retail beat, AWS growth in focus for 2nd half. ... We think Amazon's focus on the customers and the buyer experience is right for the Internet. We think Amazon is well positioned to capitalize on the global growth of eCommerce and other secular trends such as cloud computing, online advertising and connected devices." Read more.
Canada Standard
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Canada Standard
China defeats Canada in final week of Women's VNL
China has secured a spot in the Final Phase of the 2025 VNL tournament after beating Canada in the group stage. ARLINGTON, United States, July 11 (Xinhua) -- The final week of the Women's Volleyball Nations League (VNL) group stage continued Friday in Arlington, Texas, where China defeated Canada 3-1 (25-22, 25-15, 22-25, 25-23) in a hard-fought encounter. Zhuang Yushan paced China with 21 points, while Wu Mengjie and Gong Xiangyu chipped in 18 and 14, respectively. Canada's attack was balanced, with Abagayle Guezen and Anna Smrek each scoring 14 points, while Emily Maglio and Andrea Mitrovic added 12 and 11. The opening set was tightly contested, with Canada staying within striking distance before China's Gong delivered a spike to take it 25-22. Trailing 10-8 early in the second set, Zhuang turned the tide with three straight heavy jump-serve aces, forcing a Canada timeout. Chen Houyu carried on the momentum with three spikes after Zhuang's serves continued to disturb the Canadian defense. China surged to a dominant 25-15 set win. Canada produced its best volleyball in the third set, riding heavy swings from its quartet of scorers, gritty digs and timely blocks to claim it 25-22. The fourth set became a nerve-jangling sprint to the finish. With a successful challenge, Canada narrowed the deficit to 24-23, but Wu's spike helped lift China at the last moment to seal the set 25-23 en route to a 3-1 win. Head coach Zhao Yong praised his young squad's resilience and their ability to adjust to the match's ebb and flow. The Final Phase of the 2025 VNL tournament will be held in Lodz, Poland from July 23 to 27. With 20 points from seven wins and three losses, China has secured its place in that competition with two matches to spare. Earlier on Friday, the Dominican Republic swept Thailand 25-21, 25-18, 25-23.
Canada News.Net
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Canada News.Net
China defeats Canada in final week of Women's VNL
China has secured a spot in the Final Phase of the 2025 VNL tournament after beating Canada in the group stage. ARLINGTON, United States, July 11 (Xinhua) -- The final week of the Women's Volleyball Nations League (VNL) group stage continued Friday in Arlington, Texas, where China defeated Canada 3-1 (25-22, 25-15, 22-25, 25-23) in a hard-fought encounter. Zhuang Yushan paced China with 21 points, while Wu Mengjie and Gong Xiangyu chipped in 18 and 14, respectively. Canada's attack was balanced, with Abagayle Guezen and Anna Smrek each scoring 14 points, while Emily Maglio and Andrea Mitrovic added 12 and 11. The opening set was tightly contested, with Canada staying within striking distance before China's Gong delivered a spike to take it 25-22. Trailing 10-8 early in the second set, Zhuang turned the tide with three straight heavy jump-serve aces, forcing a Canada timeout. Chen Houyu carried on the momentum with three spikes after Zhuang's serves continued to disturb the Canadian defense. China surged to a dominant 25-15 set win. Canada produced its best volleyball in the third set, riding heavy swings from its quartet of scorers, gritty digs and timely blocks to claim it 25-22. The fourth set became a nerve-jangling sprint to the finish. With a successful challenge, Canada narrowed the deficit to 24-23, but Wu's spike helped lift China at the last moment to seal the set 25-23 en route to a 3-1 win. Head coach Zhao Yong praised his young squad's resilience and their ability to adjust to the match's ebb and flow. The Final Phase of the 2025 VNL tournament will be held in Lodz, Poland from July 23 to 27. With 20 points from seven wins and three losses, China has secured its place in that competition with two matches to spare. Earlier on Friday, the Dominican Republic swept Thailand 25-21, 25-18, 25-23.
New Paper
06-07-2025
- New Paper
Photographer who lost equipment worth $10,000 retrieves it with netizens' help
A photographer who accidentally left cameras and lenses worth over $10,000 in a car park managed to retrieve them with the help of netizens. Zhuang Binghao, 39, told Shin Min Daily News that at around 8pm on June 26, he picked up his car from Marina Square after finishing work at the nearby PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay. However, he mistakenly drove off without his work bag containing two cameras, camera lenses and photos from the day's assignment. Mr Zhuang only realised this upon returning home. Despite hurrying back to the car park and enquiring at the mall's lost and found office, he could not find his work bag. As he had not made a police report, he was unable to check the car park's CCTV footage but did not leave until around 1am. He also checked his car's dashcam and whether any nearby vehicle dashcams could have captured useful footage. "The most important thing in there was the photos I shot that day. I felt really bad at the time. I thought I couldn't get it back. The stuff in there was worth five figures," said Mr Zhuang. Online appeal for help After posting an online appeal for help, a woman contacted Mr Zhuang to inform him that her friend had picked up the bag. The friend had made a Facebook post in search of the owner, but it was not visible to all due to its privacy settings. "I was really lucky. The other person had more than 200 friends on Facebook, and one of them happened to see my post and notified me."
