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South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hard to pivot: why China's exporters struggle to sell at home despite trade war
A Chinese company that exports straws and food packaging materials spent 30 million yuan (US$4.16 million) last year to comply with stricter environmental standards in Western countries. Although the costs to upgrade its production facilities were steep – roughly equivalent to the profits the firm would make selling tens of millions of straws – the potential in the US and European markets seemed to justify the investment. Advertisement And they were right – in theory. By betting on the growing environmental awareness among Western consumers, Soton Daily Necessities, based in Zhejiang province, went the extra mile – adopting a tech- and capital-intensive strategy to ensure that even a simple straw could be good for the planet. The only thing the company had failed to plan for was April's trade war, and the precarious situation it would unleash on unsuspecting exporters. 'Anyone with sound logic would not expect a US president to go to such an extreme,' Soton's deputy president, Mao Bin, told local media in Zhejiang. Advertisement
South China Morning Post
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- South China Morning Post
China directs state bodies to buy more home-made EVs for official use
China's central government has directed state institutions and ministries to purchase more domestic electric vehicles (EVs), in the latest effort to promote environmentally friendly automobiles for official use. Advertisement No specific target was mentioned, but Cui Dongshu, general secretary of the China Passenger Car Association, said the move showed the government's backing for home-made EVs and that it could influence others to buy more of the vehicles. Still, Cui said the directive – published by state media Xinhua News Agency on Sunday – may have a limited impact on the industry. Official procurement accounts for a relatively small share of the national market, he added, with the public sector making up only around 10 per cent of auto sales. Beijing has promoted the purchase of electric vehicles by state institutions since 2017, when it published official guidelines on their procurement. In December 2024, the Ministry of Finance issued a circular stating that EVs must account for at least 30 per cent of total annual vehicle purchases by ministry-level authorities and affiliated units nationwide. Advertisement This followed a requirement last October from the National Government Offices Administration that called for more battery-powered vehicles in government fleets, and directed departments to purchase EVs priced under 180,000 yuan (US$25,000) – part of ongoing efforts to cut costs.
