Value-Added Trade and Evolution of China's Comparative Advantages

Based on heterogeneity in firm's sales destinations and trade patterns, this paper estimates China's ratio of value-added exports(RVAE) using value-added trade accounting, and discusses the evolution of China's comparative advantages from the perspective of value-added trade. Our research findings suggest that without taking into account heterogeneity in firm's sales destinations and trade patterns,China's RVAE will be overestimated. Conventional gross trade accounting underestimates the export competitiveness of China's labor-intensive and capital intensive sectors, but overestimates the export competitiveness of China's technology-intensive sectors,which leads to a significant reversal of comparative advantages. Conventional gross trade accounting method overestimates the trade surplus of China's manufacturing and technology-intensive sectors with the US by about 60% and 85% respectively.

Upcycling plastic wastes into value-added products via electrocatalysis and photoelectrocatalysis

Plastic,renowned for its versatility,durability,and cost-effectiveness,is indispensable in modern society.Nevertheless,the annual production of nearly 400 million tons of plastic,coupled with a recycling rate of only 9%,has led to a monumental environmental crisis.Plastic recycling has emerged as a vital response to this crisis,offering sustainable solutions to mitigate its environmental impact.Among these recycling efforts,plastic upcycling has garnered attention,which elevates discarded plastics into higher-value products.Here,electrocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic treatments stand at the forefront of advanced plastic upcycling.Electrocatalytic or photoelectrocatalytic treatments involve chemical reactions that facilitate electron transfer through the electrode/electrolyte interface,driven by electrical or solar energy,respectively.These methods enable precise control of chemical reactions,harnessing potential,current density,or light to yield valuable chemical products.This review explores recent progress in plastic upcycling through electrocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic pathways,offering promising solutions to the plastic waste crisis and advancing sustainability in the plastics industry.

Valorization of Camellia oleifera oil processing byproducts to value-added chemicals and biobased materials: A critical review

The C.oleifera oil processing industry generates large amounts of solid wastes,including C.oleifera shell(COS)and C.oleifera cake(COC).Distinct from generally acknowledged lignocellulosic biomass(corn stover,bamboo,birch,etc.),Camellia wastes contain diverse bioactive substances in addition to the abundant lignocellulosic components,and thus,the biorefinery utilization of C.oleifera processing byproducts involves complicated processing technologies.This reviewfirst summarizes various technologies for extracting and converting the main components in C.oleifera oil processing byproducts into value-added chemicals and biobased materials,as well as their potential applications.Microwave,ultrasound,and Soxhlet extractions are compared for the extraction of functional bioactive components(tannin,flavonoid,saponin,etc.),while solvothermal conversion and pyrolysis are discussed for the conversion of lignocellulosic components into value-added chemicals.The application areas of these chemicals according to their properties are introduced in detail,including utilizing antioxidant and anti-in-flammatory properties of the bioactive substances for the specific application,as well as drop-in chemicals for the substitution of unrenewable fossil fuel-derived products.In addition to chemical production,biochar fabricated from COS and its applications in thefields of adsorption,supercapacitor,soil remediation and wood composites are comprehensively reviewed and discussed.Finally,based on the compositions and structural characteristics of C.oleifera byproducts,the development of full-component valorization strategies and the expansion of the appli-cationfields are proposed.

Catalytic recycling of plastics into value-added products

The overuse and ineffective management of plastics have led to significant environmental pollution. Catalytic upcycling into value-added chemicals has emerged as a promising solution. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in catalytic upcycling, focusing on the cleavage of chemical bonds such as carbon-carbon (C-C), carbon-oxygen (C-O), and carbon-hydrogen (C-H) in plastics. It systematically discusses plastics conversion via electrocatalysis, thermal catalysis, and photocatalysis. Additionally, it explores the conversion of plastics into value-added chemicals and functional polymers. The review also addresses the challenges in this field and aims to offer insights for developing sustainable and effective plastics upcycling technologies.

A Platform for Global Trade Cooperation --CIIE has tapped considerable potential for developing countries to export value-added products to China

“In a changing trade landscape,the CIIE testifies to the fact that China continues to be open to importing products,services,and investment from around the world—including from small businesses in developing countries,”said Pamela Coke-Hamilton,executive director of the International Trade Center(ITC),in an exclusive interview with China Report ASEAN at the opening ceremony of the sixth CIIE in Shanghai.

The Impact of Value-Added Trade on Global Economic Comovement

Using a value-added accounting framework,we conducted empirical research to analyze product value-added in accordance with the principle of value-sourcing and value-absorption areas,so as to decode"the trade-comovement puzzle."As our study shows,value-added trade can provide a significant positive stimulus for the economic comovement,but it is marked by asymmetry between hub and spoke countries with the former having a pivotal role.Our analysis of cohesive subgroups indicates that cohesive subgroups and value-added trade are complementary.When bilateral countries belong to the same subgroup,the intensity of their value-added trade exerts an increasing influence on the economic comovement.China has adopted a non-equilibrium opening up strategy and has actively boosted value-added linkages with hub countries;its utilization of the correlative effect of economic growth will enable it to achieve convergence with the growth of high-income economies.At the same time,China is taking advantage of being the core node in the Belt and Road trade network and is continuing to boost the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative,providing channels for countries along the Belt and Road to integrate into the global value-added system of division of labor and building a global economic environment that features win-win collaboration and co-development.

Reactive ball-milling synthesis of Co-Fe bimetallic catalyst for efficient hydrogenation of carbon dioxide to value-added hydrocarbons

Catalytic hydrogenation of CO_(2) using renewable hydrogen not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions,but also provides industrial chemicals.Herein,a Co-Fe bimetallic catalyst was developed by a facile reactive ball-milling method for highly active and selective hydrogenation of CO_(2) to value-added hydrocarbons.When reacted at 320℃,1.0 MPa and 9600 mL h^(-1) g_(cat)^(-1),the selectivity to light olefin(C_(2)^(=)-C_(4)^(=)) and C_(5)+ species achieves 57.3% and 22.3%,respectively,at a CO_(2) co nversion of 31.4%,which is superior to previous Fe-based catalysts.The CO_(2) activation can be promoted by the CoFe phase formed by reactive ball milling of the Fe-Co_(3)O_(4) mixture,and the in-situ Co_(2)C and Fe_(5)C_(2) formed during hydrogenation are beneficial for the C-C coupling reaction.The initial C-C coupling is related to the combination of CO species with the surface carbon of Fe/Co carbides,and the sustained C-C coupling is maintained by self-recovery of defective carbides.This new strategy contributes to the development of efficient catalysts for the hydrogenation of CO_(2) to value-added hydrocarbons.

International Competitiveness of China’s Manufacturing Sectors:Estimation Based on Trade in Value-added

Based on trade in value-added, this paper has estimated the revealed comparative advantage （RCA） of China＇s various manufacturing sectors between 1995 and 2011 and compared with the RCA indexes measured using conventional aggregate accounting approach. Results indicate that： （1） the RCA index measured using conventional aggregate accounting approach has underestimated China＇s comparative advantage of labor-intensive sectors but overestimated China＇s comparative advantage in capital, knowledge and technology-intensive manufacturing sectors, giving rise to a serious misjudgment. （2） The RCA measured using value-added approach shows that in the industry chain layout of global manufacturing sectors, China＇s comparative advantage is still concentrated in labor-intensive manufacturing sectors but has signs of weakening; in capital, knowledge and technology-intensive sectors, China is yet to develop any significant comparative advantage; there are signs that China is developing comparative advantage in capital-intensive sectors yet China＇s comparative disadvantage in knowledge and technology-intensive sectors has no significant tendency to improve. This result not only helps correct the misjudgment of China＇s competitiveness in manufacturing sectors based on conventional aggregate accounting approach but offers important policy implications for setting strategic directions and policies for China＇s manufacturing transition and upgrade.

Temporal and spatial evolution of global major grain trade patterns

The complex and volatile international landscape has significantly impacted global grain supply security. This study uses a complex network analysis model to examine the evolution and trends of the global major grain trade from 1990 to 2020, focusing on network topology, centrality ranking, and community structure. There are three major findings. First, the global major grain trade network has expanded in scale, with a growing emphasis on diversification and balance. During the study period, the United States, Canada, China, and Brazil were the core nodes of the network. Grain-exporting countries were mainly situated in Asia, the Americas, and Europe, and importing countries in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Second, a significant increase in the number of high centrality countries with high export capacity occurred, benefiting from natural advantages such as fertile land and favorable climates. Third, the main global grain trade network is divided into four communities, with the Americas-Europe community being the largest and most widespread. The formation of the community pattern was influenced by geographic proximity, driven by the core exporting countries. Therefore, the world needs to enhance the existing trade model, promote the multi-polarization of the grain trade network, and establish a global vision for the future community. Countries and regions should participate actively in global grain trade security governance and institutional reform, expand trade links with other countries, and optimize import and export policies to reduce trade risks.

Impact of BRICS Trade Facilitation on China's Exports Using Cross-Border E-Commerce

With the rapid growth of the global digital economy, cross-border e-commerce, as an emerging form of trade, has gradually become a powerful engine to promote the development of global trade. BRICS is an important force in the global economy, and the progress of the BRICS countries' trade facilitation level has an important impact on the global trade environment. This paper conducts an in-depth study of the dynamic changes in BRICS trade facilitation from 2013 to 2022, and uses an extended gravity model to analyze the specific impact of this change on China's exports using cross-border e-commerce. The results show that although the BRICS countries have made some progress in trade facilitation, the overall level still needs to be improved, and there are obvious differences among member countries. However, the improvement of trade facilitation among BRICS countries has undoubtedly brought significant positive effects to China's exports using cross-border e-commerce.

Sharing Smart Services,Jointly Promoting Trade Development

In 2024,the China International Fair for Trade in Services (hereinafter referred to as CIFTIS) opened in the China National Convention Center and Shougang Park on September 12th.The theme of the CIFTIS this time was"global services,shared prosperity",which is not only a window for allowing the world to discover the development of China's service trade,but is also a bridge for promoting global cooperation with regards to the service trade.As one of the world-famous service trade events,the CIFTIS has become an important business card allowing China to open up.The CIFTIS has attracted the attention of the whole world and become a bridge for all parties to share development opportunities,promote industrial growth,and strengthen communication.

World Trade Organization Reform and the Role of the Global South

Under the impact of unilateralism and protectionism,trade disputes among countries have increased in recent years,bringing uncertainty to global trade and jeopardizing the multilateral trading system.The World Trade Organization(WTO)plays a crucial role in the development of the global economy and trade.It also plays a key role in maintaining a fair,open and sustainable international trade environment,and provides a solid foundation for the development of global economy and trade.As the Global South has played an important role in promoting WTO reform and safeguarding the rights and interests of developing countries,it’s important to further strengthen its solidarity,actively participate in the reform of the global trade governance system and promote the building of a more open,fair and balanced global trade environment.

Production and trade trend of oils and oilseeds in BRICS countries

In order to promote agricultural production and trade cooperation among BRICS countries,and ensure the security and stability of the oils and oilseeds industrial and supply chains in China and the world,the production,consumption,trade trend,and cooperation potential of oils and oilseeds in BRICS countries were expounded,and relevant policy recommendations were put forward.Most of the BRICS countries are major agricultural producers,and they are also important agricultural product consumption markets in the world.In 2023/2024,the production and consumption of oilseeds in BRICS countries account for nearly half of the world's total;the production of vegetable oils exceeds a quarter of the world's total,and the consumption of vegetable oils accounts for 40%of the world's total.In 2023/2024,the import and export volume of oilseeds exceeds half of the world's total;vegetable oil imports account for 40%of the world's total,and exports account for about one tenth of the world's total.China's imports of oilseeds and oils from BRICS countries account for 68%and 29%of its global imports in 2023,respectively.BRICS countries are rich in agricultural land resources,have great potential for oils and oilseeds production,obvious complementary advantages in trade structure,and huge space for future cooperation.It is suggested that Brazil should be included in the"Belt and Road"co-construction category to promote the continuous deepening of agricultural cooperation between China and Brazil.It is suggested to explore regional agricultural trade agreements among BRICS countries,promote currency settlement and exchange among BRICS countries,and enhance the facilitation and stability of BRICS trade.It is suggested that China should increase its investment in BRICS countries and export advanced technology and management experience to benefit local agricultural development and achieve a mutually beneficial and win-win situation.

Specialization or Diversification:Which is More Conducive to Foreign Trade Resilience?Evidence from China-Russia Border Regions in Northeast China

Under the background of complex international situation,how to build the special geo-economic space of China-Russia bor-der lies in strengthening their foreign trade resilience against external shocks.Based on empirical evidence from ten prefecture-level China-Russia border regions in Northeast China,this paper analyzed the spatiotemporal evolution of foreign trade resilience under dif-ferent shocks.Furthermore,through the Panel Regression model,the mechanism of the industrial structure on the foreign trade resili-ence in contraction period and expansion period was discussed.The results showed that:1)from 2004 to 2021,foreign trade in China-Russia border regions experienced five phases.The overall foreign trade resilience was higher than expected,showing a rising volatility trend,but there was significant spatial heterogeneity in the ability of cities to cope with shocks.2)Highly specialized clusters were mainly concentrated in Yichun,Heihe and Da Hinggan Ling Prefecture,while Mudanjiang and Yanbian performed better in related and unrelated diversification.3)In different stages of economic system evolution,the response mode,degree and result of border foreign trade resilience to regional industrial structure showed obvious stage characteristics.During the contraction period,related diversifica-tion was more conducive to improving the resistance through risk spillovers.During the expansion period,specialization played a more significant role in improving regional resilience through self-reinforcing effect.These results are beneficial for expanding the resilience theory,ensuring border economic security and optimizing border industrial investment layout.

How Can Foreign Trade Be Stabilized?

At an economy-themed press conference held on the day of the Second Session of the 14th National People's Congress,Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao admitted that the situation of foreign trade situation is still"very severe"this year.When it comes to the future policies for stabilizing foreign trade,Wang Wentao said that the government will provide better financial services forforeign trade enterprises.

Policies Aiming at Stabilizing Foreign Trade Continue to Work

On May 30,t he Ch ina Council for the Promotion of International Trade(CCPIT)held a regular press conference.Zhao Ping,the spokesperson for the CCPIT,said that since the beginning of this year,the number of issued ATA Carnets has increased significantly,reflecting the fact that China’s foreign trade policy portfolio is taking effect,foreign trade enterprises have been more active,and their motivation and enthusiasm for expanding the international market have continued to rise.

Facilitating Trade Across Borders

“The Government Work Report noted that‘development of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor will be accelerated’,”stated Wei Zhaohui,member of the Standing Committee of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference(CPPCC)and director-general of the Guangxi International Expo Affairs Bureau,in an interview after the Second Session of the 14th National People’s Congress on March 5.

Next-Level Relations China-Laos Economic and Trade Cooperation Exchange Conference fortifies bilateral economic ties

On September 5,the ChinaLaos Economic and Trade Cooperation Exchange Conference,themed"Highlevel Opening-up and Building a China-Laos Community with a Shared Future,"took place in Vientiane,capital of Laos.The purpose of the conference was to review the achievements of bilateral economic and trade cooperation and work together to develop the roadmap to high-quality development of China-Laos economic and trade cooperation by focusing on shared goals,pooling strength,and adhering to results-oriented collaboration.

Enhancement of Competitiveness of Border Trade Entrepreneurs: Case Study of Su-Ngai Kolok Checkpoint, Narathiwat Province

This research aimed to analyze the enhancement of competitiveness among fruit and vegetable export entrepreneurs,with the case study of the Su-ngai Kolok checkpoint in Narathiwat Province.This research focused on three objectives:(1)examining how competitiveness is enhanced through government support and the development of border trade zones,(2)studying the supply chain dynamics,including strategic factors and opportunities in agricultural product management,and(3)developing a model for border trade to strengthen exporters’capabilities.The research employed qualitative methods,with data collected from 25 informants through interviews and employed descriptive methods.The research results revealed that:(1)government agencies play a crucial role in improving competitiveness by developing border economic zones and trade policies;additionally,(2)the research highlighted the importance of strategic partnerships,network building,and efficient logistics along the value chain;(3)the proposed Border Trade Model includes elements for instance government policy,partnerships,entrepreneurial potential,and transportation channels,aiming to enhance the overall efficiency and effectiveness of vegetable and fruit exporters in the region.

The Influence of the Implementation of Trade Facilitation Systems on the Time Required for Creating Delivery Orders: A Case Study of Tema Port

This study evaluated the impact of Ghana’s Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS), implemented within the National Single Window initiative, on the efficiency of issuing Delivery Orders (DO) at Tema Port. Filling a gap in the existing literature, the research employed a quantitative approach to assess a specific time-related aspect of the cargo clearance process. Employing an Independent t-test on a dataset spanning 2026 Delivery Orders (924 pre-ICUMS and 1102 post-ICUMS) from July 2020 to July 2023, the study investigated ICUMS’s effectiveness in reducing DO issuance time. Results indicate a noteworthy decrease in average DO issuance time, from 11 days pre-implementation to approximately 9 days post-implementation, a reduction validated by statistical analysis through the independent t-test. In light of these findings, the study recommends ongoing refinement of the implementation, reinforcement of trade facilitation measures, and the adoption of best practices from successful global ports. Continuous stakeholder training and regular assessments of ICUMS performance are also endorsed. The study’s implications support the theoretical framework for Single Window systems and carry significant policy implications, emphasizing the need for collaborative efforts to streamline trade facilitation processes driven by Information Technology. Practically, the results serve as a management tool for stakeholders, highlighting areas for targeted interventions to reduce DO issuance times. Methodologically, this research contributes by applying robust statistical analysis to a specific component within the Time Release Study framework, offering a nuanced understanding of trade facilitation systems’ effectiveness in improving cargo clearance processes.