On the occasion of the Building Bridges event in Guangzhou, the Wallonia Export & Investment Agency – AWEX interviewed Liam Jia, EU SME Centre Team Leader. The discussion touched upon the internationalisation dynamics of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the support available to SMEs exporting from Europe to China, including with EU-funded initiatives such as the EU SME Centre.
Most European SME exporters continue to conduct trade exclusively within the EU Single Market. Those looking to export to markets beyond the EU often need assistance to navigate market entry, access to financing, and regulatory barriers. As Liam points out, the first step when assisting companies that are considering to enter the Chinese market is to help them to assess their China strategy in relation to their global strategy. This includes helping them to identify existing protocols and eligibility frameworks for their products, available opportunities but also market entry costs, competition and brand positioning.
The interview delves into the challenges often encountered by SMEs, as well as approaches available for newcomers to avoid pitfalls, with or without a physical presence in China. Cross-border e-commerce is now favoured by many as a means to test the market, as it comes with lower costs and opportunities to gauge consumers’ interest in a company’s products. However, CBEC is restricted to products on a Positive List as well as in sales volume. SMEs with a long-term strategy in the market still stand to benefit from general trade.
For more information on CBEC and an English translation of the Positive List, read our Report on Cross-Border E-Commerce >
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