Guangxi's foreign trade sees surge in tech-intensive green product exports

Photo shows a scene from a smart factory of automaker SAIC-GM-Wuling in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Photo/Qin Ke)

The new energy industry is expanding quickly in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Here, exports of three key technology-intensive green products — electric passenger vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, and solar cells, collectively known as the "new trio" — have been steadily increasing, becoming a new highlight of the region's foreign trade.

Data showed that in 2023, Guangxi's total exports of these products reached 15.57 billion yuan ($2.16 billion), a 1.9-fold increase, contributing 2.8 percentage points to the region's overall export growth during the same period. Notably, the region's exports of electric passenger vehicles soared 8.8 times, reaching 6.18 billion yuan.

Guangxi's top three export destinations for the "new trio" are the European Union, ASEAN, and India.

The shift in foreign trade from traditional items such as clothing, household appliances, and furniture to these new technology-intensive products signifies further optimization of Guangxi's export product mix and an enhancement in foreign trade performance, according to a Nanning Customs official.

Liuzhou city in Guangxi is making significant efforts to become an internationally recognized hub for the new energy vehicle (NEV) industry. It is the home of renowned automotive companies such as SAIC-GM Wuling, Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor Co., Ltd., and Guangxi Automobile Group Co., Ltd.

Since 2023, SAIC-GM-Wuling has been expanding its presence in new overseas markets. By offering tailored solutions to meet customer needs in various countries, the company's NEVs have become popular abroad.

Photo displays new energy vehicles from Guangxi Automobile Group Co., Ltd., ready for export to North America. (Photo/Huang Huixian)

Last year, SAIC-GM-Wuling exported a total of 211,500 vehicles, up 9 percent from the previous year, including 24,094 NEVs from Liuzhou and other ports, a 165 percent increase from the year before. The company's local unit in Indonesia sold 10,651 NEVs in 2023, up 130 percent from the previous year, with the NEV market share exceeding 46 percent.

As Chinese NEV giant BYD's largest global battery production base, Nanning, the capital of Guangxi, is vigorously promoting the development of a cluster of emerging industries led by battery manufacturing.

Liuzhou Gotion Battery Co., Ltd., primarily engaged in lithium-ion battery production and export business, reported that its power battery exports reached 2.2 billion yuan in 2023, a year-on-year increase of 57.1 percent, with India and Vietnam being its main export destinations.

In recent years, key new energy industries in Guangxi, such as wind power, photovoltaics, and energy storage, have developed rapidly. The region has attracted 11 wind power equipment manufacturers and more than 22 companies involved in new types of energy-storage batteries.

Photo depicts vehicles exhibited at the 20th China-ASEAN Expo Roadshow (Singapore) & Guangxi Export Fair held in Singapore in 2023. (Photo courtesy of the Commerce Department of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region)

To accelerate the exports of the "new trio," Guangxi has implemented multiple measures this year to support foreign trade companies in enhancing their international competitiveness. It has also coordinated support from the financial and credit insurance sectors to encourage enterprises to expand their exports.

Guangxi will provide precise services for exporting the "new trio" in areas such as market exploration, customs clearance facilitation, and policy support, according to an official with the regional department of commerce.

The official added that the region will also leverage the role of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) public service platforms and establish workstations to help enterprises explore new markets.