Shaping new advantages in green trade
The recently held executive meeting of the State Council deployed measures to expand green trade, clearly stating that "developing green trade is an important measure to promote trade optimization and upgrading, help achieve carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals, and accelerate the construction of a trading power", highlighting the important position of green trade in the overall national strategy. China is taking systematic measures to deeply integrate the concept of green and low-carbon into the entire process of building a strong trading nation, striving to shape new international competitive advantages for the future.
Currently, the green reconstruction process of global economic and trade rules is significantly accelerating, and a new international competition order based on green and low-carbon standards is taking shape. China's foreign trade development is undergoing profound changes. This State Council executive meeting focuses on the overall situation and establishes green trade as a key engine driving industrial upgrading and high-quality trade development. It aims to use green as the "golden key" to open a new stage of building a strong trading nation and enable China to continue to strive for excellence in the global green economy wave.
The grand goal requires a solid, powerful, and efficient policy system as a guarantee. The meeting proposed to accelerate the improvement of the green trade policy and institutional system, and strengthen the coordination and integration with policies related to industry, technology, finance, taxation, and finance. This indicates the methodology for promoting the development of green trade - systematic promotion. A single policy tool is no longer sufficient to address the complex challenges of green and low-carbon transformation, and a combination of punches must be played well. Industrial policies need to accurately guide the investment layout of green and low-carbon industries, technology policies need to focus on breaking through key green technology bottlenecks, fiscal and tax policies can provide incentives through green procurement, tax incentives, and other means, while financial policies need to continuously innovate green financial products to provide ample funding for the green transformation of foreign trade enterprises. Cross departmental and multi domain policy collaboration will create a stable, transparent, and predictable macro environment, reduce the institutional costs of green and low-carbon transformation for enterprises, and stimulate endogenous motivation.
In the process of promoting the green and low-carbon transformation of foreign trade, some small and medium-sized enterprises still face the practical dilemma of "where to turn and how to turn". The meeting emphasized the need to enhance the green and low-carbon development capabilities of foreign trade enterprises. This not only enhances the ability to cope with international carbon barriers, but also is an important path for enterprises to enhance product added value and forge lasting competitiveness. To promote green design and production in enterprises, the concept of green and low-carbon should be integrated throughout the entire lifecycle of products, from research and development design, raw material procurement, production and manufacturing to marketing and recycling. At the same time, the proposal of "building a green trade public service platform" put forward at the conference is of great practical significance. By providing one-stop standard interpretation, certification guidance, market information and other services for enterprises, especially some small and medium-sized enterprises, it can help enterprises better grasp changes in international market demand, enhance green development awareness, and improve low-carbon transformation capabilities.
Under open economic conditions, the development of green trade must have a global perspective. The meeting called for "expanding the import and export of related products and technologies" and "accelerating the establishment of a green and low-carbon product, technology, and service standard system that is in line with international standards", which has strong practical pertinence and strategic foresight. In recent years, the international game around green and low-carbon development and ecological environment issues has become increasingly fierce. Actively participating in the formulation of international standards and promoting mutual recognition of international standards is not only a technical means to break down potential "green barriers", but also a strategic measure to enhance discourse power and strengthen soft power in global green governance. It will open up broader international markets for China's advanced green products, technologies, and services, and achieve a positive interaction between high-level "introduction" and high-quality "going out".
Green trade is a powerful link that connects high-quality domestic development with global green and low-carbon transformation. Deeply integrating the concept of green and low-carbon into the construction of a strong trading nation is an important choice for us to seize the initiative in development in the new era. It requires the whole society to gather consensus, form a joint force, and follow this hopeful green path towards a more sustainable and resilient future. (Jin Guanping)