On July 18th, the 8th Shenzhen International Intelligent Equipment Industry Expo and the 11th Shenzhen International Electronic Equipment Industry Expo grandly opened at the Shenzhen International Convention and Exhibition Center.

4PX Vice President Dai Bin was invited to attend the 2024 Southeast Asia Strategic Summit Forum on Intelligent Manufacturing, held concurrently with the expo. During the forum, he engaged in an in-depth discussion with industry experts from multinational companies in Singapore, Vietnam, and other countries on the theme of "Opportunities and Challenges in Southeast Asian Trade and Investment," sharing insights and experiences.

The Southeast Asian market is one of the fastest-growing markets in the world. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the GDP growth rate in Southeast Asia is projected to average approximately 5.2% annually over the next five years. This growth is primarily driven by a large and young population providing labor and consumer markets, increasing foreign investment, trade and investment flows promoted by regional economic cooperation, and the development of emerging industries driven by digitalization and technological innovation.

Dai Bin stated that whether they are manufacturing enterprises, e-commerce companies, or service trade firms, businesses should not blindly pursue so-called blue ocean markets when expanding overseas. Enterprises need to conduct in-depth local investigations and strengthen their own supply chain capabilities to ensure supply chain security.

Compared to regions such as Europe and the United States, the psychological and habitual behaviors of Southeast Asian consumers are more similar to ours. This is one of the reasons why an increasing number of companies prefer to expand into Southeast Asia in recent years, as it can save operational costs. For instance, replicating the domestic e-commerce live streaming model in Southeast Asia has indeed achieved some impressive results.

The robust economic development and increasing market demand in Southeast Asia provide ample opportunities for Chinese enterprises to extend their supply chains to this region. However, for companies to better expand internationally, they must enhance their supply chain operations. In the localization development of cross-border e-commerce, strong financial support, familiarity with local partners, deep market knowledge, and understanding of local policies are essential.

Dai Bin mentioned, "Localization research cannot be driven solely by a company's culture. It requires comprehensive operational management, intelligent technology support, and refined management models."

Only by establishing unique supply chain capabilities can enterprises win in local overseas competition and stand out among local brands and other Chinese brands expanding internationally. The key lies in achieving digital transformation of the supply chain, leveraging technologies such as artificial intelligence to improve supply chain efficiency, and focusing on the flexibility and innovation of the supply chain.

On one hand, utilizing big data, artificial intelligence, and other technologies for demand forecasting, inventory optimization, supplier management, and logistics route planning can improve overall supply chain efficiency and reduce operating costs.

On the other hand, in the face of the ever-changing global market, companies expanding overseas need a highly innovative supply chain to ensure rapid response to market demands, frequent and high-quality product updates, and effective supplier management.

This summit forum provided valuable opportunities for participants to exchange ideas. Guests discussed how to manage supply chain, taxation, talent, logistics, and other challenges when expanding into Southeast Asia, jointly promoting the successful international expansion of Chinese companies in the global intelligent manufacturing field, and helping enterprises better understand and leverage the potential of the Southeast Asian market.

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WeChat Official Account: Cross-Border E-commerce Logistics Baixiaosheng