1.Trump considers privatizing the U.S. Postal Service

On December 17, it was reported that sources familiar with the matter revealed that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has shown strong interest in privatizing the U.S. Postal Service in recent weeks. The U.S. Postal Service has accumulated losses exceeding $100 billion since 2007. In the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, the company posted a net loss of $9.5 billion, an increase of $3 billion compared to the previous year, mainly due to higher non-cash employee compensation expenses. Upon learning of the annual losses, Trump reportedly stated that the government should not subsidize the service. Trump has discussed the idea of privatizing postal services with his nominated Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick.  

Source: The Washington Post

2.Eastern Airlines releases November key operating data

On December 17, China Eastern Airlines released its key operational data for November 2024. The available freight ton-kilometers for November was 734.93 million, with revenue freight ton-kilometers (RFTK) reaching 306.29 million, a year-on-year increase of 12.33%, reaching 105.30% of the same period in 2019. The cargo tonnage carried was 91.68 million kilograms, a 5.14% year-on-year increase, with a cargo load factor of 41.68%, up 5.01 percentage points.  

Source: China Eastern Airlines

3.China Southern Airlines releases November key operating data

On December 17, China Southern Airlines released its key operational data for November 2024. In terms of cargo, the airline's cargo capacity (measured in available ton-kilometers for cargo and mail) increased by 1.98% year-on-year in November 2024. The revenue ton-kilometers (RTK) for cargo and mail rose by 7.71%, and the load factor for cargo and mail was 55.74%, up by 2.96 percentage points. Cargo revenue ton-kilometers were 822.14 million, with total freight and mail tonnage at 159.56 thousand tons, and international cargo and mail tonnage at 73.85 thousand tons.  

Source: China Southern Airlines

4.Air China releases November key operating data

On December 17, Air China released its key operational data for November 2024. The airline's cargo capacity (measured in available freight ton-kilometers) increased by 18.4% year-on-year, and revenue cargo ton-kilometers increased by 20.9%. The cargo load factor was 38.3%, up by 0.8 percentage points. Revenue cargo and mail ton-kilometers were 427.0 million, with freight and mail tonnage at 134,835.1 thousand tons, and international freight and mail tonnage at 39,923.4 thousand tons.  

Source: Air China

5.China Postal Airlines successfully completes first flight to South Asia

On December 17, China Postal Airlines announced that its CF283 flight, carrying 28 tons of cross-border e-commerce and manufacturing goods, took off from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and safely landed at Dhaka International Airport in Bangladesh at 3:21 PM. This marks the official launch of China Post's "Chengdu-Dhaka" all-cargo international flight route. The route will be operated by a Boeing 757-200F aircraft, with two flights per week, on Wednesdays and Sundays, and additional flights may be added based on demand.  

Source: China Postal Airlines

6.JD Express expands international services to 9 European countries

On December 17, JD Express International launched its international express services to 9 European countries, including Ireland, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Greece, Hungary, and Lithuania. Consumers in these countries can now receive JD Express deliveries from China, and domestic consumers in China can have their packages picked up within one hour of placing an order via the JD Express app or mini-program.  

Source: JD Logistics Blackboard

7.TikTok surpasses TEMU and SHEIN in the U.S.

On December 17, it was reported by Appfigures that TikTok was the second most downloaded app in November on the App Store and Play Store, with 45 million downloads. TEMU ranked 7th with 30 million downloads. According to a report from the 2025 Consumer Trends Survey, which surveyed over 3,000 U.S. consumers, 80% of respondents who used TikTok at least once a month were aware of TikTok Shop, indicating its growing influence. This has helped TikTok surpass retailers like Sephora and SHEIN in U.S. consumer spending during Q3. TikTok has led the growth of social media shopping apps in the U.S., though its future is uncertain due to potential federal bans.  

Source: Appfigures

8. TEMU launches local seller program in Mexico

On December 17, TEMU announced the launch of its local seller program in Mexico, inviting Mexican sellers to join the platform to reduce dependency on Chinese imports and strengthen collaboration with local businesses. The program targets Mexican enterprises with local inventory and the ability to manage logistics independently. This localized approach will help speed up product delivery, improve efficiency, and expand the supply of locally sourced products. Selected sellers will manage their own logistics and ship from local warehouses, reducing delivery times.  

Source: Expansion

9.Mercado Libre to launch "International Purchases" cross-border e-commerce service 

On December 17, Mercado Libre announced the launch of its "International Purchases" service in Argentina, allowing Argentine consumers to buy directly from overseas sellers. The service began a preliminary rollout on December 16, with a full launch after Christmas to ensure smooth platform operations and avoid holiday season logistics and delivery issues. To expand its product range, Mercado Libre is working with U.S. sellers already operating on its Mexican platform to bring their products into the Argentine market.  

Source: La Nacion

10.Xinjiang launches its first cargo route to London

On December 17, a flight carrying 50 tons of cross-border e-commerce export goods from Urumqi Diwopu International Airport to London marked the official launch of a direct cargo route between Urumqi and London. This is Xinjiang’s first cargo route to London. With the rapid development of cross-border e-commerce in Xinjiang, the route has been secured with a stable supply of goods. The new direct cargo route will lower operational costs for businesses and provide more efficient logistics services for trade between Xinjiang and Western Europe.  

Source: China News Service

11.MSC launches a new route

On December 17, MSC announced the launch of a new direct Koala service at the Port of Adelaide, connecting China, Australia, and Indonesia. The MSC "Sijing," flying under the Liberian flag, is scheduled to depart Shanghai on December 18 and will make stops at the following ports: Shanghai (China), Hong Kong (China), Jakarta (Indonesia), Fremantle (Australia), and Adelaide (Australia), before returning to Shanghai. This new route will greatly enhance logistics and trade efficiency between these regions.  

Source: MSC

12.Guangdong's imports and exports grow by 10% in the first 11 months of the year

On December 17, it was announced that Guangdong's foreign trade imports and exports totaled 8.27 trillion yuan in the first 11 months of 2024, a 10% year-on-year increase, surpassing the national growth rate by 5.1 percentage points. This accounts for 20.8% of China's total foreign trade. Exports were 5.37 trillion yuan, an 8.7% increase, and imports were 2.9 trillion yuan, up 12.6%.  

Source: Guangdong Customs

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