A new energy car slowly sailed into the "COSCO Shengshi" ro-ro ship. After completing the operation, the cars will be sold to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other Middle East markets ...... This is the scene that the reporter of the Economic Reference News recently saw at the Meixi Ro-Ro terminal in Ningbo Zhoushan Port. 

　　At the beginning of 2023, China's new energy vehicle exports showed strong momentum, with a 48.2% year-on-year increase in January. Industry insiders point out that China's new energy vehicle industry chain is complete, the supply chain is stable, and with increased support from diversified policies, the "going abroad" process will press the "fast forward" button this year. While deepening the layout, enterprises should also pay attention to market risks and adjust their strategies to the characteristics of different regions to consolidate and enhance the global influence of Chinese brands.

　　Stepping up innovation and practising "internal strength"

　　In Link's Yuyao factory, the highly automated production line is busy with machines and equipment, but few workers. Wang Jianyong, senior manager of the factory's stamping workshop, introduced that the two five-sequence stamping lines have now been fully automated and can make a stamped part in as little as two seconds.

　　In recent years, China's domestic automobile industry has ushered in the tide of electrification and intelligence, and the export of new energy vehicles has become one of the "three new types" of China's foreign trade. Data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) shows that for the year 2022, domestic exports of new energy vehicles reached 679,000 units, an increase of 1.2 times year-on-year.

　　According to Yang Yiqing, professor of Zhejiang Business Research Institute of Zhejiang University of Industry and Commerce, in recent years, domestic car enterprises have continued to invest in design, manufacturing, research and development and other key aspects, and the development of new energy passenger cars has gradually become an important breakthrough in the transformation of a large automotive country into a strong automotive country.

　　Guangzhou Automobile Group, for example, has advanced battery technologies such as sponge silicon negative cell battery technology, super fast-charging battery technology, magazine battery system safety technology and a new generation of super-energy lithium iron battery technology based on microcrystalline technology. At present, the second smart manufacturing centre of EAN has been completed and put into operation, and the overall planned annual production capacity has exceeded 400,000 vehicles.

　　Innovation is inseparable from the upstream and downstream of the industry chain to work together. Zhejiang Songwon Automotive Safety Systems Co., Ltd. is mainly engaged in the research and development of seat belt assembly, airbag steering wheel assembly and special seats and other automotive passive safety system manufacturing, the enterprise's annual investment in research and development accounted for more than 4% of sales, products and foreign advanced technology benchmarking. "Domestic auto parts and accessories enterprises continue to increase their investment in R&D, and the fit with domestic brand OEMs is also increasing, reflecting the advantages of our complete industrial chain." Songwon's secretary of the board of directors, Ye Shen, introduced.

　　Many parties continue to make efforts to escort

　　Behind the expanding overseas footprint of Chinese new energy vehicle brands, in addition to technical innovation, also depends on the support of policies and logistics supply chain.

　　The Ministry of Commerce has previously said that it will continue to work with relevant departments to support new energy vehicle enterprises to accelerate the construction of overseas marketing and after-sales service networks, and increase brand promotion efforts. Encourage overseas institutions of Chinese banks that are in a position to do so to provide overseas consumer financial products. Research to broaden export transportation channels and transport new energy vehicles through China-European trains.

　　Many places have also introduced initiatives to escort the development of the industry. For example, the Shenzhen Central Sub-Branch of the People's Bank of China, together with the Shenzhen Banking and Insurance Regulatory Bureau and four other departments, recently issued the "Opinions on Shenzhen's Financial Support for the High-Quality Development of the New Energy Vehicle Industry Chain", which proposes to optimise cross-border financial services to support new energy vehicle enterprises to "go to sea"; Guangxi recently issued the "Programme for Further Deepening the Reform and Opening of the China (Guangxi) Free Trade Guangxi recently introduced the "Further deepening the reform and opening up of the China (Guangxi) Free Trade Pilot Zone", mentioning that it will accelerate the building of cross-border industry chain supply chains for ASEAN, such as automobiles and new energy vehicles, and vigorously promote the construction of new energy vehicle industry clusters.

　　The strong export demand also tests the support capacity of the logistics supply chain. Data from the China Association of the Shipbuilding Industry shows that in 2022, 69 Chinese car carriers were traded, up 90% year-on-year, with new orders accounting for 88.7% of the global total.

　　"Influenced by the strong demand for the export of new energy vehicles, the current international shipping market is relatively tight in terms of ro-ro capacity." Han Dong, deputy general manager of Ningbo Meidong Container Terminal Co Ltd, said that Meixi Ro-Ro terminal in Meishan port area of Ningbo Zhoushan port has taken the initiative to establish cooperation with domestic host manufacturers and foreign trade shipping companies.

　　It is reported that at present, the export of new energy vehicles is mainly by sea, but the cost and threshold of railway transport is being further reduced. Recently, the State Railway Bureau and other issued "on the support of new energy commodity car railway transport services for the development of new energy vehicle industry," then said, actively encourage railway transport enterprises to carry out new energy commodity car railway transport business, clear railway transport is not managed by dangerous goods.

　　The reporter learned from the General Administration of Customs that Chongqing, Guangdong, Henan and other places have successfully launched special trains for new energy vehicles on the China-European train, through the establishment of a "green channel" for automobile exports, to further compress customs clearance time and smooth the supply chain of the international logistics chain.

　　Domestic brands "go abroad" to accelerate

　　"China's new energy vehicle supply chain is stable and strong, and with the continued increase in overseas recognition and the improvement of the service network, coupled with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and other ministries to coordinate export capacity and other bottlenecks, there is still great potential for exports." Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the Passenger Car Market Information Joint Association, said in an interview with reporters.

　　Zhang Yongwei, vice chairman and secretary-general of the China Electric Vehicle Council, predicted that 2023 will be a year when China's new energy vehicle exports and industry chain "go to sea" will take off, and it is expected that the export volume of new energy vehicles will be close to 800,000 in 2023.

　　The Economic Reference News reporter learned that a number of vehicle manufacturers and supply chain enterprises are now pressing the "fast-forward" button in the "going abroad" process. Guangzhou Automobile Group related person in charge said, 2023 is an important window period for new energy vehicle exports, Guangzhou Automobile Eyan will start internationalization strategy, accelerate overseas exports, and strive to break through one million sales in 2025 and 1.5 million in 2030, to become a world-class high-end intelligent electric vehicle brand.

　　SAIC-GM-Wuling brand and public relations director Zhang Yiqin said that the future of China Wuling new energy will increase the globalization strategy layout, find their own positioning, adhere to the development of overseas markets, to help the construction of new energy travel ecology in overseas markets.

　　It is worth noting that there are both scenery and windy waves at sea. "The issue of stability in the overseas trade market environment is still of utmost concern, especially the impact brought about by the relationship between countries." Cui Dongshu warned, "It is also necessary to pay attention to whether the quality of one's own products meets the different needs of overseas markets. It is recommended that domestic brands increase their research on overseas markets, make targeted product adjustments and gradually consolidate the position of Chinese brands in the international market in order to establish a more favourable global market environment."