In recent years, there has been a surge of unilateralism and protectionism, and the international economic and order has been challenged. Especially since this year, global trade has been affected by the arbitrary imposition of tariffs by the United States, and China's foreign trade enterprises have been pressure in exports. Increasing the domestic sales ratio and realizing the shift from export to domestic sales have become a realistic choice for many enterprises to cope with the impact. At the same time the Ministry of Commerce has launched the "Quality Foreign Trade China Tour" campaign, aiming to promote the integrated development of domestic and foreign trade, help foreign trade products expand domestic sales, many retail enterprises and e-commerce platforms have also taken active actions to help foreign trade enterprises expand the domestic market. For a while, "export to domestic sales" has attracted from all walks of society.
Export to domestic sales refers to the sale of foreign trade products in the domestic market, which is one of the forms of integrated development of domestic foreign trade. In a popular sense, the integrated development of domestic and foreign trade at the enterprise level means carrying out domestic trade business and foreign trade business at the same time, realizing "two-legged" approach of the domestic market and the international market, making the enterprise's risk resistance stronger, production and operation more resilient, and achieving the effect of1 1>2". Although the topic is quite hot, export to domestic sales is not a new thing. In the history of the development of domestic and foreign trade in, there have been practices of export to domestic sales. Up to now, export to domestic sales has long been a pragmatic measure for many foreign trade enterprises to "cultivate both and outside" to enhance their endogenous momentum and market competitiveness. In recent years, China has intensified efforts to promote the shift from export to domestic sales, which is by no a temporary measure.
Helping foreign trade enterprises to expand the domestic market and promoting the integrated development of domestic and foreign trade is a strategic choice for building a new development and an inherent requirement for promoting high-quality development. In November 2021, President Xi Jinping clearly proposed "China will promote the integrated development of domestic and foreign" at the opening ceremony of the 4th China International Import Expo by video. In December of the same year, the General Office of the State Council issued the "Opin on Promoting the Integrated Development of Domestic and Foreign Trade". In 2022, the Ministry of Commerce and other 14 departments issued the "Notice onrying Out Pilot Projects for the Integration of Domestic and Foreign Trade", deciding to carry out pilot projects for the integration of domestic and foreign trade in some areas, and form replicable popularizable experiences and models. The reason for implementing such a series of measures is that after the rapid development since the reform and opening up, China's comparative advantages have changed, industrial chain has climbed from the middle and low end to the middle and high end, the dependence on foreign trade has decreased, the international status of the "Chinese market" has rapidly, and the "two-end outside" and "big in and big out" model has not adapted to a series of new situations and new requirements. Carrying out the reform the integrated development of domestic and foreign trade in a solid way and supporting enterprises to shift from export to domestic sales will help effectively respond to the new changes in the domestic and international environment, resolve the risks brought by protectionism, and thereby boost the confidence of domestic and foreign trade enterprises and consumers, and strongly support high-quality economic and social development