A Review of the 2021 China (Xiamen) International Cross-border E-commerce Exhibition

To promote the development of the cross-border e-commerce industry in Xiamen and surrounding areas, attract high-quality cross-border e-commerce enterprises to settle in Xiamen, and assist Xiamen in attracting investment and upgrading traditional industries, the Xiamen International Chamber of Commerce jointly held the first Xiamen International Cross-border E-commerce Industry Exhibition (hereinafter referred to as the "Xiamen Cross-border E-commerce Exhibition") in Xiamen from June 11 to 13, 2021. With the support and efforts of all parties, the Xiamen Cross-border E-commerce Exhibition was a complete success. The exhibition achieved good results. According to incomplete statistics, the total number of visitors to the exhibition reached 62,281, the intended order amount exceeded 600 million yuan, and the cumulative exposure reached 12.53 million. It has gained widespread attention from all sectors of society. Nearly 30 central, provincial, and municipal media outlets, including CCTV, People's Daily Online, China News Network, Xuexi Qiangguo Platform, Guangming Online, International Business Daily, Fujian Daily, Xiamen Daily, and Xiamen TV, reported on the exhibition.

As a major exhibition project in Xiamen, the first Xiamen Cross-Border E-commerce Exhibition aims to become a benchmark exhibition for cross-border e-commerce, and presents the following highlights:

Covering the entire cross-border e-commerce industry chain, the inaugural Xiamen Cross-border E-commerce Exhibition became an instant hit. Spanning over 30,000 square meters, the exhibition featured five themed zones (Platform Zone, Factory Supplier Zone, Service Provider Zone, International Zone, Comprehensive Pilot Zone, and Industrial Park Zone) and ten major product zones, catering to the product selection characteristics of the cross-border industry. It brought together over 600 high-quality foreign trade suppliers, 150 service providers, and 30 mainstream cross-border e-commerce platforms from provinces such as Fujian, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Anhui. The exhibition showcased over 300 categories and more than 500,000 SKUs, covering the entire cross-border e-commerce industry chain and providing a platform for over 50,000 core cross-border sellers and high-quality suppliers to connect. Business delegations from over 20 countries, including South Korea, Canada, Japan, and the Philippines, participated, bringing numerous international best-selling products. Despite being the first edition, the event attracted a large and consistently high level of activity, with sellers from all over the country flocking to Xiamen to select products. With high-quality participating factories and a complete range of cross-border industrial belts, it has been praised by many professionals as a leader among cross-border e-commerce exhibitions and has become the focus of the national cross-border e-commerce industry in June. It has been hailed as an "industry 'blockbuster'" by media such as the International Business Daily.

Leading platforms actively participated, and supporting activities set industry trends. This exhibition brought together 30 well-known domestic and international leading cross-border e-commerce platforms, including Alibaba, Made-in-China.com, Hugo.com, Amazon.com, eBay, Wish, Newegg, Allegro (Poland), MonMall (Philippines), EVERTRADE (India), and LINIO (Mexico), with booths set up at the event. These leading platforms, together with the organizing committee, hosted forums and promotional sessions, attracting industry leaders and showcasing key insights, guiding industry development trends. During the exhibition, 22 important supporting events were held, including the China Xiamen Cross-border E-commerce Industry Development Summit Forum, the ALIBABA Cross-border E-commerce Summit Forum, the Amazon Global Selling Seller Development Summit, the eBay Brand Seller Summit, a TikTok special session, and Walmart North America New Opportunities, with a total of 117 speakers and over 20,000 attendees. Experts and entrepreneurs from various sectors conducted thorough and in-depth discussions on the development trends of the cross-border e-commerce industry. They proposed solutions and innovative requirements from multiple perspectives, including cross-border product selection, creating "blockbuster" products, cross-border logistics, and intellectual property rights. Their efforts aimed to address industry concerns, resolve pain points, and help Chinese cross-border e-commerce practitioners connect with the world and serve the global market, receiving widespread acclaim from cross-border e-commerce professionals. At the first major supporting event—the China Xiamen Cross-border E-commerce Industry Development Summit Forum—Fulbright scholar and professor Lu Menglong from the University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Gao Jie, General Manager of Alibaba International Station's Fujian-Shantou Region, Lin Wenkui, Sales General Manager of eBay Greater China, and Chen Gang, Executive Vice President of Newegg Group China, delivered insightful presentations. The Red Dot Design Museum, in conjunction with Xiaomi Valley Warehouse, launched a forum on design-driven innovation in cross-border e-commerce, exploring design-based brand strategies for cross-border enterprises.

This exhibition attracted delegations from nearly 30 cities and prefectures, including Henan, Wuhan, Changchun, and Suzhou, comprised of commerce bureaus, trade promotion councils, and business associations. More than 20 overseas delegations from countries such as Thailand, the Philippines, Japan, Russia, India, Colombia, Indonesia, South Korea, and Canada also participated. Organizations such as the Xiamen Korea Trade Center, North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany), and Canada Trade & Investment held one-on-one matchmaking events at the exhibition. A global premium product sourcing matchmaking event was also held during the exhibition, actively promoting exchange and cooperation among participating companies. Throughout the exhibition, participating companies extensively explored business opportunities and sought mutually beneficial development. According to preliminary statistics, the intended order value of the Xiamen Cross-border E-commerce Exhibition exceeded 600 million yuan.The event coincided with a resurgence of the COVID-19 epidemic in Guangdong, which affected the travel plans of some Guangdong cross-border e-commerce businesses. However, the exhibition was still packed with attendees, with more than 60,000 visitors.