E-tail giants to help China’s tariff-hit exporters pivot to home market

Industry groups and platforms such as JD.com pledge to help streamline domestic access for trade firms

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Exporters are getting help from e-commerce platforms and industry groups to make the switch to domestic consumers as a tariff war takes hold. Photo: AFP

Published: 10:00pm, 13 Apr 2025

Chinese e-commerce giants and industry associations are joining forces to help export-oriented businesses pivot to the domestic market as trade tensions between China and the United States intensify.

Major players including JD.com and Freshippo have launched initiatives to help trade firms that would normally export their products to sell them at home, while a number of leading national industry associations have vowed to open up domestic sales channels for exporters.

In a joint statement on Friday, the China General Chamber of Commerce and seven other associations said the US’ escalating tariffs meant “it has become an urgent priority to expand the domestic market, promote integration between domestic and foreign trade, and facilitate the transition of export goods for local consumption”.

The associations, covering sectors such as retail, catering, and hospitality, pledged to create matchmaking channels and sales platforms to “alleviate the urgent pressures” facing exporters.

Goods trade between the world’s two biggest economies has become commercially impossible after a series of back-and-forth tariff salvoes.

Washington has imposed a 145 per cent tariff on Chinese imports this year, bringing the effective tariff rate to about 156 per cent. Meanwhile, Beijing’s new levy on US goods has risen to 125 per cent, also on top of earlier-imposed tariffs.