Zhimeitong | International Highlights

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[Amazon UK will extend all package delivery times in the coming weeks] Amazon UK announced that due to the expected Royal Mail strike action and the disruption of shipping services across the UK, Amazon will extend the delivery time of all sellers in the next few weeks. Including Prime packages and 5 suggestions for sellers to reduce the adverse impact of the strike.

General strike action is expected on Friday, August 26, Wednesday, August 31, Thursday, September 8, and Friday, September 9.

[The U.S. comprehensive PMI in August hit a new low since May 2020, weaker than Europe] The U.S. service industry PMI fell to 44.1 in August, far below market expectations of 49.8, hitting a new low since May 2020; the slowdown in manufacturing It also exceeded expectations, with the manufacturing PMI falling to 51.3, the lowest level since July 2020. The composite PMI slipped to 45 in August, the lowest since May 2020 and already weaker than Europe. A value below 50 indicates contraction in operating activity.

01. North America

[Monkeypox cases have been reported in all 50 states in the United States, and the cumulative number of cases exceeds 15,400] On August 22, local time, Wyoming, the United States reported a case of monkeypox. So far, monkeypox cases have been detected in all 50 states. According to the report, since the first case of monkeypox was announced in Massachusetts in mid-May, more than 15,400 monkeypox cases have been reported across the United States, making it the country with the most monkeypox cases in the world. Among them, New York, California, Florida, Texas, Georgia and Illinois top the list of cases.

[U.S. polls show that 74% of voters believe that the United States is "going in the wrong direction"] A poll released recently showed that nearly three-quarters of American voters believe that the United States is "going in the wrong direction." The poll showed that only 21 percent of respondents believed the United States was heading in the right direction, while 74 percent believed the country was "going in the wrong direction." In addition, in the opinion of nearly 60% of the respondents, the "best days are over" in the United States, nearly 70% of the respondents believe that "the United States is in a recession", and about one-third of the respondents believe that "The situation in the U.S. will get worse in the next five years."

[The American team developed a new charging technology for electric vehicles: 90% charging in 10 minutes, comparable to refueling] With the continuous development of electric vehicle technology, many users choose to buy electric vehicles to meet their daily travel needs. According to the analysis of my country's passenger vehicle market in July 2022 released by the Passenger Car Association, the wholesale sales of new energy passenger vehicles in July reached 564,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 123.7%.

Although the sales of electric vehicles are getting higher and higher, there are still many users who have doubts about electric vehicles, and the main point of doubt is the long charging time of electric vehicles. Compared with the energy replenishment time of traditional fuel vehicles, which is measured in minutes, the charging time of electric vehicles often needs to be measured in hours. However, a research team announced that it has designed a new charging technology that can greatly reduce the charging time of electric vehicles.

[eBay acquires card game trading platform TCGplayer for $295 million] eBay announced that it will acquire TCGplayer, a trading platform for card collection games, for $295 million. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including necessary regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2023. eBay said the acquisition will help serve card enthusiasts, and that card transactions are now seeing "substantial growth."

[Microsoft introduces more ads in mobile Outlook app that looks like email] In recent months, Microsoft has started putting more ads in the Outlook mobile app for iOS and Android. The Outlook mobile app offers users two options for organizing their inboxes: a single inbox that contains all of their messages, and a tabbed inbox that divides messages into two categories, "Focused" – containing Important Mail, and "Other" – all other content included. Microsoft previously only served ads in the "Other" tab of free users, but now the company is starting to add ads to the single inbox model.

The change came a few months ago and means Microsoft is making it harder for free users to evade ads in Outlook phones. No matter which inbox mode you use, there will be ads, either at the top of the "Other" tab or at the top of your regular inbox, and the only way to avoid ads in OutlookApp right now is to pay for a Microsoft 365 subscription.

[Netflix (Netflix) may explore cloud gaming business, is hiring related employees] Netflix (Netflix) added a cloud gaming specialist position to its recent job listing, which may hint that the company is exploring gaming services. Reports say the company is looking for a security product manager with experience in "cloud gaming-related business", a rendering engineer who can support Netflix's "cloud gaming service," and other related positions.

[Facebook (Facebook) violated the tracking of user location by a class action, and reached a settlement of $37.5 million] According to a document in federal court in San Francisco, Meta Platforms and Facebook (Facebook) users signed a $37.5 million class settlement protocol. The users have accused Facebook of continuing to track their location after they turned off their device's location services. The settlement, announced by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on August 22, covers approximately 70 million U.S. residents who used Facebook between January 30, 2015 and April 18, 2018. According to the filing, class members who submit claims through the online system will be paid electronically or by check.

[Twitter was exposed by "own people" to deceive users and shareholders, and its stock price fell over 7% on Tuesday] At the close of trading on August 23, Twitter's stock price fell 7.32% to $39.86. Twitter executives don't have the resources to fully understand the true number of bot accounts on its platform, a former Twitter security director said. Zatko filed a complaint against Twitter last month with the SEC, DOJ and FTC, accusing Twitter of serious security protections and account spam. loopholes and mislead regulators.

[Etsy launches video commenting feature, open to all iOS users] Etsy announced that the video commenting feature is open to all buyers of iOS systems. Currently iOS buyers can post up to 30 seconds of video or audio under a product review. Etsy has been testing video comments recently. Currently, this new feature is only available for iOS, and is still under development for Android and is expected to be available soon.

Etsy said that some sellers may not provide product photos that are as comprehensive. Through video reviews, potential buyers will see real-life usage of the item, increasing the likelihood of a purchase, thereby boosting the seller's sales. At the same time, Etsy expects video reviews to become increasingly popular on e-commerce sites, as many buyers seek more details about a product before making a purchase decision.

02. EU region

[The water level at the key European route point Kaub has risen by 0.83 meters, and transportation costs have fallen] According to data from the German Federal Waterway and Shipping Administration, the water level of the Rhine River at Kaub, a key European route, has risen by 0.83 meters in the past two days. . Local transport costs have also slipped due to rising water levels, with the cost of transporting gasoline by barge to Basel, Switzerland, at CHF 235/t on August 22, compared to CHF 260/t on August 19.

[Europe is facing the worst drought in at least 500 years, and crop yields have suffered a major impact] According to a preliminary analysis by experts from the European Union's Joint Research Center, Europe is currently experiencing the worst drought in at least 500 years. According to a new report from the European Drought Observatory, some 64% of EU countries are under drought warning or alert status. European Union experts say hot, dry weather in parts of Europe is expected to continue into November. "Severe droughts and heatwaves have put unprecedented pressure on water levels across the EU," said EU Research Commissioner Mariya Gabriel. "There is no doubt that climate change is becoming more pronounced every year." Several crops in the EU have been hit particularly hard, according to the latest Data, the cereal production forecast is 16% below the 5-year average, and the corn production forecast is 15% below the 5-year average.

[Institutional analysis: Euro zone PMI shows that the economic recession has begun] Capital Economics senior European economist said that the initial value of the PMI in August showed that the euro zone economy is currently shrinking. The euro zone composite PMI slipped to an 18-month low of 49.2 in August from 49.9 in July, in line with the decline in GDP. "While price pressures have become less severe over the past few months as global supply chain issues have eased, soaring gas prices and strong domestic price pressures will keep inflation high," he said. The PMI survey is in line with Capital Economics' view: Even if the economy slips into recession, the ECB will have to push ahead with tightening monetary policy.

[To fill the energy gap, German Prime Minister seeks cooperation with Canada] Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held talks with visiting German Chancellor Scholz. The focus of Scholz's visit is to seek to expand cooperation between the two countries in energy. At the press conference, Scholz said that Germany is stepping up the construction of LNG-related ports, pipelines and other infrastructure in order to purchase natural gas from other markets in the world and reduce its dependence on Russian energy as much as possible.

03. Other regions

[UK industrial output in the past three months fell for the first time since February 2021] A survey released by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) showed that in the past three months, UK industrial output fell for the first time since February 2021 , adding to evidence of a manufacturing slowdown. CBI economist Alpesh Paleja said with weakening expectations for future growth, measures were needed to boost confidence in the short to medium term, especially to support vulnerable businesses and consumers amid rising energy prices.

[Citibank predicts UK inflation rate may reach 18.6% in January 2023] Citibank's forecast based on the latest market prices shows that due to the surge in wholesale natural gas prices, the UK inflation rate in January 2023 may reach 18.6%. This would further set a 40-year record for UK inflation.

According to data from the Office for National Statistics, between April and July this year, the UK consumer price index (CPI) rose to record highs year-on-year. Among them, the UK CPI in July rose by 10.1% year-on-year, the highest in the past four decades.

[The UK Office for National Statistics released the latest revised data: domestic output fell by 11.0% in 2020] The latest official data released by the UK on August 22 showed that the country's domestic output in 2020 recorded the largest decline in more than 300 years. UK domestic output fell by 11.0% in 2020, according to the latest revisions from the Office for National Statistics. According to historical data provided by the Bank of England, the drop was larger than any previous estimate by the Office for National Statistics and the largest drop in domestic output in Britain since 1709.

[Singapore’s inflation rate continued to rise in July, reaching the highest level in 13 years] The Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Ministry of Trade and Industry issued a joint announcement on August 23. Singapore’s core inflation rate and overall inflation rate both rose in July, hitting a 13-year high. The core inflation rate was 4.8%, up from 4.4% in June, and the headline inflation rate was 7%, up from 6.7% in June.

[Vietnam makes final anti-dumping ruling on China-related welding materials] On August 19, 2022, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam issued Resolution No. /QD-BCT made on August 15, 2022, on August 19, 2022. Welding materials made an affirmative final ruling on anti-dumping, and decided to levy 0-36.56% anti-dumping duties on the products involved in the above-mentioned countries (see Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 for details), and the validity period is 5 years. The Vietnamese tax numbers of the products involved are 7217.10.10, 7217.30.19, 7217.90.10, 7229.20.00, 7229.90.20, 7229.90.99, 8311.10.10, 8311.10.90, 8311.30.91, 8311.30.99 and 8311.90 .

On March 18, 2021, Vietnam launched an anti-dumping investigation on welding materials originating in China, Thailand and Malaysia. On April 19, 2022, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam issued Resolution No. /QD-BCT of April 15, 2022, making a preliminary ruling on the case, imposing a preliminary ruling on imposing a provisional anti-dumping duty of 0-36.56% on the products involved, and the measures will be announced from the announcement. It will take effect on the 7th of the release and will be valid for no more than 120 days.

Zhimeitong | Logistics Highlights

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[Harbin-North America cargo charter flight completed its maiden flight] At 22:08 on August 22, the first Harbin-North America export cargo charter flight took off from Harbin Taiping International Airport to Los Angeles, USA, marking the first Harbin-North America export cargo in Heilongjiang Province The charter flight successfully completed its maiden flight.

It is understood that the cargo of this cargo mainly includes clothing, household appliances, daily necessities, etc., with a cargo weight of 37.6 tons. The flight is expected to fly three times a week, with an annual cargo volume of about 6,000 tons. The opening of this route will greatly improve the transportation efficiency of air cargo from China to North America, which is of great significance for building an international air logistics channel connecting Harbin to North America and promoting Heilongjiang enterprises to develop international markets.

[UPS (United Parcel) further optimizes and enhances Chongqing's service network] The "UPS United Parcel" official account issued a document stating that it will further optimize and enhance its service network in Chongqing, so that more local customers can enjoy UPS (United Parcel)'s service network. services to provide more convenience for the development of its international business. Specifically, in terms of the coverage of new services, UPS (United Parcel) has added 1,166 service zip codes to further expand the scope of services, so that UPS (United Parcel) services can directly cover the main urban area of ​​Chongqing and its multiple districts. county. In terms of shortening export transit time, the import/export transit time of UPS (United Parcel) shipments can be shortened by 1 working day in multiple postal code areas in Hechuan and Changshou, Chongqing.

[FedEx released the 2022 peak season surcharge adjustment plan] US logistics provider FedEx (FedEx) released the 2022 peak season surcharge adjustment plan. The company will start imposing the first peak season surcharge on September 5 this year and will continue until January 15, 2023.

[Baltic dry bulk index rises as capesize index rises] The Baltic dry bulk index edged up 1 point on Tuesday, as the capesize and supramax index rose, offsetting the panamax index The freight rate index fell. The Baltic Sea overall dry bulk index rose 1 point, or 0.08%, to 1271, snapping a three-game losing streak. The capesize index rose 50 points, or about 6.7%, to 797 points, also ending a three-game losing streak. Average daily profit for capesize ships lasted $409 to $6,608. The panamax index, which has not posted a daily increase in a month, fell 73 points, or 4.4%, to 1,572. Average daily earnings for panamax vessels fell $659 to $14,149. The Supramax index rose 14 points to 1,765, its eighth straight day of gains.

Zhimeitong | Domestic Highlights

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[Ministry of Commerce: China's service trade deficit will drop by 67% year-on-year in 2021] China's service trade deficit in 2021 will drop by 67% compared with 2020, to US$32.75 billion, the lowest since 2011. According to reports, there are many reasons for the decline in the trade deficit in services. First of all, due to the impact of the epidemic, the import and export of travel has dropped significantly. The increase in traditional service exports has also led to a narrowing of the service trade deficit.

[Cainiao will build an automated express distribution center in Pakistan for the e-commerce platform Daraz] All the automated distribution equipment sent by Cainiao Logistics to Pakistan by sea has arrived. Cainiao will build automated express distribution centers in Karachi and Lahore for e-commerce platform Daraz in less than two months. After the project is completed, it will become one of the most intelligent express delivery infrastructures in the local area and even in South Asia.

[The Fed's tightening expectations are back, and the RMB exchange rate fell to a two-year low] On August 23, the onshore RMB exchange rate against the US dollar dropped to a key point, hitting a minimum of 6.8666, a new low in the past two years. Recently, the RMB exchange rate has weakened, which has attracted market attention. On the one hand, the US Federal Reserve's "eagle" remains unchanged, and the US dollar index once again reached a high of 109; on the other hand, with the implementation of my country's policy "interest rate cut", the market is worried that the divergence of monetary policy will lead to the inversion of the Sino-US interest rate gap and widening again. gradually. There are many speculations in the market that "the RMB may reappear in the first half of the year". However, from a rational point of view, the current internal and external environment facing my country's economic development is different from that in the first half of the year. The RMB's supporting factors continue to be stable, and there is no basis for long-term depreciation.

Zhimeitong | E-commerce highlights

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[Amazon suspends expansion of UK fresh grocery business] Amazon has stopped expanding its self-checkout grocery store (Amazon Fresh) plan in the UK, so far 19 Amazon stores have failed to meet sales expectations, and the company has abandoned dozens of Negotiations to lease space for an Amazon Fresh store.

In addition to ditching the leased space, Amazon has reportedly halted plans to add hundreds of Amazon Go stores in the UK. Amazon Go stores allow shoppers to leave the store after making a purchase without having to go to the checkout, which will automatically debit the shopper's card.

[Shopify launches new financing service for Australian merchants, up to AUD 2.5 million] Shopify has announced that it will launch a new financing service for Australian merchants – Shopify Capital, which is designed to help Australian merchants quickly get financial support before the peak sales season to promote business growth.

Shopify found through research that 62% of Australian merchants are willing to seek capital investment, but two-thirds (67%) of them choose to give up because of loan sharks, and more than half (53%) of merchants because of the cumbersome application process and time to apply give up after waiting for a long time.

[Shopee Taiwan Station adds SLS logistics channel "Shrimp Overseas – Home Delivery (Overseas)"] Shopee issued an announcement saying that in order to better serve Shopee cross-border sellers and enhance the competitiveness of products, Taiwan Shrimp (Shopee) added a new SLS logistics channel at 00:00 (Beijing time) on August 23, 2022: Shopee Overseas – Home Delivery (Sea Shipping).

It should be noted that this channel is open by default, and if the seller does not want to use this channel, it can be closed in the seller center. This logistics channel will be open to all sellers and will be gradually opened by SKU. It is expected that all SKUs will be able to use this channel in 1-2 weeks.

[Dunhuang Online Online US Standard Line (Common + Special) – GTI Line] Dunhuang.com has issued a notice on the launch of the American Standard Line (Common + Special) – GTI (hereinafter referred to as "announcement"). The announcement shows that the reference transportation time limit of the US standard line (general + special)-GTI line is 10-28 days (natural day); the weight is limited to 0-3KG; The country of origin is the United States. In terms of billing method, the line is based on the actual weighing of the warehouse and the freight displayed on the platform. The calculation and throwing rules are: length * width * height cm divided by 6000, the lifting value: 0.05KG, and the weight limit is 3KG.