2017 Belt and Road Cross‑Border E‑Commerce Consumption Trend Report

On May 15, 2017, JD Data Research Institute released the 2017 “Belt and Road” cross‑border e‑commerce consumption trend report, which analyzes large‑scale e‑commerce data to illustrate consumption characteristics and emerging trends among China and the 54 Belt‑and‑Road countries.

The report finds that Chinese goods are exported to 54 Belt‑and‑Road nations, with mobile phones, computers and network products, electronic accessories and home goods accounting for the largest share (33% phones, 12% computers, 12% accessories, 11% home goods). Over 50 Belt‑and‑Road countries also import Chinese products.

From January to April 2017, the fastest‑growing export categories include smart products, automotive parts, sports‑outdoor items and beauty‑health products, with seven Belt‑and‑Road countries showing year‑over‑year sales growth exceeding ten times the average.

On the import side, food, alcoholic beverages, home textiles, fruit, watches and seafood are the top‑selling categories from Belt‑and‑Road nations. Countries such as Malaysia, Mongolia, Thailand, Vietnam, India and the Philippines rank highest in import volume.

Specific import “explosive” products include Chilean cherries, Mexican avocados, Argentine and Ecuadorian shrimp, Philippine mango dried slices, Indonesian fruit‑vegetable snacks, Vietnamese LIPO bread sticks, and other popular snacks that have become household favorites.

Purchasing power and logistics efficiency have improved markedly: total consumption grew 75% in 2015 and 50% in 2016; average delivery time shortened by 77 minutes in 2015 and another 12 minutes in 2016; the proportion of orders over 211 items increased by 35% in 2015 and 20% in 2016.

Brand case studies highlight successful Chinese exporters such as Doogee phones (strong performance in Russia), ALLRUN (hair‑care brand now in 92 countries), PUPPYOO small appliances (top‑selling in Russia), Bluedio headphones, and Freesoldier men’s apparel.

The report lists all 54 Belt‑and‑Road countries covered, ranging from Mongolia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Brunei, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Iran, Turkey, Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Russia, Egypt, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia.