A renewed push

China wants to make it easier for firms to pivot between domestic and international markets.

On Monday, the State Council General Office published a series of measures on accelerating the “integrated development of domestic and foreign trade" (IDDFT).

• The goal is to make it easier for exporters to sell their products in China, and easier for firms producing for the domestic market to export their goods abroad.

ICYDK: The government has discussed IDDFT on and off since at least 2003. But the issue has risen to prominence following the December 2021 release of State Council guidelines to promote IDDFT.

• Premier Li Qiang has taken up the cause, urging progress on IDDFT at a recent State Council meeting.

The measures released Monday aim to better align domestic and international standards by:

• Improving translations of Chinese standards in key sectors

• Increasing international cooperation on testing, quarantine, and certification recognition

The measures also promise to strengthen IP and trademark protections.

Get smart: This is great news for MNCs, who stand to benefit from more internationally-aligned standards.