China-Latin America trade in services: How much potential is there?

If the China International Import Expo and the China Import and Export Fair are largely about showcasing how goods reach global markets, the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) – the 13th edition of which begins in Beijing on Wednesday – focuses on something less tangible, yet increasingly important: how services cross borders.

Since its launch in 2012, CIFTIS has developed into an important international platform for China's trade in services and a window through which global businesses can observe the opening up of China's services sector and explore market opportunities. The 13th CIFTIS brings together participants from more than 90 countries and international organizations, along with over 1,800 companies.

Over decades, much of the world came to know "Made in China." At this year's CIFTIS, however, a different trend is worth watching: China is increasingly looking to turn its service capabilities – in finance, tourism, education, healthcare, culture, information technology and professional consulting, as well as digital services and artificial intelligence – into something that can be taken to international markets.

After 'Made in China' goes global, what comes next?

A dedicated zone for promoting services that support companies going global has been set up at this year's CIFTIS, bringing together services such as finance, legal affairs, accounting, advertising and human resources to provide one-stop support for companies expanding overseas. At first glance, this may simply look like a way to provide companies with the practical support they need to "go global." But viewed from another angle, it points to a broader change in how Chinese companies are entering overseas markets.

In the past, when a company expanded overseas, the first priority was often to sell its products. Today, the questions are becoming much more complex: Who will build the brand in the local market? Who will handle legal and tax matters?

Who will manage local marketing? Who will build digital sales channels? Who will provide payment, logistics, customer service and after-sales support? As a result, what enters an overseas market is increasingly a broader service ecosystem built around a Chinese-made product.

This is one of the most interesting changes at this year's CIFTIS: the focus is expanding from helping "companies go global" to helping "services support companies going global." As Chinese companies enter overseas markets, finance, digital services, marketing, technology and professional services are becoming important parts of the support system, working alongside products such as automobiles, appliances and electronics in the expansion into international markets.

If "Made in China" once represented Chinese manufacturing going global, China's service capabilities are now also seeking new paths to reach the world.

China and Latin America: From 'you sell, I buy' to creating together

When discussing trade between China and Latin America, people most readily think of energy, minerals, agricultural products, automobiles, household appliances and infrastructure. These areas remain important pillars of China-Latin America economic and trade cooperation. But as the digital economy and trade in services continue to grow, the scope of that cooperation is also expanding, with both sides exploring opportunities in digital services, technology applications and professional services.

What may emerge is a different combination: you have the market, I have the technology; you have the application scenarios, I have the services; you have local experience, I have global tools. Chinese companies can bring digital payments, e-commerce, cloud computing, AI, logistics and marketing services to Latin America. Latin American companies, meanwhile, can draw on their knowledge of local languages, cultures and markets to help Chinese businesses establish themselves in the region.

In this sense, China-Latin America cooperation is moving beyond a simple "you sell, I buy" model. Both sides can be providers of services as well as users of them. This is also one of the key differences between trade in services and traditional trade in goods: once a car is sold, the transaction may be largely complete. When a digital service, consulting service or AI solution enters a new market, however, that may be where a deeper and more sustained form of cooperation begins.

Trade in services: A two-way opportunity

Foreign trade in Latin America and the Caribbean has faced new uncertainties over recent years. The impact of US tariff policies has further highlighted a need to reduce dependence on individual markets and diversify trade partners.

In its International Trade Outlook for Latin America and the Caribbean 2025, the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean noted that US tariff policies had increased uncertainty in global trade, and recommended that countries in the region deepen economic and trade ties with partners including China, the European Union, India and ASEAN, while strengthening intra-regional cooperation. At the same time, the report projects that exports of goods from Latin America and the Caribbean will grow by 5% in 2025, while exports of services will increase by 8%.

As the global trade landscape undergoes rapid changes, trade in services is becoming an increasingly important avenue for Latin American countries to diversify their international economic and trade relations, explore new markets and seek new sources of growth.

This is creating new opportunities for Chinese companies in Latin America, where traditional trade in goods is increasingly being complemented by exchanges in services and capabilities. A Latin American company may need more efficient digital services, while a Chinese company may need local market knowledge and cultural expertise. An e-commerce system entering a new market needs to adapt to local consumers, while a digital service crossing borders must also bridge differences in language and culture.

These practical needs are creating new opportunities for China-Latin America cooperation in services, opening up greater room for exchange and complementarity rather than a one-way flow. As services become increasingly capable of crossing borders much like goods, China and Latin America are finding new opportunities to exchange technology, expertise and different approaches to solving problems.

Latin American countries at CIFTIS

CIFTIS is an important platform for observing and connecting these changes. In recent years, more Latin American countries have used the fair to learn about the Chinese market, showcase their own strengths and explore new opportunities in trade in services, investment and industrial cooperation.

Peru has participated early and consistently and again has an exhibition presence at the fair this year, following earlier participation that included the China-Peru Economic and Investment Cooperation Forum, where Peru promoted cooperation opportunities in areas including investment, tourism and technology.

At CIFTIS 2023, a representative of ProColombia China used Xiaomi smartphones and DiDi, both in use in the Colombian market, as well as the Bogotá Metro project built with the participation of Chinese companies, as examples to illustrate how China-Colombia cooperation is increasingly extending into everyday life and urban infrastructure, while also highlighting the potential of sectors such as fintech, film and gaming.

Venezuela also participated in CIFTIS 2025, with its minister of foreign trade and vice minister of international trade policy attending related events to promote Venezuelan service projects and its investment environment, while seeking to further expand trade and investment cooperation with China.

In addition, countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay and Cuba have participated at CIFTIS in recent years. Their growing engagement also shows that CIFTIS connects more than the goods and services displayed at its exhibition booths; it brings together the needs of different markets as well. This trend has made CIFTIS a window onto global cooperation, while China's commitment to high-standard opening up remains firmly in place.

Looking ahead, platforms like CIFTIS may offer more opportunities for Chinese and Latin American companies to engage in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, green development, robotics and the digital economy. The focus of cooperation could gradually move beyond products made in China toward more concrete partnerships in technology and services, bringing fresh momentum to China-Latin America cooperation.