立陶宛 与中国的贸易快速增长
文｜伊娜·玛邱罗尼塔（H.E.Ambassador Ina Marčiulionytė）立陶宛共和国驻华大使 翻译｜邓哲远
●重视中国市场
●新兴的高科技中心
●国际知名的传统行业
●开放合作
位于波罗的海沿岸的立陶宛是一个欧洲小国。通过与中国的双边合作，立陶宛已成为中国在北欧波罗的海三国中的最大贸易伙伴。在过去的几年里，立陶宛对中国的出口翻了两番。在经历了全球经济困难后，立陶宛公司愿意扩大市场和服务的视野。
重视中国市场
今天，立陶宛的经济增长稳定，其经济体被视为现代发达经济体，在欧洲出口额增速最快。立陶宛与其波罗的海邻国一样，是欧盟成员国，且刚刚加入经济合作与发展组织。这个小国在信息技术或生命科学等高度全球化的领域，发挥着高于其体量的作用。
立陶宛国内生产总值（GDP）的三分之一来自于产品出口。因此，立陶宛制造商和服务商对中国市场有浓厚的兴趣。中国已成为立陶宛公司的优先出口市场，正成为我们越来越重要的贸易伙伴。2017年，立陶宛向中国出口近1.8亿欧元的商品， 比上一年增加40％。
“一方面，我们希望向中国消费者出售全新的产品，并为新产品和服务创造市场。另一方面，出口到中国并不是那么简单，因为合作伙伴和消费者需要时间接受从立陶宛远道而来的产品。”立陶宛企业（一家培育企业和促进出口的非营利性政府机构）总经理Daina Klepon说。合作的必要性是相互的。立陶宛政府正积极为中小企业寻找进入中国市场的新机遇，这其中包括参与“一带一路”倡议。
6月，立陶宛在宁波市建立了一个有常设展的的立陶宛贸易大楼。它是立陶宛企业在中国的交易平台。在两年内，食品、饮料、化妆品、纪念品、家居室内、家具和其他部门的生产商将能够在那里展示他们的产品。
立陶宛是全球第一个签约中国国际进口博览会的国家。“这次展会是我们与中国商界合作中最重要的一件事。我们衷心感谢展会组织者的关注，并且坚信这将进一步推动立陶宛产品来到中国。“Klepon女士说。
立陶宛将在中国国际进出口展览会上设立两个国家馆，其中之一将展示立陶宛服装和家纺行业；另一个将呈现立陶宛食品和饮料制造业。
新兴的高科技中心
立陶宛正在迅速成为欧盟信息技术、激光和生物技术的中心。同时，也是欧盟生命科学领域增长最快的国家之一，生物技术目前占GDP的近1.5％，与爱尔兰、新加坡相当。
医疗和手术器械已经进入了中国市场。中国是立陶宛医疗和外科手术器械制造商的第四大贸易伙伴。立陶宛和中国生命科学领域合作的又一推动力是Life Sciences Baltic（生命科学波罗的海），这是波罗的海国家最大的国际论坛。今年的活动将于9月26日至27日在立陶宛首都维尔纽斯举行。
这个300万人的波罗的海国家也是激光领域的耀眼明星。全球一半的皮秒激光器由立陶宛公司生产的，而立陶宛制造的飞秒参量光放大器占全球市场的80％。制造商正在与越来越多的公司展开合作。
信息技术行业正在影响立陶宛经济发展中的每个领域，立陶宛正努力在全球金融科技圈中脱颖而出。国内和国外公司将很快在监管和技术沙箱平台上开发和测试金融科技区块链解决方案，这一平台致力于为金融科技企业提供有利于创新的监管。
立陶宛是东西方之间的交叉路口。聪明的商人已经开始利用这一优势，2017年，出口量最大的类别仍然是运输和物流服务。除了发达的物流基础设施，立陶宛可根据其在西欧和独联体国家的丰富经验提供创新和复杂的物流解决方案。
国际知名的传统行业
立陶宛因纺织、家具和食品等传统行业而闻名于世。立陶宛制造商重视延续数百年的传统，上百年的知识和经验被转化为现代产品和服务。
立陶宛的家具制造商善于在全球范围内进行考察，并且产量每年都在增加。几乎所有的立陶宛家具业今天都将其产品运往斯堪的纳维亚、英国和德国的客厅。制造商表示，只要行业生产高质量产品，很容易在海外拓展业务。去年，立陶宛家具制造商是宜家全球供应商中的第四位。家具在所有对华出口份额中也是最大的。
立陶宛政府就出口食品的许可和要求进行谈判，一些立陶宛食品已经可以在中国的商店中找到。这些公司根据消费者的需求调整口味，让中国人品尝立陶宛巧克力、苏打水和啤酒。甚至最典型的立陶宛小吃——黑麦面包出现了芥末口味。大部分食品和饮料都是用立陶宛当地原料生产的，这些原料来自于立陶宛茂密的森林、平静的湖泊、绵延起伏的丘陵和草地。
立陶宛有波罗的海国家最大的乳制品工厂，牛奶产品被广泛用于日常膳食。牛奶产品的范围包括牛奶饮料和罐装牛奶、冰淇淋、凝乳、黄油和干酪，或新鲜或干燥的，还有酸味、甜味。
立陶宛酿酒商提供国际公认的新鲜可口的啤酒。虽然历史上啤酒在立陶宛更受欢迎，但酒精酿造传统也在快速发展。酿酒厂可以选择樱桃、苹果、黑醋栗、苦莓、李子、醋栗、覆盆子和蓝莓等各种水果和浆果制作自己的产品，这些水果均生长在立陶宛凉爽的气候中。
立陶宛的纺织业高度发达，作为欧盟纺织业增长最快的国家之一，立陶宛的纺织品正在得到北欧和独联体市场的认可。
立陶宛服装制造商积极投资他们的品牌和时装设计。这个行业有很多年轻的专业人士，他们为儿童和成人提供高品质的时装系列。儿童时装在立陶宛整个服装行业中的出口增长速度最快。此外，还有许多缝纫公司是Gerard Darel，Hugo Boss，Eden Park，Karen Millen，Mark＆Spencer和Nike等知名欧美品牌的分包商。
立陶宛人以重视传统而闻名，其中之一是亚麻种植和加工。许多立陶宛人生产的亚麻制品因其天然性和高品质而受到重视。亚麻毛巾、餐巾、连衣裙、衬衫大多轻便耐用。
开放合作
规模小是立陶宛的一大特点，这使得立陶宛产业发展保持快速的节奏，并且很容易进入商业圈并接触到合适的人。立陶宛出口商数据库资料显示，2000多家准备向外国合作伙伴提供产品和服务的免费在线网站是其开放性和灵活性的证明。所有这些都可以创造中国，乃至全球所需的优秀解决方案。（编辑：张梅）
英文版
Lithuania: Boosting Cooperation with China
By H.E.Ambassador Ina Marčiulionytė of the Republic of Lithuania to China
●Emerging hub of high technologies
●Internationally known for traditional sectors
●Open for cooperation
Lithuania is a success story of a small but courageous European nation sitting on the shores of the Baltic sea. With Lithuanian-Chinese bilateral efforts, Lithuania has become China’s largest trade partner of three Baltic countries located in Northern Europe. Over the past few years, Lithuania have quadrupled its exports to China. After successfully bouncing back from economic hardships that hit many world countries Lithuanian companies are willing to expand their horizons for products and services.
Today Lithuania’s economic growth is steady, its business community is regarded as a modern developed economy, and export is recording the most rapid growth across Europe. The country, like its Baltic neighbours, is a member of the European Union and just recently has joined the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. A tiny country is punching above its weight in highly globalized sectors like information technology or life sciences.
Lithuania accumulates around one third of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) earned from exports. Therefore, Lithuanian manufacturers and services providers show a great interest in the Chinese market. China has been enlisted as the priority export market for Lithuanian companies as the country is becoming more and more significant trade partner. In 2017, Lithuania exported goods and services to China for almost 180 million euros – 40% more than in previous year.
“On one hand, our companies want to sell to Chinese consumers the products they have not yet enjoyed and create markets for new products and services. On the other hand, exporting to China is not that simple because it takes time for partners and consumers to like products from far-away Lithuania”, – says Daina Kleponė, General Manager of Enterprise Lithuania, non-profit governmental agency promoting entrepreneurship and fostering exports.
The need for cooperation is mutual, she adds. The Lithuanian government is actively equipping country’s small and medium size enterprises with the tools needed to seize new market opportunities in China. This includes the participation in the One Belt, One Road programme.
In June Lithuania opened a Lithuanian trading house with a permanent display in Ningbo city. It serves Lithuania’s business as a trading platform in China. During two years, producers of foodstuffs, beverages, cosmetics, souvenirs, home interior, furniture and other sectors will be able to present their products there.
Lithuania was the first country in the world to accept the offer to exhibit at the first China International Import Export exhibition in November. “This exhibition is one of the most important events in our cooperation with the Chinese business community. We sincerely appreciate the attention of the exhibition organizers and we firmly believe it will further boost the presence of Lithuanian products in China”, – says Ms Kleponė.
Two national pavilions will be installed at the China International Import Export exhibition. One of them will showcase the advantages of Lithuanian apparel and home textile industries. The other one will present manufacturers of Lithuanian food and beverages.
Emerging hub of high technologies
The small nation of Lithuania is fast emerging as a hub of information technologies, lasers and biotechnologies. With a year on year increase of sector revenue by 19%, the country has one of the fastest growing life sciences sectors among the European Union member countries. Biotech currently accounts for almost 1.5% of GDP, ranking it alongside Ireland and Singapore in terms of sector strength.
Medical and surgical instruments already found their path to the Chinese market. China is the fourth largest foreign trade partner for Lithuania’s manufacturers of medical and surgical instruments. One more boost for the cooperation between Lithuanian and Chinese life sciences sectors could be Life Sciences Baltics, the largest international forum in the Baltic countries, where Chinese life sciences professionals and businesses are welcome. The event will take place on 26-27 September in Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital.
The Baltic country of 3 million people also shines in laser sector. Half of all picosecond lasers sold worldwide are produced by Lithuanian companies, while Lithuanian-made femtosecond parametric light amplifiers account for as much as 80% of the world market. Industry manufacturers are continuing apace successfully cooperating with an increasing number of industrial companies.
Information technology sector is impacting every industry in Lithuania’s economy and Lithuanians are making efforts to slip in the world’s fintech ring. Domestic and foreign companies will soon be able to develop and test fintech blockchain solutions in the regulatory and technological sandbox platform dedicated for developing innovation-friendly regulation for the fintech businesses.
Geographically, Lithuania is a crossroad between East and West. Smart businessmen already exploit this advantage – in 2017 the largest category in exports remained to be transport and logistics services. Every tenth employee works in this industry. Apart from well developed logistics infrastructure Lithuania can offer innovative and complex logistical solutions based on its extensive experience in Western Europe and especially CIS countries.
Internationally known for traditional sectors
Lithuania is internationally known for traditional sectors like textile, furniture and food. Lithuanian manufacturers value traditions that stretch back several hundred years. Century old knowledge and experience is transformed into modern products and services.
Lithuania’s furniture makers tend to think on global scale and the production output increases every year. Nearly all of what Lithuanian furniture industry makes today it ships into Scandinavian, British, German living rooms. Manufacturers joke that that quality is still in style so it’s easy to expand business abroad as the industry is producing high quality products. Last year Lithuania’s furniture makers moved up to the 4th place among the biggest IKEA suppliers in the world. Furniture makes the largest share of all export to China as well.
Lithuanian government negotiates the permissions and requirements for exporting Lithuanian food products and some Lithuanian food products can be already found at the Chinese shops. The companies adapt the taste to consumers’ needs so Chinese sample Lithuanian chocolate and refresh with Lithuanian soda and beer. Most of food and beverages are produced out of locally sourced ingredients that were cultivated among densely packed Lithuanian forests and glassy lakes, on gentle rolling hills and meadows. Chinese consumers acknowledged even one of the most typical Lithuanian snack – baked rye bread enriched with a wasabi flavour.
Lithuania also has the strongest diary plants in the Baltic countries as milk products are widely used in daily meals. The milk products range from milk drinks and canned milk, ice cream, curds, butter to cheese which can be fresh or dried, sour or sweet.
Lithuanian brewers offer fresh and crispy beer which is recognized on international level. Though beer has historically been more popular in Lithuania, wine making traditions are also gaining a momentum?Enterprise Lithuania“. Wineries can choose to make their production from variety of fruits and berries: cherries, apples, blackcurrants, chokeberries, plums, gooseberries, raspberries and blueberries that all grow in a cool climate of Lithuania.
Lithuania’s textile industry is highly-developed market with many domestic players and some foreign investors, mainly Scandinavians. With one of the fastest growth in the EU, Lithuania’s textile is now becoming recognized in the North Europe and CIS markets.
Lithuanian clothing manufacturers are actively investing in their brands and contemporary fashion design. There are a lot of young professionals working in the sector who offer high-quality, fashionable clothing collections for both children and adults. Kids fashion shows the fastest export growth results in the whole Lithuania’s apparel industry. Besides, there are many sewing companies working as subcontractors for renowned European and American brands, such as Gerard Darel, Hugo Boss, Eden Park, Karen Millen, Mark & Spencer, and Nike.
Lithuanian are famous for valuing traditions. One of these is flax cultivation and processing. Many linen products produced by Lithuanians are prized for their naturalness and high quality. Linen towels, napkins, dresses, shirts are mostly lightweight, yet durable.
Open for cooperation
The small size is an advantage of Lithuania – it makes the country fast-paced and it is easy to get into business circles and get access to the right people. Lithuanian exporters database – a free online pool of more than 2,000 companies ready to offer their products and services to any foreign partner – is a proof of the openness and flexibility. All of this allows to create fine solutions needed worldwide, in China as well.