2025 “Global POD Ecosystem+” Conference: Print-on-Demand Customization Becomes the New Focus of Cross-Border E-Commerce | Frontline

Author: Ou Xue

Editor: Yuan Silai

The **2025 “Global POD Ecosystem+” Cross-Border E-Commerce Trend & Selection Conference** opened on **September 19** in **Shenzhen**, hosted by **Midodo Technology**. The two-day event gathered leading industry players, platforms, and manufacturing partners to discuss the rapid evolution of the global POD economy.

In his opening keynote, **Deng Hai**, CEO of Midodo Technology, emphasized that **digitalization and digitally driven globalization** represent major opportunities of our era. Reviewing the past decade of cross-border e-commerce, he noted that the industry has evolved from simply “selling abroad” to achieving “selling well” — and ultimately “being loved” by global consumers. According to Deng, **AI technology** will play a pivotal role in improving data insights, operational efficiency, and customer experience — and will become deeply integrated with cross-border e-commerce over the next ten years.

Scene from the conference

Deng summarized the evolution of China’s cross-border e-commerce into **three distinct stages**: from the early **“wild-growth era”** dominated by mass listings (“the era of volume”), to the **“chaotic era”** marked by intensifying competition, and finally to today’s **“era of awakening”**, centered on **global brand building**. He stressed that long-term brand success depends on culture, trust, and storytelling — and that Chinese brands still have vast potential to grow internationally.

According to data from China’s General Administration of Customs, China’s **cross-border e-commerce exports** reached approximately **2.15 trillion yuan in 2024**, up **16.9% year-on-year**, accounting for **8.5%** of total merchandise exports. The main export destinations were the **United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany**. Consumer goods dominated, covering categories such as **apparel, footwear, bags, electronics, home appliances, and furniture**, while the primary supply bases remained concentrated in **Guangdong, Zhejiang, and Fujian** provinces along the coast.

During the event, **Liu Hong**, founder of **Global Custom Network**, released the **“2025 Global POD Customization Trends Report.”**

As a specialized model within cross-border e-commerce, **POD (Print-on-Demand)** continues to expand across product categories and use cases — from apparel and footwear to home décor, jewelry, pet products, and digital accessories. It is also being rapidly integrated into platforms such as **TikTok Shop**, **Amazon**, **Temu**, and independent DTC websites. Unsurprisingly, “**POD+**”-related topics and exhibitors became major highlights of the conference.