COVID-19 & Vaccine

  • The Indian government stated that from May 1st, all people over the age of 18 in India are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. However, the serious shortage of local vaccines has not yet been resolved.
  • Israel is expected to achieve herd immunity, with zero new infections for the first time.
  • On the 27th, the United States announced that people who have been fully vaccinated may not wear masks.
  • Turkey’s epidemic situation is severe, with more than 60,000 cases daily, and a complete blockade will be implemented from April 29 to May 17 local time.

Industry and Company

  • China State Grid: Released the “White Paper on the Development of Robot Vacuums in 2021”, China has become the world’s largest market for sweeping robots. AI visual recognition, dToF (direct time of flight) navigation, 3D structured light and other technologies have been successfully applied to sweeping robots, and the overall technology of the sweeping robot industry has taken a big step forward.
  • Tuopu Research Institute: As of the end of March, the total number of screens in China has been close to 80,000, including more than 7,000 special halls and 4538 theaters with special halls. Special halls such as IMAX and LUXE are important directions leading the development of the cinema market in the future.
  • Canalys: In the first quarter, smartphone shipments in the Indian market increased by 11% to 37.1 million units. Xiaomi continues to maintain its leading position in the market, with a shipment of 10.5 million units accounting for 28% of the market share. Due to the second wave of the new crown epidemic, smartphone shipments in the Indian market are expected to plummet in the second quarter of 2021.
  • China Internet of Things: In the first quarter, China’s total social logistics was 75.1 trillion yuan, an increase of 24.2% year-on-year, and an average growth rate of 7.2% in two years; the total revenue of the logistics industry reached 2.6 trillion yuan, an increase of 36.8% year-on-year, an average increase of nearly 10% in two years .
  • “Time” magazine selected the world’s 100 most influential companies for the first time in 2021. Alibaba, Huawei, Tencent and other Chinese technology companies are on the list.
  • Ai Jue Consulting: In the next few years, Amazon will surpass Wal-Mart to become the largest retailer in the United States. By 2025, Amazon’s total merchandise transactions will reach $631.6 billion, with a compound annual growth rate of 14% from 2020 to 2025. Wal-Mart’s sales will increase to US$523.3 billion by 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 3.9%.

Trade

  • In 2020, China’s share of global trade has increased to 14.7%.

World

  • US President Biden announced the “American Family Plan” on Wednesday. This will include levying a maximum of 39.6% of personal income tax on people with an annual income of at least US$400,000, and providing US$80 billion to the Internal Revenue Service in the next ten years to strengthen its ability to audit wealth and corporate taxes.