OREANDA-NEWS  BRICS trade ministers will discuss expanding e-commerce cooperation in an upcoming annual meeting, according to the Ministry of Commerce (MOC).

The seventh meeting of trade ministers of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa will be held on Aug. 1 and Aug. 2 in Shanghai.

E-commerce cooperation, such as in the areas of logistics and payments, is developing fast among the five countries, with many of their products gaining traction on the Chinese market, according to Zhang Shaogang, director with the Department of International Trade and Economic Affairs with MOC.

Meanwhile, economic and technological cooperation will be included in the agenda for the first time in the trade ministers meeting's history to improve the bloc's capabilities in service trade, e-commerce and other fields.

China imported products worth over 70.16 billion U.S. dollars from BRICS countries in the first half of 2017, up 33.6 percent year on year, MOC data showed.