Cross border e-commerce development with new vitality

        At the enterprise warehouse in Xiasha Park of the comprehensive testing zone, products such as milk powder, cosmetics, and small household appliances are neatly placed on shelves according to their categories. "Our warehouse has goods from over 60 countries and regions around the world, like a small World Commodity Expo," said Lian Xiaoyin, a customs officer at Hangzhou Xinyi Warehousing Service Co., Ltd. "Like this coffee bean, it is very popular among consumers who came from Peru, more than 17000 kilometers away, across the ocean."

        Last year, the General Administration of Customs and other departments optimized and adjusted the Retail Import Commodity List, increasing the tax number of goods that can be imported through cross-border e-commerce from 1413 to 1476, and adding products with strong consumer demand such as video game consoles and household dishwashers. The role of cross-border e-commerce in driving consumption and enriching people's lives is becoming increasingly prominent.

        "This year we opened a new perfume and cosmetics warehouse in Xiasha Park, attracting many e-commerce enterprises to operate here," said Li Hairong, head of customs affairs of Hangzhou Haicang Technology Co., Ltd.

        In the enterprise warehouse, Yan Chi, Deputy Director of the Cross border E-commerce Follow up Supervision Department of the Qianjiang Customs Office in Xiasha, affiliated with Hangzhou Customs, and colleagues are walking through the shelves, comparing the sampling form in their hands, extracting goods from the shelves for inspection.

        "Based on the risk monitoring plan and data analysis, we conduct cross-border e-commerce quality and safety risk monitoring through a combination of online and offline methods." Yan Chi said that in the face of the rapidly growing cross-border e-commerce import goods, Qianjiang Customs has increased special monitoring efforts for quality and safety risks around products with high consumer attention, such as mother and baby products, small household appliances, food and cosmetics. Since the beginning of this year, Qianjiang Customs has carried out over 600 batches of cross-border e-commerce quality and safety risk monitoring.

        Online ordering, fast customs clearance, helping enterprises save costs

        Cross border e-commerce import business is divided into two models: direct purchase import and bonded import. In the comprehensive trial zone, e-commerce enterprises adopt an online shopping bonded import model. Overseas goods are first stored in the bonded warehouse in the comprehensive trial zone through batch customs declaration. After consumers place orders and purchase on the platform, the enterprise then ships from the bonded warehouse.

        "This facial mask sold very well during the" Double 11 "period this year. According to our previous analysis and prediction, we purchased goods from abroad in advance, put them in the area to complete the stock, and customs inspection and other work were completed when the stock was ready for entry. After consumers placed orders on the platform, we could ship goods as quickly as possible." Zhou Dongfang, the customs officer of Hangzhou Haikou Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd., introduced.

        Since the beginning of this year, over 100 million cross-border e-commerce online shopping bonded import lists have been cleared in the jurisdiction of Hangzhou Customs. Hangzhou Customs strengthens manpower and technical support, estimates business data and customs clearance needs, guides enterprises to rely on intelligent assembly lines to achieve machine replacement, improves regulatory efficiency, and achieves 24-hour uninterrupted customs clearance of cross-border e-commerce imported goods.

        "Under the facilitation measures of customs, we can achieve the same day declaration and delivery. Consumers in 'free shipping areas' such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai can enjoy the convenient shopping experience of placing orders on the same day and receiving goods the next day, just like domestic online shopping." Zhou Dongfang said.

        At the return center warehouse in Xiasha Park, a courier truck unloaded a batch of consumer returned packages. Under the supervision of customs officers, the warehouse workers sorted and sorted the packages. Pan Peng, the head of the Cross border E-commerce Supervision Department of the Qianjiang Customs Office in Xiasha, said, "We implement classified supervision on these returned goods. For defective and defective products, measures such as returning them to the country or destroying them will be taken. For products with no problems, they will be re listed for sale by the enterprise after confirming that they meet the listing sales standards."

        Previously, after receiving a return request, e-commerce companies were required to transport the returned goods to the customs special supervision area where they were originally shipped within the specified time. The resulting investment in human and material resources has also become a pain point for e-commerce enterprises.

        In September 2023, authorized by the General Administration of Customs, Hangzhou Customs took the lead in launching a pilot program for cross-border e-commerce online shopping, bonded retail, and imported goods to be returned across customs zones. Through this new model, e-commerce companies can build a return warehouse in one location to centrally process returned goods from consumers across the country, helping them save operating costs and accelerate the processing time of returned goods.

        At present, Qianjiang Customs under Hangzhou Customs has released nearly 2000 cross-border e-commerce return goods from cities such as Guangzhou, Zhengzhou, Shanghai, and Xiamen. With the smooth implementation of the "cross regional return" model, it is expected to save nearly ten million yuan in costs for various e-commerce enterprises each year. "We will continue to conduct practical and detailed investigations and research, innovate regulatory service measures, promote the sustainable and healthy development of new cross-border e-commerce formats, and add new momentum to high-quality development," said Lan Lei, the director of Qianjiang Customs.