The General Administration of Customs (GAC) has announced a series of regulatory enhancements aimed at supporting the growth of cross-border e-commerce exports. The new measures, which take effect on December 15, 2024, align with efforts by China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) to bolster foreign trade stability and development.
The announcement, released on Wednesday, introduces several key updates to simplify procedures and increase operational efficiency for businesses involved in cross-border e-commerce.
Key Regulatory Changes
- Simplified Filing for Overseas Warehousing
Enterprises operating overseas warehouses for cross-border e-commerce exports will no longer be required to file their business model with customs authorities.
- Pre-Inspection for Consolidated Shipments
Twelve directly subordinate customs authorities, including those in Shanghai and Hangzhou, will pilot a ‘pre-inspection before shipment’ model. This approach allows export goods to enter customs-supervised sites as bulk cargo, undergo inspections, and later be consolidated into containers based on operational needs.
- Return Supervision for Retail Exports
A pilot ‘cross-customs district return supervision model’ will be introduced in 20 customs authorities, including Beijing and Tianjin, to streamline the process for handling returned cross-border retail exports.
- Streamlined Export Document Declaration
The measures also focus on facilitating the declaration of export documentation, reducing procedural burdens for exporters.
Broader Trade Development Goals
The reforms follow MOFCOM’s recent rollout of nine initiatives to promote steady foreign trade growth. These include supporting the development of overseas smart logistics platforms and establishing cross-border e-commerce service hubs to assist businesses with legal and tax compliance in international markets.
Cross-Border E-Commerce Growth
China’s cross-border e-commerce sector continues to expand rapidly. According to GAC, foreign trade through this channel reached 1.88 trillion yuan ($259.65 billion) in the first three quarters of 2024, reflecting an 11.5% year-on-year increase.
Further illustrating this growth, as of mid-2024, China boasted over 100,000 cross-border e-commerce enterprises, more than 1,000 industrial parks, and 1,800 overseas warehouses, as reported by Xinhua News Agency.
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