Xiamen cross-border e-commerce sees breakthrough

Beginning on Jan 1, the cross-border e-commerce goods may be supervised as self-use entry articles in no need of first import license. The new policy is applied to cross-border e-commerce pilot zones in 22 cities including Xiamen, Wuhan and Xi'an. [Photo/xmnn.cn]

Xiamen Customs released the first group of duty-free goods via cross-border e-commerce platforms on Feb 27, adding another commercial activity for Xiamen ports.

The 10 orders of dietary fiber nutrient from South Korea are expected to be sent to Chinese consumers in Xiamen, Guangdong and Shanghai on the same day.

The whole process took no more than six hours from placing an order to signing for the parcel.

Guo Yong from Xiamen Cross-border E-commerce Supervision Center said that such a new business improved the efficiency of customs clearance by 30 percent and saved 15 percent on logistics costs.

Beginning on Jan 1, the cross-border e-commerce goods are not required to apply for a first import license, make a registration or put on records and they may be supervised as self-use entry articles, according to a meeting of the State Council held in November 2018.

The annual quota on cross-border e-commerce purchases for individual buyers will rise to 26,000 yuan ($3,740) from 20,000 yuan and the tax-free limits on single transactions will increase to 5,000 yuan from 2,000.

The new policy will be applied to cross-border e-commerce pilot zones in 22 cities including Xiamen, Wuhan and Xi'an.

A spokesman for Xiamen Free Trade Zone management committee said that the Xiamen FTZ will take better advantage of the preferential policies to attract leading cross-border e-commerce companies and promote industrial transformation and upgrading.