China Further Expands Cross-Border E-Commerce Retail Import Pilots

The Ministry of Commerce jointly issued a circular with five other government departments on 18 March to further expand the scope of cross-border e-commerce retail import pilot cities with immediate effect (Shang Cai Fa No. 39 [2021]), detailing the following requirements:

• Pilots of cross-border e-commerce retail imports will be expanded to cities having pilot free trade zones, cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zones, comprehensive bonded areas, demonstration areas for promoting innovation in import trade, and bonded logistics centres (type B).

• All pilot cities must effectively shoulder their primary responsibility for the pilot policy of cross-border e-commerce retail imports and strictly implement the supervision requirements.

Prior to above measures, the pilots had been in place in 86 cities and the whole island of Hainan.

Source: Ministry of Commerce ​​​​​​​