Two weeks after Yantian District added up its supportive policy towards cross-border e-commerce (CBEC), it goes even further to cultivate this promising industry. On 7th November, Yantian District inaugurated two auxiliary projects for CBEC: the CBEC Inspection Centre and the CBEC Talent Training Centre, injecting the impetus into the real economy while consolidating YANTIAN as the preferred port for CBEC.

01 Ramp up the logistical support for CBEC & Build Yantian District into a CBEC logistics centre

On the early morning of 7th November, Yantian District inaugurated the brand-new CBEC Inspection Centre of Yantian Integrated Free Trade Zone (FTZ). The first operation revolved around selling a batch of imported milk powder stored in the warehouse via the e-commerce platform “Wuzhou Haowu (五洲好物)”. It only takes 6 seconds for the CBEC Inspection Centre to complete the whole procedure of inspection and sorting. The new mode of B2C operation improves the clearance efficiency while guaranteeing the quality of customs supervision. Mr. Zeng Jianpeng, Member of the Standing Committee of Yantian District CPC Committee and Deputy Head of Yantian District Government, and delegate from Meisha Customs attended the inauguration ceremony.

According to Mr. Liu Yonghe, Chairman of the Business Association of Yantian FTZ, the upgraded Inspection Centre will improve the quality of digital supervision within the area and set up a solid foundation for the development of Yantian’s CBEC industry.

Located at the Phase II Inspection Platform, the Inspection Centre has two dedicated lines for inspection and sorting operations, a specialised information system and full CCTV coverage. Within the Free Trade Zone, CBEC businesses enjoy a favourable tax-refund policy for exported goods and are able to conduct special services such as 1210 and export to special regions. In addition, the optimised inspection procedure helps to shorten the cash conversion cycle and cut down the logistical costs.

An Overview of Customs Supervision Mode “1210”:

Customs supervision mode “1210”, which is also referred to as “online shopping bonded import mode”, allows imported goods to be stored in bulk at the customs supervision area or bonded supervision area. They will then be individually packed and shipped to domestic customers after order is received on CBEC platforms. Tax will only be collected when the transaction is complete. For exports, tax refund will be granted once they enter these areas.

“1210” has the following advantages:

·Timely delivery: Products are directly sent to buyers from domestic free-trade zones.
·Low cost: 1210 helps to reduce the tax needed during import. Bulk purchasing can significantly reduce the cost of sourcing and logistics.
·Guaranteed quality: Customs supervision & standardised procedures ensure all the products comply with existing regulations.

Yantian Integrated Free Trade Zone is the first state-level FTZ to operate in Shenzhen. In July 2022, it made the country’s first FTZ to operate under the 24/7 free-of-booking passage mode, catering to CBEC’s demand of timeliness and responsiveness. Not long ago, the leading American online retailer Newegg Commerce announced its decision to set up its Shenzhen Branch at Yantian FTZ. As an important player of CBEC in North America, Newegg will provide strong assistance for Yantian District to build up a favourable CBEC ecology.

According to Mr. Xie Zhuoheng, Secretary-General of Shenzhen Cross-Border E-Commerce Association, Yantian FTZ acts as a vital player in the District’s CBEC industry as it keeps the warehousing facilities for Yantian Port. The inauguration of the Inspection Centre not only marks the successful operation of “1210”, but also offers the service of distributed mini warehouse (DMW) to significantly improve the sales efficiency of CBEC products, said Mr. Xie.

Launch the “Five Ones” Campaign & Strengthen YATIAN’s Position as the Preferred Port for CBEC in South China

As an important communication channel between Yantian District Government and CBEC businesses, YANTIAN will fully uphold the “Five Ones” campaign launched by Yantian District Government -- launching one policy, building one industrial park, forming one institute, establishing one branch, and setting up one dedicated team -- to promote the quality development of the CBEC industry as well as turn Yantian District into a world-renowned CBEC logistical hub. In the afternoon of 7th November, Yantian Demonstration Zone for Cross-Border E-Commerce and Yantian Talent Training Centre for Cross-Border E-Commerce were both inaugurated at the Ice-and-Snow Innovation City of Yantian, marking one step forward for the campaign.

As the preferred port for CBEC in South China, YANTIAN enjoys numerous advantages in developing CBEC-related businesses. As a natural deep-water port, YANTIAN is frequented by international shipping lines and has the strong backing of diverse warehousing facilities and a variety of industries. These have long been recognised by its counterparts and the society at large. In the second half of 2022, YANTIAN has been actively promoting the development of CBEC ecology in its surrounding area. In July, the first logistical branch of Shenzhen Cross-Border E-Commerce Association was set up in Yantian District to foster communication between CBEC businesses. In October, Yantian District Government printed the “” in which 17 supportive policies were laid out to attract CBEC enterprises. As of now, the Talent Training Centre caters to the increasing demand of human resources within the booming CBEC industry and is expected to provide constant support for CBEC development within Yantian District.

In the future, YANTIAN will remain focused on CBEC and other emerging opportunities in foreign trade. We will foster specialized projects such as the CBEC reverse logistics centre to strengthen support for foreign trade businesses to go overseas, as well as garnish support from various parties to turn Yantian District into a CBEC logistics base.