The rule will be implemented beginning April 1 this year.
China has announced a new policy under which cross-border e-commerce retail export goods returned from overseas will no longer be required to go back to the original customs office through which they were exported.
The rule will be implemented beginning April 1 this year.
Difficulty, high cost and long processing time associated with cross-border returns have long been a major challenge for the industry.
Companies may choose any customs port across the country to handle the return entry procedures. This will offer greater flexibility for businesses, according to a state-controlled media outlet.
The policy, as part of efforts to boost e-commerce exports, builds on a pilot programme carried out by GAC in late 2024 at 20 customs offices, including those in Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Harbin, Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Chengdu and Urumqi.
After a year of testing, authorities have concluded that the necessary conditions are in place to roll out the model on a national scale.
The new policy is expected to work in synergy with tax incentive measures for returned cross-border e-commerce export goods jointly released in February by the Ministry of Finance and two other government departments, helping companies reduce costs and improve operational efficiency, GAC added.
The new policy applies only to cross-border e-commerce retail export goods. While returned goods may re-enter China through a different customs district, they must be sent back to customs-supervised operation sites or facilities authorised to handle cross-border e-commerce retail export business.
Difficulty, high cost and long processing time associated with cross-border returns have long been a major challenge for the industry.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
