What is a cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zone? Evaluation of cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zones

The first batch On March 7, 2015, the State Council agreed to establish the China (Hangzhou) Comprehensive Cross-border E-Commerce Pilot Zone.

The second batch On January 6, 2016, the State Council Executive Meeting decided to set up the second batch of cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zones in 12 cities, namely Tianjin, Shanghai, Chongqing, Hefei, Zhengzhou, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Dalian, Ningbo, Qingdao, Shenzhen and Suzhou.

The third batch On July 24, 2018, the State Council agreed to establish comprehensive cross-border e-commerce pilot zones in 22 cities, including Beijing, Hohhot, Shenyang, Changchun, Harbin, Nanjing, Nanchang, Wuhan, Changsha, Nanning, Haikou, Guiyang, Kunming, Xi'an, Lanzhou, Xiamen, Tangshan, Wuxi, Weihai, Zhuhai, Dongguan, and Yiwu.

The fourth batch On December 15, 2019, the State Council agreed to establish comprehensive cross-border e-commerce pilot zones in 24 cities, including Shijiazhuang, Taiyuan, Chifeng, Fushun, Hunchun, Suifenhe, Xuzhou, Nantong, Wenzhou, Shaoxing, Wuhu, Fuzhou, Quanzhou, Ganzhou, Jinan, Yantai, Luoyang, Huangshi, Yueyang, Shantou, Foshan, Luzhou, Haidong, and Yinchuan.

The fifth batch On April 27, 2020, the State Council agreed to establish cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zones in 46 cities and regions, including Xiongan New Area, Datong, Manzhouli, Yingkou, Panjin, Jilin, Heihe, Changzhou, Lianyungang, Huai'an, Yancheng, Suqian, Huzhou, Jiaxing, Quzhou, Taizhou, Lishui, Anqing, Zhangzhou, Putian, Longyan, Jiujiang, Dongying, Weifang, Linyi, Nanyang, Yichang, Xiangtan, Chenzhou, Meizhou, Huizhou, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Zhanjiang, Maoming, Zhaoqing, Chongzuo, Sanya, Deyang, Mianyang, Zunyi, Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, Yan'an, Tianshui, Xining, and Urumqi.

Pilot Zone Policy

At the beginning of the establishment of the cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zone, it was proposed to establish six systems, including information sharing system, financial service system, intelligent logistics system, e-commerce credit system, statistical monitoring system and risk prevention and control system; as well as two platforms, including the online "single window" platform and the offline "comprehensive park" platform. The "six systems and two platforms" aim to form a government management model of "information exchange, mutual recognition of supervision, and mutual assistance in law enforcement" through data exchange between customs, national inspection, taxation, foreign exchange management and other departments, so as to achieve many trade conveniences such as customs clearance integration; through data exchange between e-commerce, logistics, banks and other institutions, more conveniences in financial services and logistics services can be achieved, and the financing, exchange difficulties and logistics transportation costs of e-commerce companies can be reduced.

In terms of policy, the cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zone also provides many preferential policies for e-commerce registered in the comprehensive pilot zone, including: VAT reduction and exemption, allowing registered e-commerce and individuals to open personal foreign exchange settlement accounts to directly handle foreign exchange receipts and payments related to cross-border e-commerce in banks with contracts or waybills without being restricted by the annual quota of 50,000 US dollars for personal foreign exchange settlement and sales, and gradually increase the upper limit of the single amount of goods trade. At the same time, the customs policy in 2018 will be more inclined towards cross-border e-commerce. The General Administration of Customs plans to implement the "Cross-border E-commerce Standard Framework", further simplify declaration, realize centralized taxation, withholding and payment, allow batch transfer, innovate the process of return and exchange, and provide tax guarantee services.