Here’s everything you want to know about cross-border e-commerce during the coronavirus outbreak

As of 18:00 on February 3, a total of 17,334 confirmed cases, 21,558 suspected cases, 362 deaths, and 520 cases have been cured and discharged.

As of now, Academician Zhong Nanshan said that the national epidemic is still in the rising stage, but we judge that there will not be a nationwide outbreak, but only a local outbreak. We judge that the epidemic may peak in the next 10 days to two weeks , but we still need to strengthen prevention and control and not relax our vigilance. In the face of the 2019-nCoV pneumonia epidemic, the most original and effective method is still "early detection and early isolation."

Feng Luzhao, a researcher at the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that the new coronavirus has been found in the feces of confirmed patients, but whether the virus is transmitted through feces still needs further confirmation. At present, indirect contact and close-range droplet transmission are still the main modes of transmission.

In addition to droplet transmission, the Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently found the nucleic acid of the new coronavirus on the door handle of a confirmed patient's home during epidemic monitoring. This is the first time that Guangzhou has found it in an outdoor environment, prompting citizens to pay more attention to hand hygiene. Experts remind that there are many ways in which the virus may be indirectly transmitted in daily household details: such as mobile phone screens, computer keyboards, faucets, etc., all of which need daily cleaning.

1. WHO announces that Chinese packages do not carry viruses

Recently, some Western media have taken advantage of people's fear of the outbreak and started to lead the pace for foreign consumers, reporting the so-called "epidemic area theory" and describing Chinese goods as "goods from the epidemic area."

In response, the World Health Organization made it clear that the goods received from China are safe and do not carry the new coronavirus because the new coronavirus will not remain on the package for long.

2. Amazon policies and suggestions for sellers

Policy: Start "holiday mode" (temporary suspension of sales)

Log in to the seller backend, click Settings - Account Information - Holiday Settings - Stop selling (Setting - Account Info - Going>. After the modification is successful, all the listings in the store will become "unsaleable". You can reactivate all the listings when you return from the holiday.

Note: Even if the holiday mode is activated, you still need to pay attention to the comments from buyers in the background and even some medium, bad and A-to-Z reviews.

Self-shipping sellers

It is recommended that sellers who ship their own goods do the following according to their own sources of goods and the logistics providers they cooperate with:

1. If the supply is not ready or the logistics provider has not started to provide services, resulting in the entire store being unable to ship, the seller can change the account status to "vacation mode" and temporarily unavailable for sale. (Amazon Seller Platform > Settings > Seller Account Information > Vacation Settings);

2. If some products are still available for sale and the account cannot be set to vacation mode, please remove the products that cannot be fulfilled on time according to the actual inventory and logistics transportation conditions;

3. If you have a relatively accurate estimate of the time it takes for your goods to arrive at your warehouse and the logistics transportation time, but the time is relatively extended, you can set a longer delivery preparation time (Handling Time) in "Amazon Seller Platform> Inventory> Inventory Management> Edit" according to the actual situation;

4. Sellers who use Amazon's "Buy Shipping" service can continue to enjoy the benefits of the negative buyer feedback policy. As long as the seller ships on time, the delay caused by the logistics company will not affect the seller's performance indicators. However, if you cannot guarantee on-time delivery, please refer to the first and second points above for operation.

FBA Sellers

Please continue to pay attention to the difference between the production capacity and delivery time of your supply factory and the previous expectations, as well as the resumption of work time after the holiday in the city where the logistics provider you signed a contract with is located, and prepare goods in advance. At the same time, you can also consider shipping in batches and shipping them to the FBA warehouse on a first-come, first-served basis. If there is insufficient inventory in the warehouse, you can limit the quantity of each order to avoid the impact on your account performance due to overselling.

3. eBay platform protection

In response to the delay in resumption of work and foreseeable congestion in logistics caused by the epidemic, eBay's related protection is carried out by uniformly adjusting the order processing deadline (Handle By Time) and the estimated latest delivery time (Max EDD) in the background:

For items shipped from China Mainland/Hong Kong, the public holiday calculation is extended to February 9*/February 2. In addition, the estimated delivery time for each Economy Logistics Option/SpeedPAK Logistics Option/ePacket Logistics Option is also extended by 5-10 working days.

That is to say, no matter what logistics method is used, as long as the items are shipped from mainland China and Hong Kong, the order processing deadline and the estimated latest delivery time will be calculated according to this extended holiday calendar and the extended logistics option delivery time.

We will promptly evaluate whether the protection window needs to be further extended based on the latest developments of the epidemic and the capacity levels of logistics carriers.

For affected transactions that have occurred before the background adjustment, the estimated delivery time visible to the buyer cannot be changed, but the CBT assessment model/non-receipt disputes and Global seller ratings will be calculated and adjusted accordingly based on the protection principles mentioned above.

4. Notice on the adjustment of Shopee platform policies in response to the epidemic

Extension of logistics time exemption: Shopee’s logistics time exemption during the Spring Festival is extended to February 9, that is: 17 days of logistics time exemption from January 24 to February 9.

Seller scoring exemption: Orders generated between January 20, 2020 and February 9, 2020 will not be included in the scoring assessment of late shipment rate and uncompleted order rate. That is, orders generated between January 20 and February 9 will not be included in the store scoring if they are late or uncompleted due to shipping issues.

Exemption from the quantity limit for pre-sale goods: During the 2020 Spring Festival period from January 20 to February 2, if the proportion and number of pre-sale goods of the seller exceeds the limit, there will be no penalty. The quantity limit for pre-sale goods will be restored from February 3, so sellers are requested to adjust the proportion and quantity of pre-sale goods in a timely manner.

5. Newegg’s cross-border store service hours updated

In response to the epidemic, the Newegg China team has decided to issue the following notice:

1. Newegg's China team for cross-border store openings will resume normal operations on February 3. If you have any questions, you can contact your account manager and our team members by email or by leaving a message on the WeChat public account. We will serve you as soon as possible.

2. We will further speed up the entry process for new sellers. As long as all the entry documents are submitted, Newegg's Chinese team will ensure that the seller completes the entire entry process within 5 working days after receiving the invitation. We hope that in this way, we can help Chinese sellers expand sales channels and complete product listing and sales as quickly as possible.

3. For Canadian sites and Newegg international sites, Newegg will provide Chinese sellers with special benefits of free promotional slots to help Chinese sellers increase the exposure and sales of their products. We will notify you of the specific details of this special benefit via email, so please pay attention.

6. Tophatter Policy Announcement

To help sellers get through this period smoothly and eliminate concerns about the impact on sales, Tophatter has decided to:

For orders placed between 00:00 on January 16 and 23:59 PST on February 15, the time limit for initiating INR is extended to 20 days after the order is paid (the previous policy was 5-7 days).

7. The first factual proof of force majeure has been issued

On the morning of February 2, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade issued the first force majeure certificate in China due to the COVID-19 epidemic to an auto parts manufacturer in Huzhou, Zhejiang, to help the company minimize its liability for failure to perform contracts due to the epidemic and safeguard its legitimate rights and interests. It is reported that the company applied for a force majeure certificate on the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade online certification platform on February 1 and provided relevant materials. After online submission and online review, the certificate was received on February 2.

Yan Yun, deputy director of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Commercial Certification Center, said that the factual proof of force majeure has been recognized by governments, customs, chambers of commerce and enterprises in more than 200 countries and regions around the world, and has strong enforceability overseas.

In order to help enterprises effectively cope with the adverse effects of the epidemic and provide more convenient services for enterprises, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade has transformed the certification platform (http://www.rzccpit.com/) since January 26, adding an online application function for proof of factual force majeure.

8. Guangdong suspends large-scale foreign economic and trade activities

Recently, a video conference of the Second Material Support Group of the Office of the Prevention and Control Headquarters of Pneumonia Infected by the New Coronavirus in Guangdong Province and a video conference on the prevention and control of the epidemic in the business system of the province were held in Guangzhou. The meeting proposed that the business departments of all cities and counties should ensure that the suspension of large-scale foreign economic and trade activities is implemented and all kinds of commodity promotion activities involving mass gatherings should be stopped. This means that any commodity exhibitions must be suspended during this period!

9. 15 ports, terminals and shipping companies have announced the exemption of demurrage fees

Shanghai International Port Group : For customers who apply for the plan to pick up heavy containers (domestic and foreign trade containers) from 00:00 on February 2, 2020, the yard usage fee for heavy containers stored at the terminal from January 24 to February 9, 2020 will be waived. The specific fees will be directly waived when the customer applies for the plan to pick up heavy containers.

Shandong Port Group : For those who apply for import heavy containers (domestic and foreign trade containers) from 00:00 on February 2, 2020, the yard usage fee incurred at the terminal yard from January 24 to February 9, 2020 will be exempted. For bulk dry bulk cargo and oil products that cannot be transported in time due to logistics and transportation reasons, the free storage period will be extended by another 30 days on the basis of the original free storage period.

Ningbo Zhoushan Port : For heavy import and export containers entering the port between 0:00 on January 24 and 24:00 on February 9, the free stacking period is extended to 20 days.

Tianjin Port Group : Container yard usage fees for imported epidemic prevention and control and relief materials stored at its affiliated container terminals will be waived from 0:00 on January 24, 2020 to 24:00 on February 9.

Wuhan Port : Further extend the storage-free period for import and export of goods during the Spring Festival holiday.

Guangzhou Port : Based on the original "Notice on Extending the Storage Period of Imported and Exported Container Cargo during the Spring Festival", its container terminal companies have further extended the storage-free period for imported and exported goods during the Spring Festival holiday (see the announcements of each container terminal company for details).

Guangzhou Huangpu : Notice on further extending the free storage period for containers: It has been decided that foreign trade containers that are unloaded from ships or trucks and stored in our company's general cargo yard between 0:00 on January 18, 2020 (the 24th day of the 12th lunar month) and 0:00 on February 9, 2020 (the 16th day of the 1st lunar month) will be given an additional 15 days of free storage period on the basis of the number of days agreed in the original lump sum storage period.

Guangzhou Nansha : Notice on further extending the free storage period for non-dangerous goods in containers: Our company has decided to exempt containers (except dangerous goods) in the port from warehouse usage fees from 0:00 on January 30, 2020 to 24:00 on February 9, 2020 on the basis of the original free storage period (the costs incurred by refrigeration of refrigerated containers are not included in the exemption).

Guangzhou Container Terminal : On the basis of the original free storage period, ordinary container cargo on site (excluding special containers and special cargo) will be exempted from warehouse usage fees from 0:00 on January 24, 2020 to 24:00 on February 9, 2020.

Zhanjiang Port : General cargo container yard usage fees will be waived from January 24, 2020 to February 9, 2020.

Jiangsu Port Group : Exemption of heavy container storage fees for imported containers incurred at the terminal from January 24, 2020 (New Year’s Eve) to February 9 (the 15th day of the first lunar month).

Xiamen Container Terminal : From 00:00 on January 31, 2020 to 24:00 on February 9, 2020, the warehouse usage fee for local foreign trade import and export ordinary heavy containers (including frozen-for-dry heavy containers, but excluding refrigerated heavy containers, dangerous goods heavy containers, oversized containers, special heavy containers, and transit heavy containers) will be waived.

Relevant terminals in Fuzhou, Fujian : Fuzhou New Port International Container Terminal Co., Ltd., Fujian Jiangyin International Container Terminal Co., Ltd., and Fuzhou Qingzhou Container Terminal Co., Ltd. jointly issued a notice stating that warehouse usage fees for domestic and foreign trade heavy containers (excluding refrigerated heavy containers and dangerous goods heavy containers) will be waived from 0:00 on January 24, 2020 to 24:00 on February 9, 2020.

Beibu Gulf Port : On the basis of doing our utmost to "prevent the epidemic and ensure smooth traffic", our company has decided to exempt the container yard usage fees for all its terminals (including the entrusted Xijiang inland river terminal) or further extend the free storage period: further increase the preferential support for the container heavy box yard usage fees for domestic trade customers, and on the basis of 30 days of free storage during the Spring Festival, extend it to February 20. Exempt the container heavy box yard usage fees incurred by all foreign trade customers from January 20 to February 20.

Zhuhai Port : On February 1, Zhuhai Port Group decided to implement the following measures for its affiliated terminals in Zhuhai: 1. To exempt containers (except refrigerated, special and dangerous goods) at the port from 0:00 on January 24, 2020 to 24:00 on February 9, 2020 (the costs incurred by refrigeration of refrigerated containers are not included in the scope of exemption); 2. To extend the 2020 domestic trade ordinary heavy container pressure policy to 24:00 on February 29; 3. To give priority to the protection, operation and transportation of anti-epidemic and rescue materials, and exempt relevant port operation fees.

COSCO SHIPPING Lines: Our company will grant special container policies to mainland China’s foreign trade import and export goods: additional exemption of demurrage fees incurred from January 24 to February 9.

Maersk : Maersk will provide mainland China customers with an additional special import free container period from January 27, 2020 to February 9, 2020 (this arrangement does not include terminal storage fees). This special arrangement for the import free container period also applies to Maersk Spot booking products. (This special arrangement for the import free container period only applies to mainland China, not Hong Kong and Taiwan.)

SEALAND : SEALAND North China will provide a special additional exemption for the import container period from January 24 to February 9 (this exemption does not include terminal storage fees).

Pacific International Lines: In order to facilitate customers' container and cargo arrangements during this period, our company will implement a special container exemption policy for foreign trade goods entering and leaving mainland China, that is, all demurrage fees incurred from January 24 to February 9 will be exempted.

Pan Asia Shipping: We have announced before the holiday that all domestic trade general containers imported and unloaded from mainland China between January 15 and February 8, 2020 will enjoy an additional extension of the import free container period. Among them, if the unloading days are from January 15th to February 1st, an additional 14 days of free container use will be granted; if the unloading days are from February 2nd to February 8th, an additional 7 days of free container use will be granted (excluding storage costs).

Antong Holdings: On February 1, Antong Holdings issued a notice that it would extend the free container period. The details are as follows:

1. Original regulations: For imported heavy containers with unloading dates between January 14 and 20, 2020 (inclusive), the free container period can be extended to February 8, 2020 (the fifteenth day of the first lunar month), and demurrage fees will be charged normally from February 9.

Now adjusted to: extended to February 13, 2020 (the 20th day of the first lunar month).

2. Original regulations: For imported heavy containers with unloading dates between January 21 and 31, 2020 (inclusive), the free container period will be extended to February 13, 2020 (the 20th day of the first lunar month), and demurrage fees will be charged normally from February 14.

Now adjusted to: extended to February 17, 2020 (the 24th day of the first lunar month).

3. Original regulations: For cargoes arriving at the port before January 13, 2020 (inclusive), the cargoes will not be allowed to be transferred to the port for the New Year. Normal demurrage will be charged. If the free container period falls on the statutory holiday of the Spring Festival, it can be extended for 7 days. OA application is required for early loading of New Year cargoes, and the approval result shall prevail.

Now adjusted to: 14-day extension is allowed.

For more policies, please pay attention to: February 2 pneumonia epidemic progress! Cross-border e-commerce news, policies and countermeasures!

1. Refute rumors

Trump approves patent exemption for remdesivir, a potentially effective drug for the new coronavirus?

This is fake news! After searching for the source of the news in China, I found that it was first posted by a user on Weibo, but he did not give the exact source of the news, only claiming that it came from Bloomberg, but I could not find this news on Bloomberg. First of all, the structure of the drug has long been public. When Gilead applied for the patent for this drug in 2013, it had already fully disclosed the structure of the drug.

Secondly, a drug patent is the right of a company, and it is not the turn of US President Trump to give it up. If a company's rights can be deprived of it at will, where is the legal basis of the United States? On the contrary, in the trade war text a few days ago, one of the important points that the United States insisted on was to require the protection of drug patents. (Quoted from Zhihu user "看客小h")

2. It is reported that Thailand has announced the discovery of a prescription for treating COVID-19

At around 2 p.m. on February 2, Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health Anutin organized a press conference, announcing that a team of doctors at Bangkok's Rajavithi Hospital had discovered a prescription for treating COVID-19. The treatment effect was very obvious. After taking the medicine, confirmed cases showed significant improvement in their condition within 12 hours, and test results turned negative within 48 hours.

According to Thai media, the two drugs mentioned by the above experts are both produced by pharmaceutical institutions in Thailand. Although the therapeutic effect still needs to be continuously verified, it is already super good news at present. (Excerpt from the Thai Chinese website official account)

3. Tips for protection

l    Not all disinfectants are effective. 75% concentration of medical alcohol is the most effective. Do not spray alcohol in large quantities on infants and adults to prevent alcohol allergies; be careful with open flames to prevent fires.

l   84 Disinfectant liquid, bleaching powder, chlorine-containing disinfectant powder or chlorine-containing effervescent tablets are all chlorine-containing disinfectants. They can be directly diluted and placed in plastic containers for disinfection and sterilization. When using, be sure to avoid skin, mouth and nose.

l    Physical heating disinfection, such as tableware, toys, baby bottles and other small items, can be disinfected by boiling for more than 30 minutes or steaming for 5 minutes.

l    Wash your hands frequently, and clean and disinfect items frequently touched by family members every day.

We will continue to follow up with updates so that everyone can keep abreast of the latest epidemic developments and cross-border e-commerce news without leaving home. You are welcome to bookmark and forward!

(Source: Seller Growth Academy)