Suzhou's cross-border e-commerce full-mode development "import and export" promotes trade transformation

Cross-border e-commerce has provided a new channel for promoting trade transformation and upgrading and expanding imports. Suzhou, relying on the National Cross-border E-commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zone, has actively explored policy innovations, especially since this year, with the formal implementation of the cross-border e-commerce retail import transition policy, Suzhou's cross-border e-commerce has entered a new stage of full-mode business development.

In the stocking warehouse of a cross-border e-commerce platform in Taicang Comprehensive Bonded Zone, the shelves are full of what we often call "hot items", from food, cosmetics, to various daily consumer goods. Because of the opening of the cross-border e-commerce import model, consumers can now buy imported goods online as easily as domestic goods. For example, this well-known milk powder can sell more than 1,000 units a day at its peak.

Cao Jiongyi, deputy general manager of Taicang Taijingtong International Trade Co., Ltd., said that this is sent from here to Wuhan. After leaving our warehouse today, it should reach the hands of consumers within 48 hours. Generally speaking, now places like Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai can basically deliver within 24 hours.

According to the transitional policy for cross-border e-commerce retail imports, imported goods are temporarily regulated as personal items and are exempt from customs clearance verification after entry, which provides convenience for the import of large quantities of personal consumer goods. Taking advantage of this policy, Cao Jiongyi's e-commerce platform can prepare goods in the bonded area before selling them, which not only speeds up delivery, but also provides more favorable tax rates for cross-border e-commerce retail imports.

Cao Jiongyi said that if it is imported according to general trade, there may be tariffs and value-added tax. On our cross-border platform, consumers only need to bear a cross-trade tax of 11.2%, which is equivalent to 70% of the value-added tax. It still brings benefits to consumers.

In just over half a year, more than a dozen trading companies have registered and operated on the platform. The platform also plans to open an offline O2O experience store in Taicang. New business forms and new models are taking root.

Fang Zheng, deputy director of the Management Committee of Taicang Port Comprehensive Bonded Zone, said that by reducing the links in the entire transaction, e-commerce can give more concessions to consumers, and consumers can spend less money to buy better and higher-quality goods.

In the first half of this year, Suzhou has carried out more than 40,000 cross-border e-commerce retail imports, with a business scale of over 10 million yuan. At the same time, cross-border e-commerce exports have also shown great vitality. So far, Suzhou Cross-border E-commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zone has achieved a total B2B export business of more than 10 billion yuan, and more and more local machinery, electronics, textiles and other products are sold to overseas markets through cross-border e-commerce.

Fang Wenbang, director of the Suzhou Municipal Bureau of Commerce, said that it is necessary to strengthen service connection with independent brand enterprises, traditional foreign trade enterprises and manufacturing enterprises, and actively promote enterprises to expand development space through "Internet +" in a more convenient and efficient new model to release market vitality, increase employment, support foreign trade "high-quality import and export" and industrial transformation and upgrading.