China's cross-border e-commerce sector fuels foreign trade growth

Visitors attend the 35th China (Hangzhou) International Textile and Garment Supply Chain Expo in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Dec. 4, 2025. (Photo/Lian Guoqing)

Customs officials in Yiwu, known as the "world's capital of small commodities" in east China's Zhejiang Province, cleared a shipment of bonded cross-border e-commerce goods on Dec. 3 that pushed the city's full-year e-commerce import order count past 100 million for the first time.

"This is not only a milestone in local foreign trade development but also a vivid reflection of the development of China's cross-border e-commerce," said Wan Zhe, a researcher at the Belt and Road School of Beijing Normal University.

Industry experts said that as China continues to deepen high-level opening-up, cross-border e-commerce is injecting new momentum into high-quality foreign trade development.

In early 2019, the Yiwu Bonded Logistics Center began importing cross-border e-commerce goods via the bonded online shopping model, with annual imports reaching about 8.7 million orders. The following year, that figure jumped to more than 25 million, and the city's cross-border e-commerce import scale has continued to expand ever since.

A wide variety of products, mature and diversified logistics networks, efficient delivery systems and smooth customs clearance procedures have jointly fueled the rapid development of Yiwu's cross-border e-commerce sector.

Beyond facilitating imports, cross-border e-commerce has also demonstrated strong performance in exports.

"Since the beginning of this year, we have exported more than 100 million yuan ($14.14 million) worth of goods through cross-border e-commerce," said Li Xin'er, deputy general manager of the logistics and international brands center at Guangdong Eagle Gifts Co. Ltd. in south China's Guangdong Province. With the holiday decoration season in full swing, the company anticipates continued growth in export revenue.

In the first three quarters of this year, China's cross-border e-commerce imports and exports totaled approximately 2.06 trillion yuan, up 6.4 percent. The rapid development of cross-border e-commerce has been closely tied to policy support provided by relevant regions and departments.

In Beijing, guidelines for the 2025 cross-border e-commerce development support program encourage companies to develop self-operated sales platforms, use third-party platforms or integrate with external apps for operations. Investments in platform websites, mobile applications, WeChat mini programs, independent online stores, and livestreaming systems, including related software and hardware infrastructure, may receive funding support of up to 50 percent of their verified investment, with a maximum grant of 1 million yuan per project.

In Zhejiang Province, relevant departments support cross-border e-commerce companies in partnering with professional livestreaming agencies, extensively applying visual marketing models such as livestreaming and short videos to build a global cross-border livestreaming hub. The province is cultivating cross-border livestreaming talent by country and language, fostering integrated cross-border livestreaming bases, supporting enterprises in establishing localized teams abroad, and encouraging the adoption of new technologies such as AI-powered virtual hosts.

In south China's Hainan Province, relevant policies focus on the province's specialty agricultural products such as mangoes, coconuts and tilapia, supporting traditional foreign trade enterprises in exporting through cross-border e-commerce. Meanwhile, companies are encouraged to expand production and develop pre-packaged foods such as Lingshui sour rice noodles, Wenchang chicken and vinegar, as well as deep-processed products suitable for cross-border e-commerce exports, including tropical spices, aquatic products, freeze-dried fruits and coconut products.

Cross-border e-commerce embodies the deep integration of digital technology and global markets. It shortens transaction chains, broadens market channels, and significantly lowers the entry barrier for small- and medium-sized enterprises participating in international markets, Wan said.

China's cross-border e-commerce sector has achieved substantial growth, improved its structure and demonstrated greater resilience, significantly driving the development of service industries, including logistics, finance and legal services, while boosting employment and taxation, Wan added.

Cross-border e-commerce has become a new engine for China's foreign trade growth. "A series of policy measures have provided strong support for the continued rapid development of cross-border e-commerce," said Hong Yong, an associate researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation under the Ministry of Commerce.

For instance, the Ministry of Commerce and other departments have prioritized a "trial first" strategy, establishing more than 100 comprehensive pilot zones for cross-border e-commerce since 2015 and continuously improving support policies.

Customs authorities nationwide have optimized supervision procedures, creating a more convenient, efficient and secure customs clearance environment for cross-border e-commerce exports. These measures have created favorable conditions for enterprises to develop and grow, Hong added.