Recently, the General Administration of Customs issued a New Deal on its official website, which immediately detonated the entire cross-border industry, directly letting industry practitioners shout that spring is coming. The following is a detailed interpretation of the General Administration of Customs Announcement No. 167 of 2024 (Announcement on Further Promoting the development of cross-border e-commerce exports), which cross-border sellers can refer to.

01 Background and Purpose

The announcement is to further implement the strategic deployment of the Party Central Committee and The State Council to accelerate the development of new cross-border e-commerce formats, especially the instructions of the Central Economic Work Conference on expanding cross-border e-commerce exports. In order to promote the high-quality development of cross-border e-commerce, to provide new momentum for the development of China's foreign trade.

02 Main content interpretation

01 Cancel the filing of cross-border e-commerce export overseas warehouse enterprises

Change: Previously, enterprises that carried out cross-border e-commerce export overseas warehouse business were required to register at the customs. Now, this requirement has been removed, and companies no longer need to go through the relevant filing procedures.

Significance: This simplifies the operation process of enterprises, reduces the operating costs of enterprises, helps more enterprises to participate in the cross-border e-commerce export overseas warehouse business, and promotes the rapid development of business.

02 Simplify export document declaration procedures

Changes: Before the declaration of cross-border e-commerce retail exports and business-to-business export lists, cross-border e-commerce enterprises or their agents and logistics enterprises should respectively transmit electronic information such as transactions and logistics to the customs through the international trade "single window" or cross-border e-commerce customs clearance service platform, without transferring electronic information of receipt.

Significance: This further simplifies the declaration procedures, improves the efficiency of the declaration, helps to speed up the customs clearance of goods, and reduces the logistics costs of enterprises.

03 Expand the pilot area of "inspection before shipment" for export LCL cargo

Changes: In Shanghai, Hangzhou and other 12 directly under the customs to carry out export LCL cargo "inspection before shipment" supervision model pilot. Goods are allowed to enter the customs supervision site in the form of bulk cargo, first accept inspection, and then flexible LCL shipment.

Significance: This helps to optimize the logistics process, improve logistics efficiency and reduce logistics costs. At the same time, it also helps to strengthen customs supervision to ensure the safety and compliance of goods.

04 Promote cross-border e-commerce retail export cross-customs return supervision model

Changes: In Beijing, Tianjin and other 20 directly under the customs to carry out cross-border e-commerce retail export cross-customs return supervision model pilot. The returned goods are allowed to be returned across the direct customs area, and the returned goods should be returned to the customs supervision and operation places that carry out cross-border e-commerce retail export business.

Significance: This provides consumers with a more convenient return channel and improves the shopping experience of consumers. At the same time, it also helps enterprises better deal with the problem of returns, reduce the cost of returns, and improve customer satisfaction.

05 Other Matters

Other relevant regulatory requirements continue to be implemented in accordance with the relevant provisions of the General Administration of Customs Announcement No. 194 of 2018, No. 44 of 2020 and No. 75 of 2020.

03 Implementation time and impact

Implementation Date: This announcement shall take effect on December 15, 2024

Impact: Through the above measures, the operating costs of cross-border e-commerce enterprises can be effectively reduced, their customs clearance efficiency can be improved, and their rapid development can be promoted. It is of great significance to improve consumers' shopping experience and promote the vigorous development of the consumer market.

In summary, the General Administration of Customs Announcement No. 167 in 2024 has created a more convenient and efficient regulatory environment for the export of cross-border e-commerce and promoted the high-quality development of cross-border e-commerce by cancelling the filing, simplifying the declaration procedures, expanding the scope of the pilot, and implementing the supervision of returns.