Whether the “Cross-border e-commerce retail import commodity list” is a “positive list” or not, there is some controversy before it is officially announced.
This list is a combination of the HS code in general trade and the “People’s Republic of China Import Tax Rate Table for Inbound Articles” in the postal channel. Why is it combined like this? There are two reasons: First, cross-border e-commerce retail imports are goods trade like general trade, so HS codes must be used to determine the name and tax rate of the goods; second, cross-border e-commerce retail imports are directly targeted at individual consumers like the postal channel, so it is necessary to refer to the “People’s Republic of China Import Tax Rate Table for Inbound Articles” to select which goods are for personal use (that is, excluding pure industrial products). In this way, combining the two, a “Cross-border e-commerce retail import commodity list” can be formulated, which has both the HS code characteristics of trade and is completely for personal use. If judged only from this perspective, this list is obviously not the rumored “positive list”. However, if the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, the State Food and Drug Administration and other departments also participate in the formulation of this list and eliminate those certificate-related commodities (of course, they will appropriately retain some certificate-related commodities with high demand), then the “Cross-border E-commerce Retail Import Commodity List” is a true “positive list”.
In actual conditions, the first “Cross-border E-commerce Retail Import Commodity List” was released on April 7 and was jointly formulated by 11 ministries and commissions: the second “Cross-border E-commerce Retail Import Commodity List” was released on April 15 and was jointly formulated by 13 ministries and commissions. Obviously, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, the State Food and Drug Administration and other departments are involved. In other words, this is a true “positive list”.