Global shopping through the Internet has become a normal part of life for many people. Buying with confidence and receiving goods quickly are the most important concerns of consumers when “shopping overseas”. On February 26, the first cross-border e-commerce export all-cargo charter flight route was officially opened at Changsha Huanghua Airport. The China (Changsha) Cross-border E-commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zone has taken an important step in opening up international logistics channels, making it more convenient for consumers to “shop overseas” and Hunan brands to “sell globally”.
Cross-border e-commerce is a new form of global trade development under the background of “Internet +”. In December 2017, the Hunan Provincial Government and the Ministry of Commerce signed a provincial-ministerial cooperation agreement. According to the agreement, the Ministry of Commerce will actively support Hunan in the development of cross-border e-commerce and other aspects. In 2018, the China (Changsha) Cross-border E-commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zone was successfully approved. All levels attached great importance to it, took quick action, and made every effort to promote various construction work, and achieved remarkable results in top-level design, building a comprehensive service platform, and business model innovation. The provincial government issued the “Implementation Plan for the Construction of China (Changsha) Cross-border E-commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zone”, proposing to strive to build Changsha into a regional distribution center for cross-border e-commerce in the central and western regions within 3 to 5 years. Changsha has formulated the “Promotion Plan for the Construction of China (Changsha) Cross-border E-commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zone (2019-2021)” and issued relevant support policies.
On January 23, 2019, the launching ceremony of China (Changsha) Cross-border E-commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zone was held at Changsha Jinxia Bonded Logistics Center, and Changsha Cross-border E-commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zone set sail. At present, Changsha is promoting the construction of a global quality traceability system, carrying out online shopping bonded import business, and improving logistics efficiency and consumer experience. The opening of cross-border e-commerce all-cargo routes from Changsha to specific foreign cities is one of the important measures. According to reports, Changsha will open more than 10 cross-border e-commerce all-cargo routes mainly in the Americas, Europe, and Australia within 3 to 5 years, combining long and short routes. Changsha Customs said that citizens can enjoy faster service by placing orders on e-commerce platforms to purchase imported goods through the online shopping bonded mode, which shortens the time from 3 to 7 days for cross-border direct purchase to 1 to 2 days, and the quality of the purchased goods is also more guaranteed.
In recent years, cross-border e-commerce has become a “weapon” for the transformation and upgrading of traditional domestic foreign trade enterprises. Hunan enterprises have also firmly grasped the cross-border e-commerce trade mode and continuously opened up new markets. Statistics show that in 2018, there were 129 cross-border e-commerce pilot enterprises in Changsha, and the transaction volume of cross-border e-commerce increased by more than 60%, reaching the best level in history.