On August 11, the first batch of inward commodities, directly purchased over cross-border e-commerce and transported by sea, mail or air from South Korea, were smoothly released by Weihai Customs House (affiliated to Qingdao Customs District), which marks the formal launch in Weihai of Customs service for direct purchase over cross-border e-commerce.

Around 11:00 that day, first 118 consignments by sea or by air arrived at the Postal Office stationed by the Customs House for clearance; around 15:00, first consignments by air were released at the Cross-Border E-Commerce Control Center in the Airport Office stationed by the Customs House. According to Zhang Yong, Director of the Postal Office, most of those consignments were supplies for mother and baby, small household appliances, and apparel.

According to Director Zhang, the purchase over cross-border e-commerce is in the mode of “consignment by order”, meaning a domestic buyer should first place orders over a cross-border e-commerce sales platform networked with Customs system and then make electronic declaration and pay relevant import duties over a cross-border e-commerce clearance platform so as to bring in their commodities by sea, mail or air with faster release.

This formal launch has extended the cross-border e-commerce service provided by Weihai Customs House from export to import and from sea transportation to air and mail transportation. Additionally, newly-opened China-South Korea maritime EMS route, as a new path to cross-border e-commerce purchase, is helpful to make cross-border e-commerce in Weihai the “golden channel” integrated with air, sea and mail transportation.

                              Customs officers were inspecting inward commodities purchased over cross-border e-commerce.

                             Customs officers were inspecting inward commodities purchased over cross-border e-commerce.