China cutting e-commerce red tape to ease export of small packages, support flexible jobs

Beijing is cutting down on red tape in a bid to boost small-package exports through e-commerce platforms, which have become a vital export pillar and a means for many to cope with domestic challenges such as finding gainful employment.

While China has fostered e-commerce giants such as Temu, TikTok Shop, AliExpress, and Shein to challenge established players like Amazon, analysts say Donald Trump’s pending return to the US presidency could undermine Chinese ambitions to dominate global e-commerce space.

The General Administration of Customs on Thursday adopted 16 measures in its latest move to optimise the business environment at China’s ports and to streamline customs clearance. This came after it rolled out four new policies last week to boost cross-border e-commerce exports, including streamlined export-declaration processes and creating overseas parcel return centres in 20 pilot cities.

Additionally, it plans to eliminate the requirement for businesses to file plans with customs for their overseas warehouse business model, while allowing merchants to bulk goods for inspection and consolidate shipments flexibly.

The new policies, set to take effect on December 15, came as welcome news for 22-year-old London-based Haoyue Gao, who will be able to source Chinese products at reduced costs.

She waded into cross-border e-commerce about six months after completing her degree, opting to sell press-on nails online amid difficulty finding a job in London and in China.