A host makes final preparations for a livestream show at the logistics park. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]

China's annual 618 shopping festival, which this year has become the longest in history, spans 39 days from May 13 to June 20. In Hangzhou, cross-border e-commerce platforms are seeing a surge in orders, supported by rapid customs clearance measures.

According to platform data, within the first hour of sales, 374 overseas brands saw their transactions double year-on-year. During the first phase, 109 international brands each surpassed 10 million yuan ($1.4 million) in sales. Chinese consumers primarily focused on electronics, premium cosmetics, and health products.

At the logistics park in Hangzhou's Comprehensive Bonded Zone, over 200,000 orders were shipped on the first day alone, with livestream channels contributing 45,000 orders. "Our average monthly throughput is 2–3 million items, which doubles or triples during peak events like 618 or Double 11," said logistics director Chen Wenxin.

Customs support has been key. Thanks to integration with the service window for international trade, order and logistics data are automatically matched with customs records for near-instant clearance. Hangzhou Customs has also simplified procedures for livestream sales and promoted paperless guarantees to cut costs and improve efficiency.

This favorable environment has encouraged companies to explore new integrated business models. "We've gone beyond warehousing to build a digital product selection center, aligning resources across marketing, tech, logistics, and customs," said Wang Hong, another director of the logistics park.

Since becoming China's first pilot zone for cross-border e-commerce in 2015, Hangzhou has grown to host 65,000 sellers, with 1,586 enterprises each exceeding 20 million yuan in annual transactions.

Hangzhou Customs officers inspect imported goods. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]