By Lai Youwei, Wang Kaiqian and Li Guangqian, e-commerce service industry research team, General Office, Development Research Center of the State Council (DRC)

Research report No 66, 2014 (Total No 4565)

Summary:

The growth of China's traditional foreign trade has slowed in recent years, while the country's cross-border e-commerce has been developing rapidly. Its trading platform service, logistics and e-payment are beginning to take shape for the development of cross-border e-commerce. Cross-border e-commerce, which has huge potential and will become an important growth point in China's foreign trade, is facing many challenges such as the improvement of a customs clearance service and market regulation system, and adjustment and optimization of means of settlement. In addition, the logistics enterprises in domestic China are still weak.

To promote the healthy development of China's cross-border e-commerce, the country needs to do the following things: optimize customs services, payment, logistics and settlement; establish a cross-border e-commerce market supervision system; strengthen international cooperation; and guide and support the development of platforms for cross-border e-commerce.