Amid global trade chaos caused by US tariffs, Shenzhen in South China's Guangdong Province has ramped up local support for cross-border e-commerce businesses through a series of new measures targeting at helping them explore overseas market by providing them better logistical and financial services.
In the first quarter, local customs processed more than 2 million e-commerce parcels per day on average, with business growth accelerating since March, according to the city's official WeChat account on Monday.
Shenzhen's cross-border e-commerce sector is supported by coordinated policies in customs, foreign exchange, and taxation, creating a phased support system of compliance, channel expansion, and brand upgrading. The effort enables local firms to secure funding, obtain faster clearance, and enhance global market recognition, thus boosting their global competitiveness, the city said.
On May 2, the US officially ended its tariff exemption policy for Chinese parcels valued under $800. About 1.36 billion shipments using this provision entered the US in fiscal year 2024, the Wall Street Journal cited data from the US Customs and Border Protection as reporting on Friday.
"They removed the scary import charge shock, but now, there is less stuff to buy, most of the best-sellers were from China," said Juozas Kaziukenas, an independent e-commerce analyst, according to the report.
Despite rising global trade volatilities, Shenzhen is leveraging its strong economic foundations to actively develop cross-border logistics in order to sustain its trade growth momentum.
The city, known as one of China's cross-border e-commerce hubs, is home to over 80,000 sellers—more than half of the national total—and operates 30 dedicated sea freight routes and 11 air freight channels, along with 4 million square meters of overseas warehouses.
On April 27, the first cross-border e-commerce express train linking the China-Europe Railway Express in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area departed from Shenzhen, injecting new impetus into trade between China and Europe.
The new route enables Shenzhen-based e-commerce companies to offer overseas clients with faster and more efficient logistical services, supporting their global market expansion, a representative from the express train service operator said, according to Shenzhen officials.
Also, diverse trade fairs held in the city serve as key platforms for global business engagement, exemplified by the Shenzhen Global Cross-Border E-commerce Expo 2025, which attracted participation from more than 600 domestic and international suppliers.
In addition, leading local e-commerce firms have actively responded to challenges thanks to closer government-business coordination, contributing to Shenzhen's resilient cross-border e-commerce growth amid US' reckless tariff policies.
On April 25, Shenzhen-based cross-border e-commerce firm Sailvan Times reported its 2024 revenues surpassing 10 billion yuan ($1.38 billion), and its first-quarter 2025 revenue rising 36.65 percent year-on-year to reach 2.46 billion yuan, Shenzhen city officials said. To overcome the challenges resulting from US tariffs, the company is advancing business diversification through adjustments in logistics, market strategy, and supply chains, the company said.
(Cover image: Xinhua)
