CHINA’S cross-border e-commerce has sustained a steady expansion against global uncertainties as e-commerce platforms step up investment and innovation in logistics and retail services to improve the shopping experience for global consumers.

Initial estimates show that the imports and exports of China’s cross-border e-commerce amounted to about 1.7 trillion yuan (US$232.6 billion) in the first three quarters of 2023, a year-on-year increase of 14.4%, according to the General Administration of Customs.

In the past five years, China’s cross-border e-commerce trade volume has increased 10 times, while its proportion in the country’s foreign trade had risen from less than 1% five years ago to about 5%.

There are over 100,000 cross-border e-commerce players in China. Logistics has been a major concern for cross-border e-commerce and a major field of investment for market players.

JD Logistics, the logistics unit of Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com, has taken a leaf from the book of its domestic service, setting up forward warehouses in overseas markets like Germany and Spain to stay closer to consumers.

It has operated nearly 90 bonded warehouses, direct mail warehouses and overseas warehouses around the world and plans to develop a comprehensive supply chain logistics network covering the globe’s major countries within three years.

Another e-commerce heavyweight, Alibaba’s international e-commerce platform AliExpress and its courier unit Cainiao, in late September, announced the launch of a five-day global delivery service in five overseas markets.

Consumers in Britain, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium and South Korea can now select “five-day delivery” to get orders from China within five working days.

In addition to improving delivery efficiency, e-commerce firms have taken localization steps to woo consumers. (Xinhua)