"Export to China" — Why is Zhejiang an important stop?

Ask AI · How can Hangzhou’s cross-border e-commerce experience help share the national market?

21st Century Business Herald Reporter Liu Ningxin, Hangzhou Report

After this year’s National Two Sessions, the Ministry of Commerce launched the first “Shared Big Market · Export China” event in Zhejiang. Why Zhejiang?

(“Shared Big Market · Export China” event site, “Zheli Buy Globally · Consumption Starts in Hangzhou,” photo by Liu Ningxin)

On March 15, the “Shared Big Market · Export China” event with a focus on expanding imports, “Zheli Buy Globally · Consumption Starts in Hangzhou,” kicked off in Hangzhou.

Earlier, on March 6, at the Fourth Session of the 14th National People’s Congress economic-themed press conference, Minister of Commerce Wang Wintao responded to a question from Southern Finance 21st Century Business Herald, stating that “Export China” will hold over 100 series of activities throughout the year, focusing on three main areas: first, strengthening event synergy. Coordinating online and offline efforts to build more docking channels and import product consumption scenarios. Second, enhancing supply-demand matching. Exploring “the best of each country” and “what China needs” to promote precise matching. Third, deepening international interaction.

At the event site, Chen Zhicheng, Deputy Director of Zhejiang Provincial Department of Commerce, told reporters that China is the world’s second-largest import market. Zhejiang, with its abundant economic vitality, strong corporate purchasing power, and huge market consumption potential, has a very strong demand for quality imported goods and services. This event gathered imported products from 85 countries, showcasing global quality goods across 20,000 square meters of exhibition space.

In addition to gathering high-quality global imports and local特色 products, the event also created efficient import trade docking and immersive consumption experience spaces. Notably, the cross-border e-commerce section features bonded warehouse shelves directly on-site, with over a thousand popular imported products on display, allowing consumers to scan QR codes to place orders online and have products delivered to their homes.

Recently, Zhejiang’s first domestic duty-free shop opened. This Hangzhou branch of China Outbound Personnel Service Co., Ltd., located in Hangzhou’s core commercial district at Jiebai A Block, near West Lake, has become a new landmark for Hangzhou duty-free shopping.

Future of Efficient, Intelligent Cross-Border Trade

This event focuses on the integrated development of import trade and consumption, with two core zones: imported goods and quality消费品, divided into eight特色 areas, including import enterprises, BRICS countries, cross-border e-commerce, bulk commodities, new消费, new三样, imported cars, and new energy vehicles.

In Alibaba’s zone, the overall cross-border trade situation on the platform was showcased. To address overseas merchants’ pain points, the现场展示了AI Business Assistant and AI Procurement Engine Accio, which can significantly lower the entry barriers for foreign brands entering China through features like one-click dressing and multilingual reception.

The interactive体验区 demonstrates the未来的高效、智能跨境贸易新形态. For example, the Qianwen AI glasses simulate the魅力 of AI消费; Taobao Vision’s future flagship store uses spatial computing technology to让观众沉浸式体验虚拟空间中的“飞行汽车”.

According to reports, Alibaba’s platform has gathered over 60,000 overseas brands from 120 countries and regions, with nearly 1 trillion yuan in sales over the past three years. Currently, Cainiao has established 140 overseas and bonded warehouses worldwide, connected 500 international transportation routes, and linked 40 key ports.

(Alibaba will explore “Cross-border Import Flash Shopping” in Hangzhou, photo by Liu Ningxin)

Alibaba CEO Wu Yongming announced at the event launch that Alibaba will explore “Cross-border Import Flash Shopping” in Hangzhou, reducing the traditional 48-hour delivery time for bonded cross-border goods to within 4 hours, making “buying globally” as simple as ordering takeout.

Chen Zhicheng stated that moving forward, the first step is to enrich the “Export China” series of activities, focusing on leveraging Zhejiang’s advantages, planning and organizing over 20 import events, allowing consumers nationwide to participate and enjoy global products. Second, expanding import categories—not only focusing on bulk commodities, high-tech products, and technology imports but also emphasizing daily消费品 imports, combining online便利消费 with offline实体体验.

“Finally, we need to promote long-term cooperation by inviting leading enterprises from various industries worldwide to participate in ‘Export China’ activities, encouraging them to bring high-quality products and services to Zhejiang, invest and develop there, and deepen合作 for mutual benefit,” Chen Zhicheng said.

Cross-Border E-commerce Drives New Consumption Trends

Entering the cross-border e-commerce import zone, the reporter noticed three themed areas: cross-border e-commerce comprehensive试验区, cross-border e-commerce import政务服务, and cross-border e-commerce import创新场景. Notably, it fully展示了全国首个跨境电商综合试验区——杭州综试区十年成果.

Hangzhou’s制度创新 continues to empower模式创新. Since its establishment, the Hangzhou综合保税区 has served 3,234 import enterprises, covering 102 importing countries/regions, with a total交易额 exceeding 80 billion yuan.

(Rongda Cloud Warehouse shelves, photo by Liu Ningxin)

Rongda Cloud Warehouse is a key enterprise in Hangzhou’s cross-border e-commerce import sector, acting as a代理服务商 for pet industry跨境进口品牌, providing仓储、综合运营和电商配送 solutions for well-known domestic and international pet brands.

朱汉罚, responsible for Rongda Cloud Warehouse, told 21st Century Business Herald that their bonded仓库 was founded in 2017, focusing on the pet economy vertical track, directly experiencing the制度创新优势 in cross-border e-commerce, supporting high-quality pet food supply chains globally.

In Hangzhou, innovative cases of cross-border e-commerce import continue to emerge, such as the “Three Orders Comparison” standard framework for bonded retail进口, innovative智能验核模式 for支付信息 and订购人身份信息, and the构建 of a跨境电商网购保税进口食品安全多元治理机制. The first nationwide跨境电商网购保税零售进口商品跨关区退货 and the "bonded仓直播 + digital product selection + supply chain integrated services"模式 are also notable.

Hangzhou is further提升 the便利化水平 of cross-border e-commerce retail imports, aiming for higher efficiency and lower thresholds to gather global好物 and share China’s big market dividends with global partners.

Wang Yongfang, Director of Hangzhou Municipal Bureau of Commerce, told reporters that Hangzhou will amplify the spillover effects of this event, first by coordinating cross-border e-commerce, leveraging Hangzhou’s status as the first cross-border e-commerce comprehensive试验区, continuously expanding bonded import规模, achieving “buy globally, sell globally.” Additionally, coordinating bulk trade and BRICS合作, and finally, leveraging品牌展会 like the Hangzhou West Expo and Digital Trade Fair to build platforms for import商品展示和销售.