The Blue Ocean Has Emerged: Why Cross-Border E-Commerce Imports Are Worth Betting On?  

Against the backdrop of China’s continued expansion of openness and the acceleration of digital trade, cross-border e-commerce imports are entering a high-growth cycle. Compared to traditional general trade, models such as "bonded warehouse imports" and "direct purchases" feature lower qualification barriers, lighter tax burdens, and smaller capital requirements, reducing entry barriers for businesses while offering more flexible profit margins. For newcomers looking to start with a "light-asset" approach, this market is unleashing unprecedented opportunities.  

First, Clarifying the Concept: How Does Cross-Border E-Commerce Import Work?  

Strictly speaking, cross-border e-commerce imports represent a new B2C international trade model where buyers and sellers from different countries or customs territories complete orders and payments via online platforms, with goods delivered directly to consumers through cross-border logistics. Under China’s regulatory framework, it primarily operates in two modes:  

1. **Bonded Warehouse Imports (1210)** – Merchants ship bulk overseas goods to special customs supervision zones for centralized storage, clearing customs and shipping orders individually after consumers place orders. Benefiting from a "bonded-first, tax-later" mechanism, this model enjoys tariff exemptions for orders under ¥5,000 (with an annual cap of ¥26,000) and a 70% reduced rate for VAT and consumption tax, resulting in an effective tax rate of around 9%. Additionally, with goods stored in domestic bonded warehouses, logistics can be completed within 2–3 days, significantly enhancing user experience.  

2. **Direct Purchases (9610)** – After consumers place orders, goods are shipped directly from overseas warehouses and cleared as "multi-item consolidated" parcels. This model requires no domestic pre-stocking, features shorter supply chains and fewer category restrictions, making it ideal for testing multi-SKU, low-inventory strategies. While delivery times are slightly longer than bonded imports, capital requirements are lower, allowing flexible shipping based on inventory.  

The two models can coexist: Merchants can stock high-turnover bestsellers in bonded warehouses for faster delivery while keeping niche or long-tail items in overseas warehouses for on-demand shipping, achieving an optimal balance between experience and cost.