China’s cross-border e-commerce boom started at the end of 2013 as a result of the increased demand for foreign products by the rising middle class. As it quickly became the first option for international brands to test the market before committing to a full expansion, several mechanisms were implemented to facilitate online trade that went from simplified legislation to fast last-mile delivery.
When selling to China as a Swiss company with e-commerce, there are many questions to consider. For example, what does the regulatory landscape look like, which business model is suitable and how do I get the goods to the end consumer in China.
Guidebook: How to successfully sell via e-commerce to China?
The Swiss Business Hub China and Web2Asia provide a guidebook that answers the questions above and much more. It can be downloaded below and covers the following topics:
- Introduction to e-commerce in China: industry development, key market players, consumer behavior
- Introduction to cross-border e-commerce in China: definition, difference to domestic e-commerce, business models
- Legal framework: basic regulations and requirements, purchase threshold, consumption tax, consumer protection
- How to sell on cross-border e-commerce in China: requirements, positive list, marketplace self-owned store application process, distribution
- Operation practices: cross-border e-commerce logistics models, direct shipping, bonded warehouse, global fulfillment centers (GFC), overseas consolidation centers, digital marketing, operation partners
- Cost & risk analysis: general picture of operation costs, currency and cashflow
- Dos & don’ts
- Practical checklist