By Liu Xinyu Feng Xiaopeng King & Wood Mallesons’ Customs& Trade Compliance team

According to the China Cross-Border E-Commerce Development Almanac (2017), in 2016, the total volume of cross-border export and import online retail reached RMB 54.343 billion. This figure represents an increase of 42.44% on a year-on-year basis. The total import tax in 2017 reached RMB 2.62 billion, increased by 545.11% when compared to 2016. Cross-border e-commerce has grown increasingly popular in recent years as a distinct model from traditional modes of business operation. As a result of this, administrative oversight on cross-border e-commerce (including finance, commerce, customs, customs inspection, foreign exchange, tax, etc.) is also undergoing a process of change. In this process, there has emerged much controversy over the legal nature of and liability related to cross-border e-commerce.
Continue Reading Legal Risks Confronting Cross-Border E-Commerce

By Mark Schaub and Chen Bing, King & Wood Mallesons’ Corporate & Securities Group

Cschaub_mhchenbingina cross border e-commerce has grown by leaps and bounds in the last 2 years since the PRC authorities encouraged the use of bonded zones. Some commentators have suggested the value of the business may have exceeded USD 3 trillion in 2015. The effects have not been limited to China as many international companies have seen their share price rise exponentially on the basis of the China e-commerce phenomenon. Cross border e-commerce moved from being a possible avenue to sell to the China consumer to THE only way to sell to China.

Just as everything was going so well, suddenly major concerns surfaced about the very future of cross border e-commerce in China. These concerns were due to a raft of regulations that were issued in April 2016 by a number of Chinese regulators including Ministry of Finance (“MOF”), General Administration of Customs, State Administration of Taxation, Food and Drug Administration (“CFDA”), Ministry of Commerce, General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.
Continue Reading “Keep Calm and Carry On”: Keeping up with China’s changing rules for cross-border e-commerce