During the First Phase of "618" Shopping Festival, Ningbo's Cross-border E-commerce Retail Imports Surpassed RMB1.6 Billion
Issue Date：2025-06-04 Source：GACC
Photo: Customs officers conducting on-site supervision during "618" promotional activities at a cross-border e-commerce bonded warehouse. Captured by Huang Lin
The 2025 "618" mid-year shopping festival commenced ahead of schedule on May 16. Leading cross-border e-commerce platforms have strategically planned promotional campaigns, optimized product selection processes, and streamlined delivery systems to provide consumers with a more efficient global shopping experience.
At Fuli Logistics' Xingyun Warehouse in Ningbo Free Trade Zone, thousands of cross-border products are systematically stored on automated shelves. An intelligent management system coordinates the entire process - from issuing picking orders to automated sorting via conveyor belts and AGV robots. Workers then handle packaging and labeling before parcels are dispatched nationwide via round-the-clock express delivery services.
"With intelligent system support, order processing time has been reduced to just 10 minutes, enabling consumers in Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai free shipping zones to receive packages within half a day at the fastest," explained Shi Ming, Head of Customs Affairs at Fuli Logistics.
"During the first phase of the promotion from May 16 to 27, Ningbo's cross-border e-commerce enterprises processed approximately 4.61 million consumer orders, generating sales of about RMB 1.65 billion," stated Guo Yu, Deputy Director of the Free Trade Division at Ningbo Customs.
This year's 618 shopping festival coincided with the opening of the 4th China-CEEC Expo. Products from Central and Eastern European countries rode the 618 shopping wave, gaining popularity among domestic consumers. The CEE Cross-border E-commerce Offline Self-pickup Center in Ningbo Free Trade Zone showcases an extensive collection of imported goods from Central and Eastern European countries. "This year, Ningbo's hosting of the China-CEEC Expo has drawn significant attention, with many customers visiting our store specifically for the experience, boosting our average daily sales by 10% compared to usual," said Guo Chenjuan, manager of the CEE Self-Pickup Center. In the first phase, the sales revenue of cross-border E-commerce orders from CEECs surpassed RMB 25 million, marking an 8.6% year-on-year increase.
To ensure the smooth operation of this year's cross-border E-commerce "618" shopping festival, Ningbo Customs conducted advance visits and research on local warehousing enterprises. They gathered detailed information on inventory levels, promotional plans, peak business periods, and customs clearance requirements. Additionally, they provided standardized declaration training to help companies optimize delivery schedules and stagger submissions, preventing congestion from bulk declarations.
"This year's '618' shopping festival is expected to reach its peak on June 15. We have developed specialized regulatory measures and contingency plans. For cross-border E-commerce inventory under customs inspection, we've established a 'green channel' to ensure same-day inspection and release. This allows enterprises to complete goods tallying on the same day, significantly improving product shelving efficiency," said Chen Yiming, Section Chief of the First Inspection Division at Ningbo Customs' subordinate Customs-FTZ Customs. (By Yu Dongming, Zhu Wei, and Xu Wei)
Disclaimer：The above content is translated from Chinese version of GACC. The GACC version shall prevail.