The results of the 2023 evaluation of China’s integrated pilot zones for cross-border e-commerce, which has been launched by the Ministry of Commerce for the third consecutive year, was recently unveiled. A total of 165 zones participated in the evaluation, falling into four grades. The integrated pilot zone for cross-border e-commerce in Qingdao ranked among the top for the third consecutive year, and is the sole city in Northern China to be included among the first grade for three times in a row.

Over recent years, cross-border e-commerce has emerged as a new driver of international trade, thanks to its well-developed manufacturing sector and adequate sources of merchandises for foreign trade. Among the first-grade cities from 2021 to 2023, where China’s integrated pilot zone for cross-border e-commerce are located, Qingdao together with Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Shenzhen and Guangzhou constantly take the lead, reflecting in part these cities’ remarkable edge and continuous vitality in cross-border e-commerce. The evaluation, whose indicators span imports and exports through cross-border e-commerce, cultivation of market entities, brand building and industrial exchange, placed emphasis on both these integrated zones’ tangible results and local governments’ efforts to develop cross-border e-commerce.

The Yellow River Basin Cross-border E-commerce Expo 2024 was held in Qingdao this June.