Dear foreign traders, at the beginning of April, both policies and logistics have sent “acceleration packages”.
From the freedom of returns in cross-border e-commerce to the intensive introduction of new products on port routes, everything is related to your cost and efficiency.
1. Cross-border e-commerce: usher in two major benefits: “freedom of returns” and “tax-free red envelopes”, which directly reduce the costs of cross-border sellers.
Export return tax exemption rules implemented: From 2026 to 2027, cross-border e-commerce exports (1210/9610/9710/9810 mode) of goods that are unsalable, returned and returned to the country in original packaging within 6 months will be exempted from import duties, import value-added tax, and consumption tax, and the export duties levied can also be refunded.
This is simply an “insurance” for the cost of trial and error.
National cross-customs return policy: Starting from April 1, cross-border e-commerce retail export (9610) goods can be returned at any customs across the country, completely saying goodbye to the trouble of “where to go from where to go”.
Reverse logistics costs are expected to be significantly reduced, and the pain point of “difficulty in returns” will be alleviated.
2. Tax supervision: Photovoltaic cell tax rebate adjustments have put corporate costs under pressure.
Related industries need to pay attention to tax policy adjustments: Photovoltaic products: Starting from April 1, value-added tax export rebates will be completely cancelled, and the profit margins of related companies will be directly squeezed.
Battery products: The export tax rebate rate will be reduced from 9% to 6% and is planned to be canceled in 2027.
The tax dividend from new energy exports is gradually shrinking.
At the same time, the State Administration of Taxation has updated the 2026A version of the export tax refund rate library. The tax refund rates for chemical, plastic, ceramic and other products have also been adjusted. Enterprises need to check as soon as possible and update their quotation strategies.
3. Port logistics: Routes are encrypted and channels for large items are opened.
The logistics network continues to expand, making exports more convenient.
Qingdao Port: 7 new international routes were added in the first quarter, covering Southeast Asia, Australia, North Africa and Central and South America.
Among them, the new route in North Africa connects core ports in Egypt and Libya, shortening the transportation cycle by nearly 10 days.
Jiaxing Port: For the first time, it opened a direct channel for large equipment to Europe. It adopted the “ship-to-ship transfer” mode and successfully transported a 600-ton wind power base to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, filling the operational gap in the export of large wind power equipment.
Zhenjiang Port: Foreign trade performance was outstanding in the first quarter, with 747 international sailing ships calling (a year-on-year increase of 12.3%), and foreign trade cargo throughput reaching 13.175 million tons (a 13.3% increase).
4. Bulk and energy: Wind power goes to sea and iron ore channels are unblocked.
Wind power equipment: With the opening of Jiaxing Port’s large-size channel, the speed of the Yangtze River Delta’s green energy equipment going to sea has accelerated.
Resource import: Zhenjiang Port successfully guaranteed the berthing of the first ship of Simandou Iron Ore from Guinea, smoothing the “overseas-coastal-Yangtze River” logistics artery and ensuring the supply of important resources.
5. Policy trends: Overseas warehouses are popular and fund management is more convenient.
Overseas warehouses: The government work report clarified that the “cross-border e-commerce + overseas warehouses” model will be expanded and upgraded, and policy support will shift from inclusive subsidies to targeted empowerment, and the strategic status of overseas warehouses will be further enhanced.
Fund management: Starting from April 1, funds raised from overseas listings can be more flexibly repatriated in domestic and foreign currencies. Dividends after the “full circulation” of H shares can be distributed in RMB, which provides convenience for enterprises’ cross-border capital operations.
To summarize: In the field of foreign trade this week, facilitation measures are increasing (cross-border e-commerce returns), the cost structure is adjusting (changes in tax refund policies), and the logistics network is intensifying (new port routes are added).
For enterprises, they must not only seize policy dividends to optimize processes, but also actively respond to cost changes. At the same time, they must use the expanding logistics channels to make “Made in China” go global faster and better.
