Datong International Land Port [Photo/Datong Daily]

The city of Datong in North China's Shanxi province recently issued a circular on accelerating the development of cross-border e-commerce. 

The circular aims to encourage traditional foreign trade and manufacturing companies to use cross-border e-commerce to carry out international trade, realize digital transformation, promote the sustainable development of the cross-border e-commerce industry, and enhance companies' competitive advantages in the city.

Measures include encouraging businesses to develop cross-border e-commerce, encouraging the introduction of well-known international and domestic cross-border e-commerce companies, encouraging the establishment of new cross-border e-commerce industrial parks, supporting the establishment of cross-border e-commerce experience centers, implementing preferential tax policies, and encouraging the cluster development of cross-border e-commerce enterprises. 

For instance, a one-time financial reward of 300,000 yuan ($47,131.42) will be given to recognized municipal-level demonstration enterprises of cross-border e-commerce. 

According to the Datong bureau of commerce, the city has always regarded cross-border e-commerce as an important part of opening-up. 

It received the green light to become one of 46 cities to build cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zones by the State Council in May 2020. 

This August, the first direct business-to-business cross-border e-commerce exports from the city were shipped to Japan.