AEO Certification Empowers Cross-Border E-Commerce Firms in Global Expansion

In the offices of AOSOM E-COMMERCE INC in Zhenhai District, Ningbo City, the rapid clatter of keyboards reflects a business in full swing. Specializing in outdoor leisure, home products, and sports wellness categories, the company has successfully introduced a wide range of high-quality Chinese goods to the global market through visionary and innovative strategies.

Statistics show that aosom.com leads the European market, with registered users surpassing 10 million, daily visits exceeding 600,000, and a consistent daily order volume of over 10,000 items. The firm has been recognized among China's Top 100 Cross-Border E-Commerce Enterprises and the China's Top 100 Digital New Consumer Brands, establishing itself as a benchmark in cross-border e-commerce expansion.

Behind the company’s digital transformation and global outreach lies strong support from Zhenhai Customs, a subsidiary of Ningbo Customs. To help cross-border e-commerce businesses fully leverage the benefits of the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) program, Zhenhai Customs has strengthened credit cultivation for new economy companies, giving priority to providing "full-chain" follow-up cultivation to key players like Aosom, with a commitment to delivering tangible results.“Since obtaining AEO status, Aosom has benefited from significantly lower inspection rates for imports and exports compared to ordinary credit enterprises. It has also been designated as a Customs-recommended key enterprise of the year, qualifying for related support measures from local government agencies,” explained Zhang Chu, Deputy Section Chief of the Audit & Inspection Section at Zhenhai Customs. More critically, Customs has assigned a dedicated coordinator to the enterprise, adopting a "designated official for designated company" model to streamline Customs-enterprise coordination.The coordinator offers proactive support - whether by actively communicating with tax and other departments to resolve tax refund issues in cross-border e-commerce pilot reforms, or by providing immediate professional guidance on WTO rules and overseas AEO benefits - all aimed at boosting the company's export efficiency.

"AEO certification has streamlined our cargo clearance and significantly reduced logistics costs. What's more, any issues that come up are handled with speed and efficiency by Customs. Suchstrong support has been vital in giving us the confidence to expand our global presence," said Dai Wanghui, Deputy General Manager of Aosom.

Bolstered by the benefits of AEO certification, Aosom has significantly accelerated the expansion and upgrading of its overseas warehouse network. The company has grown its footprint from an initial 11 oversea warehouses to more than 20 facilities up to now, with a total combined area of nearly 400,000 square meters.“In traditional cross-border e-commerce, orders are dispatched individually from the country of origin. The whole process is both lengthy and costly,” explained Dai Wanghui. “By establishing overseas warehouses, we have created localized, closed-loop supply chains. This approach has slashed delivery times from roughly 30 days down to just two, reduced inventory carrying costs by approximately 15 percent, and simplified the returns process, all of which dramatically enhance the end-user experience.”

Looking ahead, Zhenhai Customs will continue to enhance credit cultivation for key enterprises, namelyindustry leaders, "single champion" firms that dominate specific niche markets, and specialized, sophisticated, and innovative "little giant" enterprises, encouraging innovation and excellence among enterprises, and through proactive policy guidance, supporting local businesses in riding the waves of global expansion and escorting them toward broader international markets.

(By Zhang Chu and Long Xilai)