Ningbo Introduces New Split-Declaration Mode to Boost Cross-Border E-Commerce Retail Exports

China Inspection and Quarantine Times—More than 11,000 cross-border e-commerce parcels were quickly cleared by the Ningbo Post Office Customs, a subsidiary of Ningbo Customs, on March 6 and then loaded for shipment, marking the official launch of the 9610 dedicated supervision mode for cross-border e-commerce retail exports at the international mail exchange office in Ningbo.

The shipment mainly comprises consumer goods, including apparel, footwear, hats, and daily necessities. Notably, they were all declared under the newly adopted split-declaration model, a move that directly supports micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) by allowing more flexible, small-batch shipments. The launch makes the international mail exchange office in Ningbo the first facility in Zhejiang Province to offer this mode.

Currently, the general declaration mode remains the standard practice for cross-border e-commerce retail exports, which represents a model well-suited to large e-commerce firms shipping in bulk. For smaller players, however, it often means having to accumulate orders over time before shipping, resulting in slower delivery, longer inventory holding periods, and tighter cash flow.In response, Ningbo Customs has pushed for the adoption of the split-declaration mode, under which Customs directly handles inspection, release, and clearance based on individual declaration lists. The new approach better aligns with the needs of MSMEs, enabling small-batch, multiple-shipment, high-frequency operations and more flexible distribution to emerging markets.

"Our company is still in its early stages, so we don't send large volumes at once. Instead, we ship frequently, almost every day,"said the head of a fledgling cross-border e-commerce firm in Ningbo. "The split-declaration mode fits our needs perfectly. We ran some trial shipments with guidance from Customs authority, and everything went smoothly. Now we're planning to scale up."

"Zhejiang is a major private-sector hub, and MSMEs are the most dynamic players in its economy," said an official from Ningbo Post Office Customs. "This mode effectively lowers the barrier for smaller businesses to enter the cross-border e-commerce market." With the new model, companies can now pack and ship orders flexibly in smaller batcheswithout having to consolidate goods into bulk shipments before dispatch. This not only helps ease inventory and cash flow pressure but also speeds up parcel turnover through the global postal network, turning even the smallest businesses into global sellers.

(Correspondents: Xie Bailin, and Lu Chenze)