An e-commerce practitioner introduces her product via livestream. [Photo/Nantong Municipal Bureau of Commerce]

The cross-border e-commerce industry in Nantong, Jiangsu province, showcased its development and potential in the first half of this year with a remarkable year-on-year growth rate exceeding 60 percent.

Designated as a national pilot zone for cross-border e-commerce business, Nantong has been exploring the integrated development of the cross-border e-commerce industry, industrial belts, market procurement and overseas warehouses.

Nantong's industrial belts, specializing in home textile, fitness equipment, electric tools, apparel, and labor protection appliance, support the city's development of cross-border e-commerce.

International buyers talk with a cross-border e-commerce businessman in Nantong. [Photo/Nantong Municipal Bureau of Commerce]

For instance, to seamlessly merge the local home textile industry with cross-border e-commerce, the city has established e-commerce bases and the Dieshiqiao Cross-Border E-Commerce Industrial Center and launched a one-stop marketing platform for cross-border e-commerce, facilitating the export of local home textiles to 60 percent of the global market.

While an increasing number of enterprises in Nantong have embraced cross-border e-commerce, some small and medium-sized enterprises still encounter challenges due to high logistics costs.

Overseas warehouses play a pivotal role in addressing this issue. Li Jianfeng, deputy director of the Nantong municipal bureau of commerce, emphasized that overseas warehouses are not merely storage facilities; they also include functions such as customs clearance, end-to-end distribution, after-sales services, and product showcasing.

To date, the city has built 31 overseas warehouses across 18 European and American countries and regions, including seven public warehouses recognized by provincial authorities.

Nantong authorities themselves have also taken measures to bolster the cross-border e-commerce industry, from preferential policies and tailored activities to industrial alliances, all of which have collectively contributed to the industry's thriving development.