The Haikou Integrated Free Trade Zone completed customs clearance for its first cross-border e-commerce business-to-customer direct purchases on Aug 31, and it will energetically develop such services this month, Hainan Daily reported on Sept 3.

Cross-border direct purchasing enables Chinese consumers to buy overseas products directly from e-commerce platforms.

Parcels posted abroad are delivered to addressees after customs supervision and inspection in the zone. The advantages include cheaper prices, up-to-date brand styles, and convenient and safe customs clearance.

The first batch of purchases cleared on Aug 31 included nearly 1,000 parcels of cosmetics, skin care products, clothes, shoes and hats from Canada and Australia. They were sent on to Beijing, Shanghai, the provinces of Shandong, Guangdong and Shanxi, and other places in Hainan province.

This month, more products from countries in North America, East Asia, Southeast Asia and Australia will arrive at the Haikou Integrated FTZ and be distributed nationwide.

The cross-border direct purchase service was launched by the Haikou Integrated FTZ to promote the building of the China (Hainan) Pilot Free Trade Zone and a free trade port with Chinese characteristics.

A 20,000-square-meter warehouse and a 7,000-sq-m international business center have been put into operation at the zone’s cross-border e-commerce industrial park, providing services to more than 20 e-commerce companies in business.

The model was expected to play a positive role in making Hainan an international tourist consumption center, according to Hainan Daily.