A cross-border e-commerce platform in Harbin Comprehensive Bonded Zone started trial operations on June 7.

Seventeen residents of downtown Harbin became the first batch of customers to try the newly-launched service.

They purchased imported products from Japan using the e-commerce platform on the morning of June 7; quickly receiving the goods in the afternoon.

All the products for sale on the e-commerce platform are imported in advance, and stored in bulk at Harbin Comprehensive Bonded Zone. The products will not clear customs until a customer has finished placing their order.

From placing an online order to door-to-door delivery, the whole process only takes around half a day.

Compared with getting products imported directly from overseas in the traditional manner, the Harbin e-commerce platform is able to deliver goods to customers faster and is around 20 percent cheaper for customers, said a manager from Harbin Land Port Operation and Development Co, the operator of the e-commerce platform.

At present, around 100 categories of products are available on the platform, including cosmetics from South Korea and Japan, infant supplies from Australia, and home appliances from Europe and North America.

The platform will start official operations later this month, with plans to expand the product range in the near future.

 Products purchased on the cross-border e-commerce platform in Harbin Comprehensive Bonded Zone await customs clearance on June 7. [Photo/MY399.COM]