A cross-border e-commerce platform in Harbin Comprehensive Bonded Zone started official operations on Aug 24.

The first deal made on the e-commerce platform was 1,600 cases of imported cosmetics from Japan. The 40,000 pieces of goods weigh 12,312.55 kilograms, with a value of 1.68 million yuan ($246,600).

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.