Shenzhen cuts overseas online shopping to three days

In Shenzhen's Qianhai zone, shopping on overseas websites has become as simple as visiting at a local grocery store.

On Tuesday, Qianhai Bonded Port launched a pilot e-commerce platform that simplifies customs clearance procedures and reduces shipping time to a couple days.

Credible retailers picked for the platform store their products in the bonded area. When a customer places an order, the retailer will be responsible for customs declaration. A personal postal articles tax will be levied and after that, the retailer would mail the package to the buyer. Any amount lower than 50 yuan ($8) is eligible for a tax waiver.

All a customer needs to do is pay the bill. Retailers will pay taxes on all orders within a certain period of time.

China has a growing appetite for overseas shopping, especially clothing, cosmetics and baby products. Many shoppers, however, are concerned with the long shipping time - usually over half a month - and the risks of buying counterfeit goods.

The platform will dismiss concerns with customs checks, and also help standardize customs declaration, clearance and taxing for overseas shopping.