Local administrations and enterprises in Shanghai have been racing against the clock to ensure the smooth operation of an offline storage and display center for cross-border e-commerce operators ahead of the inaugural China International Import Expo (CIIE) which is scheduled to take place in the city from Nov 5 to 10.

The center, called the Yangtze River Delta E-commerce Center, was set up by the Hongqiao Central Business District Administration Committee in March.

Located near the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) where the CIIE will be held, the center is designed to serve as a year-round offline display platform for cross-border e-commerce operators from across the world, according to Huang Zhimin, general manager of Shanghai Kouxing Enterprise Management, the company responsible for the operation of the center.

"It can be very costly for cross-border e-commerce operators to transport their products to China once a year just for a six-day expo," Huang said. "We aim to offer them a transit platform where they can display their products between expos. This would not only help them to achieve significant cost savings but also offer them year-round access to the local market."

In order to establish a temporary warehouse for exhibits that have entered China tariff-free, the center requires authorization from customs to designate the facility as a bonded area, explained Huang, referring to the many challenges that administrators have to overcome.

He also pointed out that more than 100 e-commerce operators from across the world have already expressed interest in registering for a space at the center.

As the world's first national-level expo that focuses on imports, CIIE is a landmark undertaking in the history of international trade. Since early this year, Shanghai has rolled out a series of measures to ensure the expo is a success and develop itself into a distribution hub for imported goods across China and Asia.

In April, the municipality launched the first batch of 30 exhibition and transaction platforms to support the expo. According to the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, these platforms were established because authorities recognized that the six-day expo would not provide international exhibitors and buyers enough time to learn about the business opportunities in China.

These platforms, which comprise mostly major exhibition centers offering display and transaction services, will be available all year round.

"The platforms will also promote the sustainable development of the expo and enhance Shanghai's brand as an international shopping destination," said Shang Yuying, director of the commerce commission, during the launch of the platforms.

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