Productive services, as an emerging industry that has developed independently from the manufacturing sector, primarily focus on production and business activities rather than directly serving individual consumers. It encompasses numerous fields such as logistics and transportation, financial services, information services, and scientific research and development. Although these services do not produce tangible products, they provide professional support to enterprises across various industries, acting as “invisible wings” to help businesses reduce costs and increase efficiency. Recently, the Hainan Free Trade Port’s one-stop cross-border e-commerce service platform officially launched, undoubtedly a vivid example of productive services in the cross-border trade sector.
With the closure of the Hainan Free Trade Port, the scope of “zero-tariff” goods has expanded significantly from 1,900 tariff items to approximately 6,600 tariff items. This policy advantage has attracted more and more cross-border e-commerce companies hoping to establish themselves there. Some company leaders have even traveled from Hunan specifically to seek development opportunities.
</ … For cross-border e-commerce companies, warehousing and logistics have always been high-cost aspects of operations, with the cost of shipping single items or small batches of goods remaining stubbornly high. This service platform, by integrating resources across the entire island and precisely matching needs, has created a one-stop service across the entire supply chain. Companies can resolve issues related to warehousing, transportation, and customs clearance through the platform, which not only reduces the time and cost of finding suitable warehousing and logistics but also significantly lowers economic costs by nearly 30%. With the strong support of the service platform, more and more companies are inquiring about and choosing to develop in Hainan. It is estimated that companies can complete a series of preliminary tasks, including company registration, customs declaration, and park entry, in less than a month. To date, more than 10,000 companies have used the one-stop service platform to inquire about the policies and impacts of Hainan's post-closure customs, and the platform has resolved specific problems for over 1,000 companies.
In addition to providing one-stop landing services for enterprises, the Hainan Free Trade Port is also continuously strengthening its efforts in the overseas expansion of cross-border e-commerce. Among them, the Haikou Cross-border E-commerce Association has established 24 stores and 2 self-operated overseas warehouses in 8 countries. At the same time, by building a live-streaming incubation base and creating physical product selection markets, it is helping more high-quality Chinese products set sail overseas. Ali, an international student from Pakistan at Hainan University, and his friends are using a virtual live-streaming system to simulate live-streaming. They said that they previously did not have such a comprehensive platform for free learning, so now they come here to learn e-commerce live-streaming whenever they have time. From the basic information about Chinese products to live-streaming skills, live-streaming status, and relevant policies of the Hainan Free Trade Port, these are all essential courses for them. In addition to providing standardized venues free of charge, the base also helps more high-quality Chinese products efficiently reach international markets through an innovative “front store, back warehouse” model. Thanks to Hainan’s visa-free entry policy for 86 countries, the “product selection market” built here, resembling a supermarket, allows customers to see, touch, and experience the goods. Besides physical selection stores in Hainan, the Cross-Border E-commerce Association has also opened physical stores and overseas warehouses in Malaysia, Indonesia, and other countries, achieving integrated product display, sales, warehousing, and distribution. Li Mingtao, chief expert of the China International Electronic Commerce Center Research Institute, pointed out that, looking at future development trends, cross-border e-commerce is gradually returning to its core value of industrial services. By leveraging data to optimize the entire supply chain, cross-border e-commerce itself will become an important part of productive service industries, significantly impacting the restructuring and optimization of the global industrial chain.
