Opinion divided over new tax regulations for cross-border trade

The new taxation rules for goods bought through cross-border e-commerce platforms that became effective on April 8 have drawn mixed responses from players in the sector.

According to the new rules, retail goods purchased online from outside of China will no longer be treated as personal postal articles but imported goods, which are subjected to tariffs, import VAT and consumption tax.

In addition, any single transaction exceeding 2,000 yuan, or an individual who spends more than 20,000 yuan a year, will be charged the full tax for general trade on top of that.