China expands cross-customs return policy for e-commerce exports

Returns can go through any customs port from 1 April.

China’s General Administration of Customs (GAC) will let companies return cross-border e-commerce retail export goods through any customs port nationwide, starting 1 April 2026.

Previously, returns had to go back through the original export customs office.

The policy expands on a pilot program launched by the GAC in late 2024, which was implemented at 20 customs offices, including Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Harbin, Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Chengdu, and Urumqi. After a year of testing, authorities concluded that conditions are ready for a national rollout.

The policy applies only to cross-border e-commerce retail exports. Returned items may enter China through a different customs district but must be directed to customs-supervised operation sites or authorized facilities that handle cross-border e-commerce retail export business.

Cross-border e-commerce has grown rapidly but has faced high costs and long return times.

The new policy is expected to complement recent tax incentive measures for returned e-commerce exports, jointly issued in February by the Ministry of Finance and other government departments, helping companies cut costs and improve efficiency, according to the GAC.