The prefecture-level city of Nantong – located in East China's Jiangsu province – is stepping on the gas in order to progress its cross-border e-commerce development.

The Department of Commerce of Jiangsu Province announced the recognition and assessment results of the 2021 list of provincial public overseas warehouses on Dec 20.

Four companies in Nantong won the honor, with Nantong Jiang Mu International Trade Co Ltd – located in Chuanjiang town in Tongzhou district – being one of them.

A provincial public overseas warehouse refers to a new type of foreign trading facility being funded or operated by an enterprise in the province.

It can provide customs clearances, warehousing and logistics, marketing and displays, returns and exchanges of goods, after-sales maintenance and other services for enterprises engaged in foreign trading and cross-border e-commerce within the province.

The facility is said to play a positive role in expanding markets, boosting imports and exports and enhancing brand influence.

In the face of the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic and the fluctuating international trade, cross-border e-commerce has become a vital force to stabilize foreign trade and boost the development of businesses.

In order to better promote the development of cross-border e-commerce, the Tongzhou district earlier this year issued new incentives to encourage its resident firms to invest and construct provincial public overseas warehouses.

Under the initiative it determined the willingness of companies, as well as their current capabilities, to set up public overseas warehouses and invited experts to provide guidance for them.

Currently, Tongzhou is home to two firms winning the title of provincial public overseas warehouses. The first was established by Nantong Pinchuan Textile Co Ltd in the United Arab Emirates and it obtained the title in 2019.