China to Add More Cities to its E-Commerce Pilot Zone Program

China is adding more cities to the 35 already participating in its cross-border e-commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zone Program, according to a July 16 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The China State Council announced the upcoming additions after its July 3 meeting. While the additional cities have not yet been named, they are expected to benefit from the same advantages offered to other cities in the program, including no value-added taxes on exports, the report said. The zones will also be given “support” for “the establishment of a greater number of overseas warehouses and “e-commerce platforms are to be assisted in the implementation of the appropriate intellectual property safeguards,” the report said.