China Launches New Pilot Cities for Cross-Border Trade in 2026

China is set to enhance its cross-border trade framework by expanding its pilot cities for trade facilitation from 25 to 45 by 2026, as announced by the General Administration of Customs (GAC) on Monday.

This initiative is part of a six-month campaign jointly introduced by the GAC in collaboration with 23 other governmental departments.

At a recent deployment meeting, Sun Meijun, the head of the GAC, revealed that 20 new cities have been added to the pilot list. This includes major urban areas such as Hohhot, Changchun, Suzhou, Jinhua, Quanzhou, Nanchang, Yantai, Wuhan, Changsha, Zhuhai, Nanning, Kunming, and Xi'an.

The ambitious campaign aims to implement a series of innovative measures to enhance goods and services trade, while also promoting digital and green trade initiatives.

Specific measures will focus on advancing customs clearance processes, optimizing services related to new foreign trade formats, boosting efficiency in cross-border logistics, and developing smarter port infrastructure.

Additionally, there will be a concerted effort to better align with international standards and provide improved support for enterprises engaging in global trade.

An official from the GAC emphasized that facilitating cross-border trade is vital for fostering openness, boosting cooperation, and enhancing economic exchanges both domestically and internationally.

The initiative is designed to support businesses in securing orders, exploring new markets, and increasing profitability amidst global uncertainties.

Moreover, it underscores China's commitment to the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement and its support for a multilateral trading system.

Since 2018, the GAC has been conducting annual campaigns to stimulate cross-border trade, having implemented a total of 144 measures by 2025, with a significant 110 of these measures being successfully adopted nationwide.