When cross-border e-commerce businesses ship products into different countries, an important consideration is including local duties and taxes into the product’s price. In terms of best practice, this reduces customer post-purchase friction. No two countries are alike in terms of legislation and regulations, so just how are these fees calculated? In 1988, the World Customs Organization created a single system to [...]
China has extensive and complex customs rules and government regulations for cross-border purchases. It also has a huge and increasingly well-to-do population that prefers foreign — mostly western — consumer goods, primarily because of the poor quality of domestic products. China is home to the largest e-commerce market in the world and streamlined regulations offer an opportunity for western merchants looking [...]
From Self-Care to Smart Backpacks: This is the last post in a five-part series where we highlight product categories with global demand and the regulations and challenges to keep top of mind. The global market for hot drinks was worth USD $142.8 billion at retail in 2017, with more than half of those sales from coffee. An expanding global middle class [...]
For brands and retailers whose primary language is English, Australia offers a way to bypass some of the cultural adaptation and language barriers faced when becoming an international business. But before jumping into this fast-growing market, there are some important considerations and risks for cross border e-commerce retailers. That’s why Flow’s cross border e-commerce experts created our free new ebook, "APAC’s Major [...]
From Self-Care to Smart Backpacks: This is the fourth post in a five-part series where we’ll highlight product categories with global demand and the regulations and challenges to keep top of mind. For the first time in human history, half the world’s population is middle-class or wealthier, with both the time and money to indulge in hobbies, sports and other leisure activities. [...]
From Self-Care to Smart Backpacks: This is the third post in a five-part series where we’ll highlight product categories with global demand and the regulations and challenges to keep top of mind. When consumers start browsing online, it’s often clothing that inspires them to hit “purchase.” Between 2018 and 2023, revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate of just over [...]
From Self-Care to Smart Backpacks: This is the second post in a five-part series where we’ll highlight product categories with global demand and the regulations and challenges to keep top of mind. Twenty-first century consumers are glued to their gadgets, which has both spurred the growth of e-commerce in general and the online purchasing of electronics and appliances. The global consumer electronics [...]
From Self-Care to Smart Backpacks: This is the first post in a five-part series where we’ll highlight product categories with global demand and the regulations and challenges to keep top of mind. According to the World Health Organization, “health is a state of complete mental, physical and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” In recent years, the [...]
If there is one word to describe the current status of Brexit, it’s “uncertainty.” The original date for the departure of the U.K. from the European Union (EU) was March 29, 2019. But now, even that date is in flux. To buy more time to orchestrate its departure from the EU, the U.K. has agreed to a 21-month transition period to [...]
The rise of cross border e-commerce offers exciting new opportunities for brands and retailers expanding into new markets. However, it is also placing unprecedented pressure on global customs operations. Cross border e-commerce makes it easier than ever for smaller businesses with limited understanding of international regulations to sell to customers in new global markets. World Customs Organization (WCO) Secretary General Kunio [...]
