China-Russia cross-border e-commerce sees benefits of free trade

Cross-border trade in Heihe, China’s northernmost free trade area adjacent to Russia’s Blagoveshchensk, has remained stable this year. Despite COVID-19’s impact, robust development in e-commerce has been a major boost for the local economy. “E-commerce trade volume reached about 1 billion yuan between January and September. The increase is smaller due to the pandemic, but steady,” said Zhong Huanyu, director of the office of cross-border e-commerce at the Heihe Area of China (Heilongjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ). The number stood at 1.4 billion yuan ($200 million) last year. Since the FTZ’s establishment in 2019, Heihe has become an increasingly…