In 2018, the total volume of import and export commodities through the custom’s cross-border e-commerce management platform increased by 50% to 134.7 billion yuan, including exports of 56.12 billion yuan, up 67%, and imports of 78.58 billion yuan, up 39.8%. If 2018 was winter for health food, it should have been spring for cross-border e-commerce.

E-commerce channels have become new growth engine for nutrition and health food industry. The annual growth rate of China's health food industry is 10%-15%. The sales scale of e-commerce channels, especially cross-border e-commerce, is expected to maintain a compound growth rate of more than 50%.

The greatest benefit that the cross-border e-commerce policy adjustments in 2018 may bring to China's nutrition and health food industry is to solidify the principle of "temporary supervision on personal items" during the transition period.

On July 13, 2018, the state council executive meeting decided to promote the development of cross-border e-commerce in a wider range, choosing new experimental areas with good basic conditions for e-commerce as well as import and export development potential, and give more chances to the Midwest and Northeast.

A group of cross-border e-commerce comprehensive experimental areas are scheduled to be built in 22 cities including Beijing, Hohhot, Shenyang, Xi’an, Yiwu, and etc.

On August 31, 2018, the E-commerce Law of the People's Republic of China was passed by NPC standing committee, which is the first comprehensive law for e-commerce in China. For a long time, cross-border e-commerce has two business models: BOWADS and direct delivery . Unclear legal relationship has resulted in a number of disputes, e.g. contractual or entrusted relationship lead to different responsibilities.