(Yicai) Feb. 7 -- Several insiders from the Chinese cross-border logistics industry have called for a full preparation for potential upcoming changes in US policies.

E-commerce firms need to anticipate sudden changes in US policies, prepare in advance, and even explore new markets, Wen Junwei, founder and chief executive officer of Shenzhen-based transborder logistics return services provider Return Helper, told Yicai.

On Feb. 1, Trump signed an executive order ending the de minimis tariff waiver for items valued under USD800. Afterward, the US Postal Service announced that it would suspend accepting packages sent to the US from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong but reversed the decision the following day.

There are many vast markets outside the US, Wen noted. Cross-border e-commerce vendors and logistics companies that previously relied solely on North America can now look at other markets, such as Southeast Asia and the Middle East, as options for new investments, he explained.

A transborder e-commerce merchant told Yicai that he will first wait and see how the situation evolves. If policies continue to change, he will reform his business to first send goods in bulk to warehouses in the US and then ship them to American buyers through the local US postal service.

In addition to policy uncertainties, cross-border e-commerce merchants also have to deal with rising logistics costs in recent years.

For example, DHL Express announced last September that it would increase the general average freight price for US accounts by 5.9 percent. United Parcel Service hiked its rates for ground and air transportation and international logistics services by 5.9 percent from Dec. 23.

Cross-border e-commerce will continue to grow rapidly this year despite increasing uncertainties and intensifying international competition because of strong market demand and good development prospects, said Zhang Zhouping, a transborder e-commerce expert. 

Editor: Futura Costaglione