To date, Pingtan's outward cross-border e-commerce trade volume exceeded 30 million yuan ($4.6 million), according to Fujian Kuajingtong E-commerce Co on March 20.

This result is due to the area's efforts to build an electronic system to make the customs clearance more convenient and faster.

The system record showed that most of the goods for the trade are bonded ones instead of direct-purchase, since the city's bonded import business develops quite well. This is because Pingtan is one of the only two areas that?are allowed to conduct this business in Fujian.

The city also plans to give more attention to direct-purchase import business, said local officials.

It has established a sea-air combined transportation model through ferries shuttling between Pingtan and Taiwan as well as flights of the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. The combined model speeded up the cargo delivery and helped boost its direct-purchase import business.

For instance, through the sea-air combined routes, the cargo purchased in the US can be delivered to domestic buyers within a week, three weeks quicker than traditional shipping routes.

The officials said they are also working on the construction of warehousing facilities to lower the costs of e-commerce businesses and attract more such companies to Pingtan. The area now boasts a total of 55 e-commerce firms.