Taobao | Customs denies collaboration with logistics supplier

The Macao Customs Service has denied in a statement claims that it was in negotiation with a logistics supplier to facilitate the direct delivery of Taobao merchandise to Macau.
Apple Daily News in Hong Kong had reported on Monday evening that Taobao and Tmall, online retail platforms owned and operated by Chinese Internet mogul Alibaba, will include Macau in their “free delivery area.”
Currently, parcels sent to Macau incur charges on delivery, in contrast to the usual free delivery available in mainland China.
Nonetheless, the reported free delivery will only apply to about a million items of merchandise.
In order to facilitate the free delivery, the Hong Kong paper reported, the mainland logistics supplier for the two retail platforms “have worked with the Macao Customs [Service] to foster a digital clearance system.”
However, the local authority issued a statement yesterday to deny the claim. The customs service stressed that it “has not started any collaborations or any tailormade digital clearance system with any e-vendor or logistics supplier.”
On the other hand, the Hong Kong media outlet also reported that, should the free-of-charge direct delivery be available, 99% of the cargo will arrive in Macau on the day following their arrival into the Zhuhai depot. AL