受新冠肺炎疫情影響，各國（地區(qū)）跨境電商出口行業(yè)的巨大發(fā)展?jié)摿Ρ患ぐl(fā)，跨境電商企業(yè)實(shí)現(xiàn)快速發(fā)展。但隨著新進(jìn)企業(yè)數(shù)量快速上升，被投訴、被控侵權(quán)及賬號(hào)被封禁等現(xiàn)象陸續(xù)增多，大量企業(yè)面臨訂單積壓、瀕臨破產(chǎn)等問題。
為進(jìn)一步保障跨境電商企業(yè)的經(jīng)營安全，引導(dǎo)跨境電商企業(yè)了解和掌握國際形勢(shì)變化，采取有效措施積極防范和妥善應(yīng)對(duì)各類風(fēng)險(xiǎn)，國際商事爭(zhēng)端預(yù)防與解決組織秘書處、中國服務(wù)貿(mào)易協(xié)會(huì)秘書處特別提醒企業(yè)注意以下風(fēng)險(xiǎn)：一、平臺(tái)合規(guī)風(fēng)險(xiǎn)平臺(tái)合規(guī)風(fēng)險(xiǎn)可能涉及法律、財(cái)務(wù)、商業(yè)信譽(yù)、經(jīng)營能力等多方面。企業(yè)不遵守平臺(tái)運(yùn)行規(guī)則可能導(dǎo)致警告、罰款、產(chǎn)品扣押、禁售、封號(hào)等多方面處罰，影響企業(yè)盈利、投資信心與正常運(yùn)營。另一方面，也存在某些平臺(tái)濫用市場(chǎng)支配地位，對(duì)跨境電商企業(yè)隨意警告或封號(hào)，企業(yè)無處申訴的情況。建議企業(yè)充分了解平臺(tái)準(zhǔn)入規(guī)則并積極進(jìn)行合規(guī)自查，建立合規(guī)體系。如企業(yè)的合法權(quán)益受到平臺(tái)或其他方侵害，應(yīng)通過合法途徑，采用聘請(qǐng)法律專家、求助行業(yè)協(xié)會(huì)和專業(yè)組織等方式充分維護(hù)自身權(quán)益。二、知識(shí)產(chǎn)權(quán)侵權(quán)風(fēng)險(xiǎn)跨境電商的全球性發(fā)展勢(shì)頭與知識(shí)產(chǎn)權(quán)保護(hù)的地域性特征之間存在先天性矛盾。B2C模式下，跨境電商經(jīng)營者即使在本國享有合法知識(shí)產(chǎn)權(quán)，在海外的知識(shí)產(chǎn)權(quán)利益也難以確保受到充分保護(hù)，甚至可能導(dǎo)致跨境電商產(chǎn)品在海外平臺(tái)面臨下架等經(jīng)營和訴訟風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。建議企業(yè)提高知識(shí)產(chǎn)權(quán)保護(hù)意識(shí)，高度自律，在確實(shí)存在侵權(quán)行為的情況下，應(yīng)及時(shí)下架侵權(quán)商品，通過協(xié)商取得專利、商標(biāo)或版權(quán)使用許可等方式和指控方進(jìn)行和解，建立發(fā)展自主品牌。三、產(chǎn)品質(zhì)量風(fēng)險(xiǎn)該類風(fēng)險(xiǎn)集中體現(xiàn)為產(chǎn)品出口后被投訴發(fā)生安全事故或產(chǎn)品質(zhì)量不達(dá)標(biāo)?？赡苁蛊髽I(yè)面臨產(chǎn)品停止銷售、行政處罰、產(chǎn)品召回，乃至集體訴訟的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。建議企業(yè)展開前端調(diào)查，核實(shí)相關(guān)投訴或索賠的事實(shí)依據(jù)、訴求和事件所處階段，并在企業(yè)內(nèi)部排查產(chǎn)品相關(guān)情況，客觀評(píng)估涉案產(chǎn)品存在的質(zhì)量或合規(guī)問題，結(jié)合對(duì)外簽署的合同和已購買保險(xiǎn)的情況預(yù)判整體風(fēng)險(xiǎn)，并適時(shí)增購產(chǎn)品責(zé)任險(xiǎn)。四、貨款結(jié)算與合同履約風(fēng)險(xiǎn)此類風(fēng)險(xiǎn)表現(xiàn)為終端消費(fèi)者無法按時(shí)結(jié)清貨款造成合同違約、跨境物流生態(tài)化水平低導(dǎo)致訂單無法完成、進(jìn)口方信用不良等等。這將導(dǎo)致企業(yè)無法按時(shí)償還貸款，或由于外匯貶值導(dǎo)致貨款“縮水”，企業(yè)利潤被壓縮，或貨物被拒收，交易無法達(dá)成以及迫使企業(yè)降價(jià)或做出其它讓步。建議企業(yè)優(yōu)先使用本國貨幣結(jié)算，節(jié)省匯兌成本，降低財(cái)務(wù)成本和外匯風(fēng)險(xiǎn)；有實(shí)力的出口企業(yè)可以考慮建設(shè)自己的物流企業(yè)，也可以經(jīng)過充分市場(chǎng)調(diào)研后選擇生態(tài)化水平高的跨境物流企業(yè)；加強(qiáng)對(duì)進(jìn)口方的資信調(diào)查，出口企業(yè)可以要求進(jìn)口方提供銀行保函，或者繳納押金、預(yù)付部分定金。五、政治環(huán)境變化風(fēng)險(xiǎn)伴隨著經(jīng)貿(mào)摩擦、逆全球化、貿(mào)易保護(hù)主義等問題，國際政治環(huán)境存在諸多不穩(wěn)定因素，不利于跨境電商貿(mào)易的健康發(fā)展。新冠肺炎疫情爆發(fā)后，為遏制病毒傳播，各國（地區(qū)）對(duì)物流、貿(mào)易都采取了更嚴(yán)格的出入境管制措施和衛(wèi)生檢疫流程，通關(guān)審核要求提高。出入境管制增加商品運(yùn)輸難度，嚴(yán)格的衛(wèi)生檢疫流程延長了通關(guān)時(shí)間，通關(guān)效率降低，運(yùn)輸成本、違約風(fēng)險(xiǎn)增加。建議企業(yè)關(guān)注相關(guān)國家（地區(qū)）政治、政策環(huán)境變化等風(fēng)險(xiǎn)因素，及時(shí)做出應(yīng)變調(diào)整。主要表現(xiàn)為企業(yè)盜用他人信息“刷單”、“推單”、申報(bào)不實(shí)以及質(zhì)量安全檢測(cè)不合格等情形。企業(yè)將因此面臨產(chǎn)品召回、罰款甚至刑事責(zé)任風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。建議跨境電商企業(yè)報(bào)關(guān)時(shí)應(yīng)避免“刷單” 與“推單”。“刷單”涉嫌走私，“推單”也屬于不合規(guī)的經(jīng)營方式，即便不構(gòu)成走私犯罪，也可能構(gòu)成申報(bào)不實(shí)的違規(guī)行為。同時(shí)企業(yè)應(yīng)依法接受相關(guān)部門監(jiān)管，并建立完善產(chǎn)品召回制度。基于以上情況，國際商事爭(zhēng)端預(yù)防與解決組織秘書處、中國服務(wù)貿(mào)易協(xié)會(huì)秘書處特此作風(fēng)險(xiǎn)提示以供全球跨境電商企業(yè)參考。同時(shí)請(qǐng)企業(yè)注意，應(yīng)對(duì)及維權(quán)方式應(yīng)視不同國家（地區(qū)）的法律制度、爭(zhēng)議解決方式、在先案例作不同處理。如需進(jìn)一步咨詢，請(qǐng)聯(lián)絡(luò)國際商事爭(zhēng)端預(yù)防與解決組織秘書處（郵箱：secretariat@icdpaso.org，電話：0086-10-65918576轉(zhuǎn)8602）以及中國服務(wù)貿(mào)易協(xié)會(huì)秘書處（郵箱：tgf@catis.org.cn，電話：0086-10-84217221）。國際商事爭(zhēng)端預(yù)防與解決組織秘書處
中國服務(wù)貿(mào)易協(xié)會(huì)秘書處
二〇二一年十月九日
Risk Reminders on the International Operation of Cross-border E-commerce Companies
Issue No.1 (October 9, 2021)Affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the huge development potential of the cross-border e-commerce export industry in various countries (regions) has been stimulated, and rapid development was achieved by cross-border e-commerce companies. However, with the surging new entrants and the increase of complaints, alleged infringements, and account bans, a large number of enterprises are facing backlogs of orders and on the verge of bankruptcy.To further ensure the safety operation of cross-border e-commerce companies, offer guidance for understanding and grasping changes in the international situation, and take effective measures to actively prevent and properly respond to various risks, the Secretariats of the International Commercial Dispute Prevention and Settlement Organization (ICDPASO) and the China Association of Trade in Services (CATIS) jointly remind companies to pay attention to the following risks:1. Compliance Risks on E-commerce PlatformsPlatform compliance risks may involve many aspects such as law, finance, business reputation and operating capabilities. Companies that fail to comply with the rules of the e-commerce platform may result in warnings, fines, product seizures, bans on sales and accounts, and other penalties, seriously affecting their profitability, investment confidence and normal operations. On the other hand, there are also situations where some e-commerce platforms abuse their dominant position in the market, arbitrarily warning or banning accounts of cross-border e-commerce companies, thereby companies have nowhere to appeal. In view of this, we suggest that companies should fully understand the e-commerce platform access rules, actively conduct compliance self-inspection and establish a compliance system. In case the legitimate rights and interests are infringed by platforms or other parties, companies should fully safeguard their rights and interests through legal means including hiring legal experts, seeking help from industry associations and professional organizations, etc.2. Risks of Intellectual Property InfringementThere is an inherent contradiction between the global development momentum of cross-border e-commerce and the regional characteristics of intellectual property protection. Under the B2C model, even if they enjoy legal intellectual property rights in their home countries, cross-border e-commerce operators have difficulties in ensuring adequate protection of their intellectual property interests abroad and may even expose their products to operational and litigation risks such as being yanked off the shelf by overseas platforms. We suggest that companies should raise their awareness of intellectual property protection and maintain strict self-discipline. In the case of infringement, companies should promptly take the goods involved off the market, and settle with the accuser through negotiation to obtain patents, trademarks or copyright licenses, etc. In the meantime, companies should establish and develop a self-owned brand.Such risks are concentrated in the complaints of exported products that have caused safety incidents or have quality problems, which may expose companies to the troubles of product suspension, administrative penalties, product recalls, and even class-action lawsuits. We suggest that companies should conduct a front-end investigation to verify the factual basis, the appeals and the stage of the incident for the complaints or claims. In addition, enterprises should make a check on relevant products internally, objectively assess the quality or compliance issues of the products involved, and estimate the overall risk based on the relevant provisions of signed contracts and the coverage of the insurance, along with the additional purchase of product liability insurance in a timely manner.4. Risks on Payment Settlement and Contract PerformanceSuch risks are manifested in the contract breach caused by the end consumers who fail to settle the payment on time, the unfulfilled orders occasioned by cross-border logistics providers with low eco-efficiency, and poor credit of importers, etc. Under these circumstances, companies are unable to repay loans on time, or shrinking of payments due to foreign exchange depreciation, corporate profits are compressed, goods are rejected and transactions are not be concluded so that companies have to cut prices or make other concessions. We suggest that companies should take the domestic currency for settlement as the priority to save exchange costs, reduce financial costs and foreign exchange risks. The capable export companies can consider building their own logistics companies or cooperating with cross-border logistics providers with high eco-efficiency. Export enterprises should strengthen the credit investigation on the importers, and require them for a bank guarantee, deposit or down payment.5. Risks of Changes in the Political EnvironmentsAlong with economic and trade frictions, de-globalization, trade protectionism and other issues, there are many unstable and adverse factors of international political environments affecting the development of cross-border e-commerce trade. After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to ease the spread of the virus, countries (regions) have adopted stricter border control measures and procedures of sanitation and quarantine on logistics and trade, and requirements of the customs clearance are more stringent. The difficulty of transportation have been increased by border regulations and the time spent on customs declaration has been extended in light of the strict sanitation and quarantine procedures, so that the efficiency of customs clearance has been reduced and the cost of transportation and the risk of contract violation have risen. We suggest that companies should pay attention to the risks of the changes in the political and policy environments of relevant countries (regions) and make duly adjustments accordingly.It is mainly manifested in situations of “brushing order” which shop owners embezzle information to pretend to be a customer, and increase the ranking of the online store and attract customers by increasing sales and customer praises with fake shopping methods, “pushing order” which shop owners forge import and export of products, and false customs declaration to obtain illegal tax reduction, as well as false declarations, unqualified products in quality and safety inspections. Companies may therefore face risks of product recalls, fines and even criminal liability. We suggest that cross-border e-commerce companies should avoid "brushing orders" that may be suspected of smuggling crime, and "pushing orders" that is a non-compliant business operation when making customs declarations. Even if they are not accounted to a smuggling crime, those conducts may also be suspected of a false declaration. Meanwhile, enterprises should accept the supervision of relevant authorities under the law, and establish and improve product recall mechanisms.Given the above situations, the Secretariats of ICDPASO and CATIS hereby provide risk reminders for the reference of global cross-border e-commerce companies. At the same time, enterprises are reminded that the responses and rights protection methods should be handled based on the legal systems, dispute resolution methods, and precedent cases of different countries (regions).For further consultation, please contact:The Secretariat of ICDPASO E-mail: secretariat@icdpaso.org,Tel: 0086-10-65918576 ext. 8602E-mail: tgf@catis.org.cn,
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