Guangzhou-based China Southern Airlines has introduced a new cross-border e-commerce platform – Southern Cross-Border Purchase, through which Chinese consumers can purchase goods on-line in overseas markets, including the US, Japan, Australia and New Zealand and ship them on the carrier’s global network to China.

According to a report in the WCARN news service, China Southern’s cargo department has, from earlier this year, been working with cross-border e-commerce operators and overseas producers and suppliers to create B2C procedures and develop transport channels. Currently, its cross-border e-commerce business covers 13 international destinations, including among others Los Angeles, Vancouver, New York, Auckland, Tokyo and Frankfurt.

In the first half of 2015 China Southern carried 1,500 tonnes of cross-border e-commerce packages, or 0.7 per cent of its 206,000 tonnes of international cargo, with these volumes set to rise now that the carrier has its own e-commerce business.

China Southern Cargo will also launch a new freighter service to Vietnam – Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City – from 24 September out of its Quangzhou hub. It’s first to the fast growing Vietnam market, the four times a week service will use B747Fs with the carrier saying saying cargo will comprise mainly shoes, clothes, fruits and vegetables.