China to further streamline customs clearance

A State Council executive meeting in June decided to further facilitate customs clearance and continue to optimize the business environment at ports.

China will streamline the integrated customs clearance process by implementing a two-step customs declaration mode: a simplified declaration before customs release, and then a complete declaration within a time frame.

The two-step customs declaration mode will be tested at Huangpu Customs in Shanghai, Shenzhen Customs in Guangdong, and Qingdao Customs in Shandong, starting on Aug 24.

The single window for international trade enables 25 ministries to share information, operates online cooperation projects among 68 departments, and provides 495 services for enterprises at all ports.

It will be applied to all major businesses by the end of the year.

Import and export supervision certificates will be simplified, and all certificates except for those involving security or confidentiality and other special circumstances should be submitted and processed online by the end of 2019, one year ahead of schedule.

Local governments are asked to announce time limit standards for enterprises providing port operation services in a timely manner, to improve port efficiency.

Management on the list of charges will be strengthened, fee reductions will be implemented, and monopoly charges will be investigated according to law.

By May, China had met its annual target of cutting overall imports and exports customs clearance time by half from 2017.

According to the business report released by the World Bank in 2018, China's ranking for trading across borders moved from 97 to 65, up 32 spots year-on-year.

Efforts to improve the business environment at ports have greatly bolstered foreign trade. China's foreign trade rose 3.9 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2019, to 14.67 trillion yuan.