Zhanjiang enterprises reap benefits of customs reform

The customs clearance efficiency of Zhanjiang enterprises will be significantly improved with national customs clearance integration realizing universal coverage of export and import goods starting from Oct 1.

Headed by the General Administration of Customs, the new policy started with all import business on July 1. The average customs clearance time at Zhanjiang Customs in September was shorten by 56 percent compared with that of the first half of this year to 8.42 hours.

As it reaches out to export businesses, commodities in Zhanjiang such as aquatic and marine products, small household appliances and furniture also reap greater benefits due to smoother operation.

In spite of the weeklong National Day holiday from Oct 1 to 8, some 7.38 tons of frozen shrimp exported from Xuwen Jufeng Food to Japan completed its e-declaration and were cleared within 10 seconds with an appointment of overtime operation. "The biggest advantage of national customs clearance integration lies in bringing new clients for us," said Lin Zhenhua, director of the Custom Declaration Department of Zhanjiang Cosco Shipping Logistics.

Before the implementation of the new policy, the declaration needed to be made in ports and the customs where the goods belong to. It is highly inconvenient for domestic foreign trade businesses that are spread all over the country.

"At present, all the declaration procedures can be completed in Zhanjiang, which not only saves time for enterprises, but also improves their working efficiency," Lin added.