The State Council recently held an executive meeting to make arrangements for further deepening cross-border trade facilitation reforms and optimizing the port business environment. At the State Council’s regular policy briefing held by the State Council Information Office on July 29, the relevant person in charge of the General Administration of Customs introduced that the General Administration of Customs, in conjunction with the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Transport, The Ministry of Commerce and other departments have introduced 27 specific measures in 5 areas to promote the continuous optimization of the business environment at my country's ports.
Deepen reform and innovation, and further optimize the entire chain and the entire process of customs clearance. Create a more scientific and efficient customs clearance model for goods, and promote the integrated reform of all customs business areas. Integrate and simplify the declaration project of customs declaration, provide diversified declaration modes and tax guarantee modes for enterprises to make their own choices. Support the construction of overseas warehouses and improve the export return policy of cross-border e-commerce. Gradually expand the scope of application of the "active disclosure" system and fault tolerance mechanism, and encourage enterprises to consciously abide by the law and take the initiative to correct errors. Further enhance the convenience of export tax rebates. Promote the reform of the inspection and quarantine model, optimize the inspection and quarantine supervision model for food and cosmetics, and promote the trial of third-party acceptance of commodity inspection. Deepen the integrated supervision of regional logistics.
Clean up and standardize the fees, and further reduce the cost of import and export links. Consolidate the results of cleaning up and standardizing port charges, and continuously improve the standardization and transparency of port charges. Amend the "Port Charges and Billing Measures." Supervise port operation units to further clean up and streamline the charging items, and clarify the name of the charges and the content of services. Introduce a bidding system to encourage fair competition among market players. Optimize the port charge publicity system and service model, publish the port charge list and strengthen the dynamic update, and support qualified ports to provide "one-stop" payment services.
Strengthen technological empowerment and further enhance the comprehensive service capabilities of ports. Deepen the "single window" function of international trade, promote the unified handling of port and cross-border trade business through the "single window", strengthen the "single window" and overseas interconnection, and support the local "single window" to expand the characteristic service functions. Promote the smart transformation of port construction, promote paperless port logistics documents such as container equipment handover orders, packing lists, and bills of lading, promote shipping companies to unify maritime electronic bill of lading standards, strengthen the construction of automated terminals, and promote smart bayonet and unmanned trucks, etc. New technologies, expand the application of intelligent map review, and enhance the level of port infrastructure and supervision intelligence.
Efficiently benefit enterprises and people, and further improve the overall service environment for cross-border trade. Promote the integrated handling of government services, and promote the online handling of government services at ports. Build a stable and transparent port service environment, disclose the time limit of logistics operations, promote the "one-stop" shipping business inquiry and handling platform, and realize the appointment of suitcases, electronic delivery of containers, and precise delivery of containers. Promote the realization of a full-scale visual query of the entire customs clearance process of various departments such as customs and maritime affairs.
Promote smart sharing, and further strengthen cross-border customs clearance cooperation and exchanges at ports. Improve the supply capacity and turnover efficiency of international logistics containers, promote the transfer and consolidation of containers in hub container ports, and encourage and support the development of international road transportation business. Intensify cross-border customs clearance cooperation, promote customs clearance supervision cooperation and information exchange between my country and countries (regions) under the “Belt and Road” initiative, encourage more companies and more routes to join the “Anzhi Trade” cooperation project, and continue to promote improvement Facilitate the level of cross-border customs clearance, and do a good job in linking up with the trade facilitation measures in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
Huang Guansheng, Member of the Party Committee of the General Administration of Customs and Director of the National Port Administration Office, introduced that my country’s global ranking of cross-border trade indicators has increased significantly from 97th in 2017 to 56th in 2019. Among them, all imports and exports are by sea Ranked seventh in the world in the economic system. At present, the regulatory documents that need to be verified in the import and export process have been streamlined from 86 in 2018 to 41, a decrease of 52.3%. In June 2021, the overall customs clearance time for imports and exports across the country was 36.68 hours and 1.83 hours respectively, a reduction of 62.34% and 85.15% respectively from 2017.