Achievements of the 2024 Cross-Border Trade Facilitation Initiative

The 2024 Cross-Border Trade Facilitation Initiative has demonstrated remarkable success, significantly enhancing the efficiency and fluidity of international trade. Launched in April of this year by the General Administration of Customs (GAC), in collaboration with 13 other departments including the National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Commerce, and State Administration for Market Regulation, this five-month initiative targeted 20 key cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Chongqing, aiming to foster a more conducive environment for cross-border trade.

One of the primary achievements of the initiative has been the substantial improvement in customs clearance efficiency. Through the implementation of various measures, such as optimizing the "departure confirmation" model in Shanghai, Ningbo, and Dalian, which transforms the traditional "serial operation" of port international logistics into "parallel operation," the waiting time for enterprises has been significantly reduced, and operational costs have been lowered. Currently, this model has been fully implemented across 50 subordinate customs offices of 9 direct customs offices in the Yangtze River Basin.

Moreover, the initiative has led to a significant compression in the time required for inspection and quarantine approval processes. For instance, customs offices in Shenzhen and Haikou have shortened the approval time for food inspection and quarantine by over 70% for eligible products. Similarly, customs offices in Nanjing and Hefei have established "green channels" for the swift clearance of fresh agricultural products, offering 7x24-hour appointment-based customs clearance services.

The initiative has also focused on nurturing new drivers of foreign trade growth by supporting the development of high-tech industries and enhancing the support services for cross-border e-commerce. For example, Shenzhen and Huangpu customs have collaborated to innovate a collaborative supervision model for port locations, facilitating the "direct port-to-factory inspection" of high-precision goods. Additionally, various regions have expanded the electronic payment scope for cross-border e-commerce import taxes.

Furthermore, the initiative has made strides in promoting the integrated development of service trade and merchandise trade. By cultivating high-quality foreign trade comprehensive service enterprises and optimizing cross-border financial services, the initiative has facilitated smoother and more efficient trade flows. For instance, Guangzhou has pioneered the "foreign trade comprehensive service enterprise + cross-border e-commerce retail export (9610)" model, becoming the first public service platform to connect the entire "customs-tax-foreign exchange-clearance" chain.

Additionally, the initiative has emphasized the digital transformation and smart upgrading of ports. Through the construction of smart customs, the promotion of trade paperlessness, and the electronic sharing and online verification of relevant certificates, the business environment at ports has been continuously improved. For example, Xiamen customs has introduced the "intelligent cloud diversion" function, reducing the circulation time of each container awaiting inspection by over three hours.

Lastly, the initiative has further standardized and reduced import and export tariffs and fees, easing the burden on enterprises and enhancing their efficiency. By implementing national tax and fee reduction policies and continuously publicizing the list of port fees, authorities have ensured no additional charges beyond the listed fees.

In summary, the 2024 Cross-Border Trade Facilitation Initiative has achieved remarkable results, significantly enhancing the efficiency of customs clearance, fostering new drivers of foreign trade growth, promoting the integrated development of service and merchandise trade, and advancing the digital transformation of ports. These achievements not only demonstrate the effectiveness of the initiative but also pave the way for future advancements in cross-border trade.