Red Star News:

Since last year, China has introduced a package of policies and follow-up measures to keep the economy stable. What efforts have the customs authorities made to ensure a steady increase in both the volume and quality of foreign trade? Thank you.

Lyu Daliang:

Thank you for your question. In 2022, the customs authorities resolutely implemented the guiding principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions. We acted in accordance with the key requirements of ensuring effective COVID-19 containment, economic stability, and development security. The customs authorities have effectively coordinated the COVID-19 response with the efforts to ensure the stable growth of foreign trade, facilitated the implementation of the policy package and follow-up measures on keeping the economy stable, and spared no effort in ensuring a steady increase in both the volume and quality of foreign trade. Our actions can be mainly summarized in the following aspects.

First, we urged all customs authorities to fully implement the policies and measures for ensuring stable performance in foreign trade. The GACC successively introduced 10 measures to promote stable and improved performance in foreign trade, six measures to support small- and medium-sized enterprises, and seven measures to ease businesses' difficulties and lower their costs. Customs authorities at all levels acted accordingly, rolled out more than 1,300 detailed supporting measures according to specific conditions and the needs of enterprises, and redoubled their efforts in terms of protecting the interests of market entities, optimizing the customs clearance environment for the smooth flow of cross-border logistics, and safeguarding the stability and security of industrial and supply chains based on more careful analysis so as to ensure steady growth in foreign trade.

Second, to keep the operations of foreign trade firms stable, we provided consistent support, improved long-term service mechanisms, and helped them secure orders, expand markets and solve problems. We deepened the reform of diversified customs tax guarantees. We also promoted the practice of a subsidiary applying for customs guarantees with letters issued by the financial company of its parent to further reduce enterprises' financing costs and tax payments during customs clearance. "One policy for one enterprise" helped specialized and sophisticated enterprises that produce new and unique products and top enterprises of various industries to effectively use preferential measures regarding tax reduction and exemption, bonded material circulation, and so on. We supported more enterprises in becoming Advanced Certified Enterprises , facilitated the international mutual recognition of AEOs, and worked to enable enterprises to enjoy the same conveniences at home and abroad. In 2022, an additional 365 enterprises were classified as Advanced Certified Enterprises. We strengthened customs protection of intellectual property rights to inspire enterprises' enthusiasm for innovation. A total of 21,000 protection filings were added, registering an increase of 21%.

Third, to optimize the business environment at ports, we took special-purpose actions to promote cross-border trade facilitation, launched 10 facilitation measures in collaboration with other departments, promoted the application of single-window document processing for international trade, and consolidated the achievements in shortening customs clearance time. We increased the input of manpower and resources for customs clearance at ports, piloted shipside pickup for imported goods and direct loading upon arrival for exported goods at qualified ports, supported the expansion of pilot programs, such as "departure confirmation" and other models, and made every effort to ensure safe and smooth customs clearance at ports and facilitate the import and export of goods. In December 2022, the overall customs clearance time for imports and exports across the country was 32.02 hours and 1.03 hours, respectively, 67.1% and 91.6% shorter than in 2017.

Fourth, to foster new growth drivers in foreign trade, we have continued publicizing policies and measures for cross-border e-commerce. We have promoted central warehouses for the return of imported cross-border e-commerce retail goods and the B2B export supervision model, introduced measures to support enterprises in setting up overseas export warehouses, and continuously improved the quality and level of cross-border e-commerce development. As I said just now, China's cross-border e-commerce imports and exports climbed 9.8% year on year to 2.11 trillion yuan in 2022, of which exports were 1.55 trillion yuan, an increase of 11.7%, and imports were 0.56 trillion yuan, an increase of 4.9%.

In the next stage, customs authorities will thoroughly study and implement the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress, conscientiously implement the decisions and deployment of the Central Economic Work Conference, continue to ensure the full implementation of policies and measures for keeping the economy stable, and go all out to maintain the scale and improve the structure of foreign trade so as to make new contributions to steady economic development. Thanks.

Xing Huina:

Today's press conference is hereby concluded. Thank you, Mr. Lyu. Thank you to all our friends from the media. Goodbye.

Translated and edited by Lin Liyao, Liu Qiang, Mi Xingang, Yuan Fang, Yan Bin, Zhou Jing, Cui Can, Huang Shan, Qin Qi, Wang Wei, Yan Xiaoqing, Zhang Rui, Xiang Bin, Zhu Bochen, Zhang Liying, Liu Sitong, Wang Qian, Wang Yiming, Yang Xi, Xu Xiaoxuan, Li Huiru, David Ball, Tom Arnsten, and Jay Birbeck. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.