Cover News:

We have noticed that in recent years, customs authorities have been focusing on facilitating customs clearance and improving the business environment at ports. May I ask what new measures customs authorities are planning to introduce next? How can we continue to optimize the business environment at ports? Thank you.

Yu Jianhua:

This questions is very important. Creating a good and convenient business environment at ports is the main work of customs. Mr. Zhao will answer this question.

Zhao Zenglian:

The business environment at ports is directly related to the interests and sense of fulfillment of the majority of business entities. It has been a matter of broad concern across all sectors of society for some time. Over recent years, customs, in close cooperation with all parties, has launched a series of innovative measures aimed at optimizing the port business environment and has achieved certain results.

These measures can be summarized in several aspects: five consecutive years of special actions to promote cross-border trade facilitation; streamlining regulatory documents of import and export links; significantly reducing the overall clearance time of import and export goods through ports; further promoting the reform of customs clearance facilitation; standardizing and reducing the cost of import and export links; and continuing to improve informationization of port management.

Thanks to these measures, port clearance time is shorter, customs clearance costs are lower, and customs clearance procedures are more convenient. The effectiveness of these efforts was also acknowledged in this year's government work report .

In regards to optimizing the business environment at ports, there is always room for improvement, and we are constantly striving to refine our goals and maintain persistence. In the next step, we will continue to launch new and effective measures, which can be summarized in 15 words: optimize facilities, build platforms, promote connectivity, strengthen cooperation, and improve efficiency.

First, we will optimize port facilities. We are working with relevant parties to accelerate the expansion of important border port construction projects and further improve border crossing capacity. We are guiding the implementation of the free trade port layout program in Hainan province to accelerate the construction of the free trade port and to provide port facilities to realize independent customs operations as scheduled.

Second, we will build a service platform. Mr. Yu just mentioned the establishment of a single window for international trade. We will further play its role as a comprehensive service platform for export tax rebate declarations and automatic capture of invoice information to facilitate the process for businesses to apply for tax rebates. We will optimize services related to "customs clearance + logistics" and "foreign trade + finance" to provide enterprises with customs clearance and logistics information inquiries, export credit insurance, cross-border settlements, and financing services.

Third, we will promote internal and external connectivity. We are working with all parties to actively promote the reopening of land border ports. At present, land border crossings for freight have resumed as long as conditions permit and the relevant passenger transport routes have also resumed opening. We will further promote the development of cross-border trains, such as China-Europe freight trains and the new land-sea transit routes for the western region, and support the development of sea-rail combined transport and other forms of multimodal transport around the world.

Fourth, we will strengthen international cooperation. We are vigorously promoting international cooperation on smart customs, smart borders, smart connectivity based on the World Bank's new assessment system for the business environment to coordinate and promote the construction of smart ports. We are steadily promoting green lanes for fast customs clearance of agricultural and sideline products, promoting single window cooperation between China and countries along the Belt and Road, and promoting the exchange and sharing of documents related to cross-border trade.

Five, we will improve customs clearance efficiency. Based on preliminary assessments, we will continue to promote shipside direct deliveries, direct loading upon arrival, combined ports, and other customs clearance facilitation reform pilots. We will guide various regions to publish the port clearance process and the main operational time limits based on practical situations. By stabilizing customs clearance time within a reasonable range, we can provide enterprises with relatively stable customs clearance expectations. Thank you.