A custom-built trade solution

Beijing Customs' staff give clearance on an imported car. Tang Yanzhi / China Daily

Customs' staff check chemical products at Dongjiang Free Trade Port Zone of Tianjin. Liu Haifeng / Xinhua

New clearance procedure will speed movement of shipments

On July 1, China will for the first time integrate customs clearance in the Beijing-Tianjin region in order to speed up cargo clearance.

Under an agreement by the customs authorities in Beijing and Tianjin, the former's closest port city, imports and exports will no longer have to be rushed between the two cities to clear cargo.

Businesses in Beijing that import or export cargo from Tianjin can go through declaration and inspection procedures in a day, and the same will apply to Tianjin-based companies trading from Beijing, says Xie Jinyong, deputy head of the Beijing Customs.

The General Administration of Customs says the cargo clearance trial project will gradually expand from Beijing and Tianjin to nearby Hebei province.

After going through the customs declaration procedures and risk assessment in Beijing, the capital's customs authority will send instructions to release the cargo in Tianjin. It will take only two to three hours for it to be transported from the ports in Tianjin to the site of the company in Beijing, the administration says.

In the past, staff of Beijing trade firms with cargo to import or export in Tianjin had to go to Beijing to make the tax declaration and then have the goods examined and released in Tianjin.

China's customs regulations have divided foreign trade businesses into five levels: AA, A, B, C and D, depending on their compliance with customs laws and regulations, trade volume and management.

Integrating customs clearance will provide economic benefits to companies in both cities, Xie says.

Beijing customs data show companies can lower logistics costs by 1,800 yuan ($295) to 2,000 yuan per TEU, or 20-foot equivalent unit, thanks to the cut in transport costs.

The initiative will also reduce the customs authority's auditing and inspection work, it says.

Tianjin relies on its seaport and harbor, while Beijing depends more on its airports. The collaboration between the two customs authorities will provide a model for the rest of the country, Xie says.

The Beijing Customs District says the authority examined a total of 730,425 customs declarations last year, 82.4 percent of total customs declarations.

The integration of customs clearance will not only make cargo clearance more targeted and relieve the pressure on field operations, but also allow customs officers to focus more on high-risk customs declarations.

zhengxin@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 03/21/2014 page14)