Shanghai launched 34 reform measures to boost cross-border trade in 2024, aligning with the World Bank B-Ready standards.

Here are some key points of these measures:

1. Expediting clearance of goods at customs for imports and exports

Increasing efficiency of quarantines and approvals 

• Qualified imported food is approved once received, shortening the processing time by 70 percent on average.

• Implementing automatic quarantines and approvals for qualified animal and plant-based products. Completing the process within three minutes from receiving the application to issuing approval. 

Boosting efficiency in clearance of fresh agricultural products

• Opening a green channel for customs at Shanghai Pudong Airport with a 24/7 clearance policy by appointment

Optimizing management of enterprises through differentiated approaches

• Prioritizing online quarantines for AEO enterprises, making sure minimal times for on-site inspections

• Lowering the frequency of supervision and spot checks for special goods of AEO enterprises

Increasing efficiency of logistics in Yangtze River Delta

• Linking 12 ports in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui and Jiangxi provinces to seamlessly load and unload items

2. Providing convenience to emerging industries in foreign trade

Enhancing services for cross-border e-commerce

• Facilitating cooperation between the Qingpu Comprehensive Bonded Zone and Shanghai Pudong Airport to create a new model of cross-border e-commerce links, aiming to achieve large-scale operations for cross-border e-commerce exports (Mode 1210).

Expanding 'white list' of imported R&D materials for biopharmaceutical enterprises

• Further expanding the pilot scope and announce the sixth and seventh batches of the "white list" of biopharmaceutical imported R&D materials. Items on the "white list" may be imported without filling out the custom declarations form. 

Improving joint supervision mechanism for special import and export goods

• Expanding the pilot scope to cover the entire Shanghai area and extend the pilot objects from imports to both imports and exports. A total of 18 companies have been included on the pilot list.

Promoting imports of worn-out key components in automobiles for R&D and testing

• Releasing the guidelines and establishing a pilot list for these components. Releasing the first batch of pilot enterprises and pilot products included on the list. 

Boosting high-quality development of cross-border e-commerce

• Actively promoting the pilot program for export of retail parcels at cross-border e-commerce special regulatory zones and sea freight exports (Mode 9610), successfully completing trial orders.

Supporting development of international transshipment consolidation businesses

• Piloting the early entry of consolidated export cargo into international transshipment warehouses, enabling multiple business operations in the same area and further enhancing the transshipment hub function of Shanghai Port.

• Establishing an intelligent monitoring platform for transshipment consolidation, using electronic locks and visual intelligent devices for rigorous monitoring during transit, ensuring 24/7 rapid transshipment of consolidated goods. 

3. Further supporting integrated development of trade in services and goods

Optimizing financial services for cross-border trade 

• Improving the credit insurance function of the China (Shanghai) International Trade Single Window. It is China’s first specialized credit insurance services platform integrating five major functions of insurance underwriting, claims processing, financing, credit information, and policy settlement. It is also the country’s first platform that combines credit insurance, credit and tax refunds services.

• Introducing more than 10 types of digital financing products of banks for foreign trade on the China (Shanghai) International Trade Single Window, covering various financing scenarios such as exports, imports, shipping costs and inclusive finance to meet diverse foreign trade financing needs.

Improving China-Europe freight train services

• Increasing the number and frequency of China-Europe freight train routes operated by Shanghai. Currently, the routes cover three major lines: China-Europe, China-Russia and China-Central Asia — connecting over 120 stations in 12 countries, including Germany, Poland and Russia.

4. Leveraging technology for smarter port operations

Streamlining certificate procedures

• Implementing electronic data exchanges for certificates of origin issued under the free trade agreement between China and New Zealand.

Promoting paperless cargo releases

• Encouraging wider adoption of blockchain-based platforms for paperless cargo releases. In 2024, the blockchain platform at Shanghai Port processed 465,600 bills of lading, representing approximately 1.41 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), accounting for 38.4 percent of total releases.

Smartening air cargo operations

• Enhancing the China (Shanghai) International Trade Single Window platform for air logistics by integrating data from 10 operational stages, from aircraft arrivals to cargo releases, achieving full coverage of air waybill data.

• Launching an online appointment booking function for air cargo inspection via the China (Shanghai) International Trade Single Window platform.

Piloting cross-border connectivity

• Collaborating with Singapore on a pilot project for a "one-time declaration, bilateral customs clearance" solution using a blockchain-based single window platform. The project has completed real-world transaction testing with Singapore.

Advancing smart port development

• Enhancing the integration of smart port technologies and systems, further increasing the volume of automated inspections at Yangshan Port Phase IV and reducing customs clearance times for businesses.

• Accelerating the testing and application of new Automated Intelligent Vehicles (AIVs) within the port, aiming to establish a model for smart port operations.

5. Further standardizing and reducing import and export tax fees

Clearing and standardizing charges at shipping ports

• Strengthening supervision and inspections of charges in import and export processes. Conducting a special inspection on port charges in the city for 2024. Taking legal action against violations such as a failure to implement government-set or government-guided pricing, not clearly displaying prices as required, price fraud and a failure to implement preferential policies.

• Strictly enforcing the freight rates, filing and carrying out ongoing checks on the implementation of the international liner transport and non-vessel-operating common carrier (NVOCC) freight rates filing system at Shanghai ports.

Standardizing charging for import and export services

• Based on the China (Shanghai) International Trade Single Window to publicly display the THC (Terminal Handling Charges) and document fees of major shipping companies for foreign trade containers at Shanghai ports, covering 22 major shipping companies.

6. Enhancing business and public satisfaction

Consolidating trade information

• Launching a dedicated section for international trade policies and regulations on the China (Shanghai) International Trade Single Window platform and the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce website, providing integrated access to relevant laws, regulations, procedural guidelines, and other information, thereby creating comprehensive international trade information portals.

Promoting online customs accreditation for apparel imports

• Introducing a digital platform for managing customs accreditation, with an initial focus on apparel. This system allows for "one inspection, multiple uses, nationwide validity".

Increasing support for AEO enterprises

• Issuing China's first provincial-level policy document to support the high-quality development of AEO enterprises, introducing 25 interdepartmental incentive measures, and enhancing collaboration between customs and local authorities to cultivate and serve AEO enterprises.

• Strengthening the construction of AEO certification guidance centers. Currently, four AEO policy consulting service stations have been established to provide one-stop consulting services for enterprises.

Expanding AEO enterprise cultivation

• Strengthening credit cultivation for leading enterprises in industrial and supply chains, enterprises with significant import and export value or tax payments, and innovation-driven SMEs that focus on a niche market with advanced technologies and high growth potential. Identifying 37 key enterprises for focused credit cultivation within the area under the jurisdiction of Shanghai Customs, which currently serves 558 AEO enterprises.

Enhancing communication channels

• Holding the 2024 Port and Airport Consultation Mechanism Meeting to solicit feedback from stakeholders including shipping companies, freight forwarders, customs brokers, and cargo owners.

• Leveraging the role of trade promotion agencies and industry associations to strengthen the promotion and training of preferential policies, regularly collect feedback from enterprises, and facilitate the resolution of challenges and issues encountered by enterprises.

 

Source: Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce