Ningbo leads the delta in custom clearance efficiency

Ningbo Customs is leading the Yangtze River Delta- a region encompassing the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui as well as Shanghai municipality-  in the custom clearance efficiency, local media reported.

As of the end of last year, the custom clearance time at Ningbo ports stood at 34.75 hours, down 79.1 percent from 2017, official statistics show.

The faster custom clearance is primarily due to the introduction of a new supervision model by local customs authorities.

Previously, importers were required to submit all materials for custom clearance before handling the cargos, which might take 10 days or more.

The new model allows imported cargos to be cleared once they arrive at the customs after a summary declaration is done, and businesses can complete the declaration within 14 days of the entry of the transport vehicle.

Meanwhile, the reform has also considerably eased financial pressure on enterprises.

Sun Chonglong, executive director of the Ningbo Lianbang Changyun International Trade Co Ltd, a local meat importer, introduced that the model has helped them relieve from capital pressure, as they don't need to pay the tax immediately after the goods arrive at the port, which instead can be done within 14 days.

In addition, Ningbo Customs has also adopted a paperless supervision system for custom clearance, in which enterprises can finish all required procedures online by scanning QR codes born on containers.

With the application of these innovative reform policies, the city witnessed a robust growth in exports.

In 2020, Ningbo's export volume expanded 5.6 percent year-on-year to 337.99 billion yuan ($52 billion), accounting for 34.5 percent of the city's total foreign trade.