Technology makes Asia Pacific supply chains more resilient (global hotspot)
According to Chinese customs statistics, from January to July this year, the total import and export volume between China and other APEC economies reached RMB 18.03 trillion, a year-on-year increase of 21%. With the deepening of a new round of technological revolution, China continues to deepen the integration and application of emerging technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence with customs supervision, using the power of technology to steadily improve the level of APEC economic and trade cooperation.
Recently, the APEC Customs Series activities hosted by Chinese Customs were held in Dalian, Liaoning, which is also an important part of the third APEC Senior Officials Meeting. During the conference, the construction of smart customs and the empowerment of cross-border trade supervision by artificial intelligence became hot topics. How will digital technology break through cross-border trade bottlenecks and make Asia Pacific supply chains safer, more stable, and more efficient? The reporter interviewed relevant experts.
Underwater robots perform full body "physical examination" on cargo ships and use big data algorithms to "portrait" enterprises——
Promoting trade facilitation through institutional innovation and technological empowerment
【 News 】
During the third high-level meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in 2026, a dedicated exhibition area for the Smart Customs Partnership Program and intelligent regulatory equipment was set up to showcase a variety of domestically produced intelligent equipment. For example, the "Octopus" underwater robot can dive to a depth of 300 meters and complete a comprehensive and accurate inspection of a cargo ship. In the past, artificial diving depths were only 15 to 20 meters, which not only limited the detection range and had blind spots for inspection, but also posed high operational risks.
The Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) system is a regulatory framework advocated by the World Customs Organization with the goal of promoting global trade security and facilitation. At present, all APEC economies except Papua New Guinea have established and implemented AEO systems, and Chinese customs has achieved AEO mutual recognition with 10 of them. In recent years, Chinese customs have released the benefits of the AEO system by utilizing new technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence, enabling law-abiding enterprises to clear customs faster and at lower costs.
[Comment]
Professor Zhu Caihua from the School of Economics at the University of International Business and Economics and Director of the Global Open Source Collaboration Research Center: China Customs empowers the AEO system with a smart regulatory system, which is a practice of deep integration of digital governance and institutional openness. Its core value lies not only in facilitating customs clearance, but also in transforming the individual advantages of high credit enterprises into systematic resilience of regional supply chains, providing a path for APEC to achieve inclusive and sustainable trade growth.
Firstly, the accelerated release of institutional dividends through AEO international mutual recognition can help activate the vitality of micro entities. China has achieved AEO mutual recognition with 10 APEC economies, which not only significantly reduces compliance costs and improves customs clearance efficiency for relevant enterprises, but also allows them to enjoy credit incentives from market supervision, taxation, banking and other departments, which is conducive to enhancing enterprise competitiveness and strengthening the stickiness of cross-border industrial chains.
Secondly, it has a significant demonstration and driving effect on other enterprises. On the one hand, the high efficiency obtained by AEO enterprises will directly translate into cost advantages, forcing other enterprises to digitize and comply with AEO standards, and actively approach high credit standards. On the other hand, leading chain owners who have obtained AEO qualifications tend to choose equally compliant and reliable upstream and downstream partners to build a "trust threshold" for the supply chain, thereby driving the credit level of the entire industry chain through chain transmission.
Li Yong, Associate Researcher at the Research Center of the General Administration of Customs: These measures are a vivid practice of China Customs in implementing the cooperation concept of "smart customs, smart borders, and smart connectivity". They are also a beneficial exploration of promoting trade facilitation through institutional innovation and technological empowerment, providing replicable and promotable solutions for customs cooperation in the Asia Pacific region.
China Customs continues to promote the empowerment of customs business through "artificial intelligence+big data+intelligent equipment", and continuously improves the intelligent, automatic, accurate, and efficient customs supervision mode. For example, the enterprise portrait system developed using big data algorithms is not only beneficial for precise customs supervision, but also helps enterprises accurately meet international certification requirements, and lays the foundation for promoting international mutual recognition.
The AEO system is crucial for maintaining supply chain security and stability, as well as enhancing economic vitality. Compared to conventional enterprises, AEO enterprises have reduced the average customs clearance time for imports by more than 30%. AEO international mutual recognition not only improves the clearance efficiency of high credit enterprises, but also directly shortens the turnover cycle of raw materials, spare parts, and finished products in the Asia Pacific supply chain, enhancing the elasticity of the entire production network. In addition, relying on the AEO system to build a cross-border credit cooperation bridge, it promotes the continuous deepening of regulatory mutual trust between customs of China and various economies in the Asia Pacific region, and also lays a solid foundation for promoting regional trade security and convenient innovation in the future.
Automated equipment such as climbing robots will transform 'people looking for goods' into' goods looking for people '——
Multi dimensional promotion of quality improvement and upgrading of cross-border e-commerce logistics industry
【 News 】
In recent years, driven by digitalization, e-commerce has become a new growth point driving economic development in the Asia Pacific region. In 2025, the e-commerce transaction volume of APEC economies will maintain rapid growth, benefiting tens of millions of small and medium-sized enterprises and billions of consumers. Meanwhile, cross-border e-commerce is facing the impact of trade barriers from some countries.
Enterprises are becoming an important force in AI technology innovation. For example, some enterprises have developed and applied AI customs systems to achieve intelligent classification of goods, intelligent calculation of dynamic tax rates, compliance and admission verification, and other functions, promoting a reduction of 80% in the duration of single ticket customs clearance. The warehouse automation products developed, such as the "climbing robot" and the "four-way shuttle matrix", have broken the record for operational efficiency.
[Comment]
Li Yong: AI and digitalization are driving the systematic upgrading of the cross-border e-commerce logistics industry from three dimensions: customs clearance, warehousing, and full chain collaboration. From the perspective of APEC regional cooperation, enhancing digital collaboration and mutual recognition of connectivity requires concerted efforts from four aspects. One is to strengthen top-level design, guided by the "APEC Customs Promoting Technology and Innovation for Trade Security and Facilitation" cooperation document, and transform technological consensus into concrete actions; The second is to promote standard docking, promote the standardization of customs data formats, declaration elements, and electronic documents in various economies, and gradually achieve the sharing and mutual recognition of relevant data; Thirdly, we will deepen capacity building, advance the Smart Customs Partnership Program, help developing economies bridge the digital divide, and enhance their digital customs construction capabilities; The fourth is to strengthen technological cooperation in fields such as artificial intelligence, big data, and big models, and deepen cooperation in risk warning and regulatory enforcement.
Zhu Caihua: At the enterprise level, innovation represented by AI and digitization is driving the improvement and upgrading of the cross-border e-commerce logistics industry from three dimensions: efficiency, compliance, and mode. In terms of efficiency, technological innovations represented by AI and digitization are driving efficiency improvement by compressing temporal and spatial distances. In terms of compliance, AI systems can dynamically calculate tax rates and conduct compliance access verification, effectively responding to the complex trade rules of various countries, transforming enterprises from "passive compliance" to "active intelligent compliance", and reducing trade risks. In terms of mode, logistics companies optimize the global logistics infrastructure network by deploying and constructing robot warehousing facilities overseas, exporting validated technologies as standardized products.
The key to accelerating the application of AI intelligent systems lies in the coordinated development of technology connectivity and institutional connectivity. At the level of technological connectivity, it is necessary to strengthen the interconnection of digital infrastructure, create an environment conducive to AI innovation, especially promote the popularization and capacity building of AI technology, narrow the digital divide, and focus on promoting the landing and application of AI intelligent systems in packaging, transportation, warehousing, and customs clearance. At the level of institutional connectivity, it is necessary to strengthen openness and cooperation in rules, regulations, management, standards, and other institutional aspects, with a focus on promoting mutual recognition of electronic trade documents, customs AEO, and cross-border digital identity.
From "Multi dimensional Interconnection" to "Digital Intelligence Interconnection and Mutual Recognition"——
Empowering the Asia Pacific Community with Digital and Artificial Intelligence Technologies
【 News 】
This year is the "APEC China Year", and China has identified three priority areas of openness, innovation, and cooperation. Among them, in the "innovation" area, China proposes to adhere to innovation driven development, focus on reaching more consensus in the fields of artificial intelligence and digital economy, bridge the digital divide, and cultivate new quality productivity.
The APEC Customs Procedures Subcommittee previously reviewed and approved China's proposed cooperation document "APEC Customs Promotes Technology and Innovation to Promote Trade Security and Convenience", calling on all parties to actively embrace new technologies and jointly optimize cross-border trade clearance supervision processes.
[Comment]
Li Yong: Currently, the Asia Pacific region accounts for one-third of the world's population, over 60% of the economy, and nearly half of the world's trade, making it an important engine for global economic growth. The implementation of the annual theme of "Building an Asia Pacific Community and Promoting Common Prosperity" by all parties in APEC requires the integrated promotion of the three priority areas of openness, innovation, and cooperation, and mutual promotion and progress in practical implementation. Adhere to openness and oppose protectionism, promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, explore the path to realizing the Asia Pacific Free Trade Area, and facilitate the cross-border flow of various factors. This not only provides an application market for innovative achievements, but also solidifies the economic foundation for cooperation; Deepening cooperation, strengthening policy docking and pragmatic cooperation in areas such as finance, food security, and small and medium-sized enterprises, can not only remove institutional barriers, ensure the implementation of opening-up measures, but also build a collaborative platform for the regional promotion of innovative achievements; Releasing innovative momentum can also force the upgrading of open cooperation models, break through traditional trade bottlenecks, and enhance the quality and efficiency of regional pragmatic cooperation.
Zhu Caihua: Currently, it is necessary to transform the extensive and replicable experiences of various APEC parties into a common action framework for APEC, promote the Asia Pacific region from "multidimensional connectivity" to "digital intelligent connectivity and mutual recognition", and empower the Asia Pacific community with digital and artificial intelligence technologies.
Firstly, gather consensus between AI and digital economy, and establish a regional unified rule framework. Based on the APEC Artificial Intelligence Initiative (2026-2030) and the 2026 APEC Digital and Artificial Intelligence Ministerial Statement, we will continue to consolidate consensus, oppose discriminatory regulations on AI technology, and promote the alignment of rules for cross-border data flow.
Secondly, we will take practical actions to bridge the digital divide and achieve inclusive sharing of AI. Accelerate the extension of new infrastructure such as 5G, computing power hubs, and 10 gigabit optical networks to underdeveloped economies, and lower the threshold for AI service access; Strengthen capacity building through the APEC Citizen AI Literacy Enhancement Action and AI Training Program for Small and Medium sized Enterprises, support regional sharing of open-source AI models and lightweight AI applications, and lower the threshold for AI research and development in developing economies.
Thirdly, by driving through landing scenarios, cultivate new quality productivity in the region. In the context of trade facilitation, deepening the mutual recognition of trade documents such as electronic bills of lading and electronic invoices, relying on the integration of AI intelligent customs declaration and risk prediction systems through a "single window", and combining with the widely covered AEO customs credit mutual recognition mechanism, significantly improves the operational efficiency of regional supply chains. In the context of industrial collaboration, promote the integration and innovation of large, medium, and small enterprises, and create a number of cross-border benchmark cases in fields such as intelligent manufacturing, cross-border logistics, and agricultural intelligent monitoring.