People's Daily Client: General Administration of Customs' "New 18 Measures" Landing in Qianhai

On December 19th, the Shenzhen Municipal Government Information Office held a press conference on the implementation of the "New 18 Measures to Further Support the Reform and Opening up of the Qianhai Shenzhen Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone" by the Customs. The "New 18 Measures" issued by the General Administration of Customs this time are another heavyweight measure after the first batch of measures to support the comprehensive deepening of reform and opening up in Qianhai in 2022. These measures will be refined into 40 measures to accelerate cost reduction, cultivate business models, solve development pain points, deepen cooperation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and promote the connection of rules in various fields.
Pan Chuxiong, Deputy Director of Shenzhen Customs, introduced the overall situation and answered questions from reporters with Yuan Fuyong, Deputy Director of Shenzhen Qianhai Management Bureau, Wang Zuoqiang, Director of Shenzhen Customs Comprehensive Business Department, and Xiang Jun, Director of Free Trade Affairs Department of Qianhai Management Bureau, on the highlights of implementing the "New 18 Articles" of the Customs, supporting high-level opening up in Qianhai, reforming and empowering cross-border factor circulation, and further leveraging the advantages of Qianhai Comprehensive Bonded Zone.
Technology empowers continuous innovation in customs clearance models, significantly improving logistics efficiency at sea and air ports. The cargo volume at Shenzhen Airport has exceeded one million tons per year for the first time, and cross-border trade supervision continues to move towards intelligence. The development performance of Qianhai Comprehensive Bonded Zone in 2024 ranks among the top three in the country. From January to November this year, the total import and export value of Qianhai Cooperation Zone was 674.02 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.3%.
Speed up and reduce costs+cultivate business models, solve development pain points
Pan Chuxiong introduced that the dividends of the "MCC Qianhai" model continue to be released, and the reform of airport intelligent logistics is deepening, which has helped Qianhai become an important node in the global logistics hub; The Shekou Cruise Home Port successfully achieved cross-border helicopter navigation on November 6th this year, becoming the first "sea air integrated" composite port in China; The open level and core competitiveness of Qianhai Comprehensive Bonded Zone continue to improve, and its development performance ranking in 2024 ranks among the top three in the country; The soybean trading volume of Qianhai United Trading Center has exceeded 32 million tons, with a transaction amount approaching 120 billion yuan, and the construction efficiency of the offshore spot market for soybeans continues to improve. From January to November this year, the total import and export value of Qianhai Cooperation Zone was 674.02 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.3%.
In order to implement the "New 18 Measures" and fully unleash policy dividends, Shenzhen Customs has refined and formulated 40 measures based on the current development reality, promoting the precise delivery of policy dividends to enterprises. In terms of deepening advantages, we will further expand new scenarios and ways of cooperation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and continue to strengthen efforts in facilitating the import of Hong Kong produced food and the joint construction of standard research, so as to accelerate the release of institutional opening-up dividends. In terms of innovation breakthroughs, the pilot "frontline direct access, intelligent supervision" model is being piloted to speed up customs clearance, and targeted optimization of the guarantee method for scientific research equipment is being carried out to save enterprises the cost of capital occupation. In terms of integrated empowerment, we will launch policy combinations targeting key areas, promote "machine+human" intelligent supervision, and provide enterprises with tangible, convenient, and efficient services.
The 40 measures cover four aspects: on the one hand, focusing on enhancing the resource allocation capability of Qianhai and improving the level of modern service industry. The innovative pilot "frontline direct and intelligent supervision" model allows enterprises to first remove eligible goods from the port, sort and consolidate them in the comprehensive bonded zone, and then re export or transfer them to bonded management, further improving the efficiency of goods circulation between the port and the comprehensive bonded zone. On the other hand, we will focus on cultivating and strengthening emerging industries to help build new engines of economic growth. Pilot cross-border e-commerce 1210 export consolidation business, allowing overseas purchased goods and domestic exported goods to be stored in the same warehouse and consolidated for export in Qianhai Comprehensive Bonded Zone, further unleashing the momentum of cross-border e-commerce.
At the same time, we will focus on promoting the "soft connectivity" of rules and mechanisms, and deepen high-level cooperation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Deepen the construction of a national level import and export commodity quality and safety risk assessment center, and work together with Hong Kong regulatory authorities to strengthen the coordination of commodity inspection between the two regions. Optimize the temporary guarantee method for imported scientific research equipment, support local governments in establishing "whitelists" and supporting mechanisms, and help Hong Kong scientific research institutions layout in Qianhai. In addition, we will focus on expanding intelligent service scenarios and empowering efficient and convenient flow of cross-border factors. Expand the pilot scope of airport intelligent logistics reform, so that it can achieve automation and intelligence of operations on a larger scale. In the fields of cross-border e-commerce and express mail services, deploying intelligent equipment and optimizing AI algorithms to further enhance the processing capabilities of cross-border express mail stations.
Shenzhen Hong Kong synergy+policy superposition, promoting high-level opening up
The General Administration of Customs has issued the "New 18 Articles" to further support the reform and opening up of Qianhai, injecting new impetus into the deepening of institutional opening up and the improvement of cross-border trade facilitation in Qianhai. Qianhai will take this as an opportunity to focus on the synergy and policy overlap between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and promote the optimization of customs clearance processes and industrial innovation and upgrading.
Next, Qianhai will continue to optimize the international business environment, deepen cooperation between customs and local governments, strengthen global resource allocation capabilities, and provide more Qianhai practices for the high-quality development of the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area! "Yuan Fuyong said. In terms of rule connection, Qianhai will expand the integration of Guangdong Hong Kong Macao standards and promote more innovative customs supervision measures to be first launched in Qianhai. Promote the deep integration of Shenzhen Hong Kong commodity inspection, Hong Kong produced food, biomedicine and other fields, explore the development of "Bay Area standards", jointly build a national level import and export commodity quality and safety risk assessment center, and further promote the integration of Shenzhen Hong Kong economic and trade exchanges and people's livelihood.
In terms of intelligent upgrading, Qianhai will collaborate with Shenzhen Customs to implement the "frontline direct access, intelligent supervision" model, build a "smart port" ecosystem of air, sea, land, and mail coordination, and comprehensively improve cross-border logistics efficiency and regulatory effectiveness.
In terms of industrial cultivation, we will implement the facilitation policies of the Qianhai Shenzhen Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone, Free Trade Pilot Zone, and Comprehensive Bonded Zone, expand new formats such as bonded maintenance, cultural bonded, and yacht economy, develop new offshore trade and future industries, promote innovation in goods trade and service trade, create an open industrial system, and enhance regional radiation and driving force.
Technology empowerment+scene innovation, empowering cross-border trade to soar
Wang Zuoqiang introduced that currently, Shenzhen Customs continues to promote innovation in customs clearance mode, implement the "Sea Airport Smooth Flow Plan", achieve intelligent diversion of goods, avoid secondary hanging of goods, and shorten the stay time by more than 30%. Synchronously promoting the reform of intelligent logistics in airports, utilizing technologies such as AGV intelligent robots, RFID positioning, and digital twins to effectively improve logistics efficiency. This year, the import and export cargo volume at Shenzhen Airport exceeded one million tons for the first time, setting a new historical high for the same period.
Next, we will deepen the collaboration of logistics elements and enhance the level of hub portals. Accelerate the pilot of "smart logistics control for goods in transit" in Qianhai, promote the coordinated operation of resources and elements in Qianhai and the Greater Bay Area, and build an efficient and intelligent logistics system through process optimization. Continuously deepen the reform of intelligent logistics in airports, relying on the "automated operation+customs intelligent logistics control platform" to facilitate the rapid clearance of airport goods. We also need to increase the application of technological innovation and create a better clearance environment. Innovatively applying advanced methods such as intelligent robots and AI models in delivery channels, building intelligent supervision stations with unmanned and automated operation throughout the entire process, and continuously improving customs clearance efficiency. Focusing on improving the customs clearance experience for transit flights and cruise passengers, supporting the expansion of international connecting flights and domestic segments of international flights, and continuously enhancing the radiation level of international aviation hubs.
In the wave of deep integration of artificial intelligence and industrial digitization, how can Qianhai, as an experimental field for deepening reform and innovation, rely on smart customs supervision reform measures to systematically promote the intelligent upgrading of the entire cross-border trade chain, and break through bottlenecks and improve efficiency in multiple scenarios such as airports, seaports, land ports, and stations? Xiang Jun said that in the next step, Qianhai will continue to deepen the integration of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and digital twins with the port economy, promote cross-border trade from "convenience" to "intelligence", and strive to build the most "smart" and "futuristic" gateway hub in the country.
Specifically, to optimize resource allocation, Qianhai will take the lead in applying the new generation of secure intelligent locks across customs zones, promoting the evolution of logistics supervision from "node based" to "full process", and exploring the digital logistics chain linkage between Shenzhen and Hong Kong airports to help the Greater Bay Area build a global air cargo hub. Pilot the application of AI models and other AI intelligent supervision in the International Express Supervision Center, promoting the era of "instant customs clearance" for express, mail, and cross-border e-commerce, and providing replicable "Qianhai solutions" for the development of emerging industries nationwide. By promoting mutual recognition of supervision between Shenzhen and Hong Kong and strengthening the regional supply chain service function, Qianhai is gradually building a trade channel of "national goods, Qianhai connectivity, and global reach". From January to November this year, the container throughput of the Western Port Area accounted for nearly 55% of the total volume of Shenzhen Port, and the import and export value of the Qianhai Comprehensive Bonded Zone reached a new historical high during the same period.