Diverse cross-border trade facilitation measures implemented across China have helped maintain stable trade volumes while improving the quality of the country's foreign trade.
East China's Fujian Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ), building on the national single-window customs clearance system, has launched a smart service platform that incorporates Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) tariff policies.
Through its AI-powered algorithm, the platform enables enterprises to obtain customized optimal tariff solutions with one-click analysis, while facilitating instant approval and issuance of certificates of origin.
Enterprises in Fujian Province have independently issued origin declarations for exports worth over 2.4 billion yuan (about 334 million U.S. dollars) this year -- ranking first nationwide -- providing strong support for businesses expanding into RCEP markets.
In Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, customs authorities are actively promoting a new rail-sea intermodal regulatory model featuring "single bill of lading" and "single container" systems. Under this model, companies can complete customs clearance and inspection at inland ports before sending goods by rail to seaports for direct loading, eliminating container transfers and duplicate declarations, with a single bill of lading covering the entire process.
Since January, Qingdao Port has handled over 1.74 million TEUs of rail-sea intermodal cargo, up 13 percent year on year, maintaining its position as China's leading coastal port for this service.
The Dalian Area of China (Liaoning) Pilot Free Trade Zone in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, has introduced an inspection model for lithium battery export packaging that ensures the compliance of reusable packaging boxes, effectively solving the long-standing challenges of single-use plastic containers -- high costs and environmental waste.
This model has facilitated over 190,000 cycles of reusable packaging this year, saving enterprises more than 38 million yuan (about 5.3 million U.S. dollars) while promoting green logistics and energy efficiency.
Nationwide, the one-stop cross-border mail clearance platform, launched just over a month ago, has already cleared over 90,000 international mail items, cutting average clearance time by five hours per item and reducing agency fees.
"We consistently prioritize trade facilitation, streamlining declaration processes and upgrading smart port systems to enhance efficiency without compromising security. Next, we will expand reforms to energize foreign trade and better integrate Chinese goods into global supply chains," said Dang Xiaohong, deputy director-general of the National Office of Port Administration under the General Administration of Customs.
China's foreign trade steadies with quality growth amid cross-border facilitation drive
