International trade at Qianhai, Pingshan and Yantian bonded areas reached 83.94 billion yuan (US$12.07 billion) in the first quarter of the year (Q1), up 17% year on year, data from Shenzhen Customs showed.

At the Qianhai Comprehensive Bonded Zone, an Airbus A321NEO landed at the Shenzhen airport Dec. 2, 2022 and completed customs clearance procedures in one day. This was the city’s first plane leasing business under the free trade mode, and one of Qianhai bonded zone's new free trade modes.

“The import of the plane under the free trade mode will help reduce our operating costs,” said Huang Yi, manager of the materials import business section of Shenzhen Airlines.

In the past year, Shenzhen Customs has implemented a joint customs supervision mechanism between the city’s bonded and port areas. The innovative system has significantly enhanced the efficiency of customs clearance for cargo logistics, ensuring a streamlined and traceable process from start to finish. The customs authority has opened routes linking Pingshan Bonded Area with Yantian Port and the Shenzhen airport.

The joint supervision mechanism simplifies customs clearance procedures. According to Huaxinhang Logistics, a logistics company based in Pingshan Bonded Area, it exported 10 batches of toy accessories worth 19 million yuan to the U.S. through the Pingshan-Yantian route. The simplified inspection procedures ensured timely delivery and cost savings for the company.

“Under the joint supervision mechanism, export products can complete customs clearance procedures in Pingshan before being forwarded to Yantian International Container Terminal. The clearance is shortened from the previous average of two hours to 15 minutes,” Wu Zhengqi, manager of the company’s customs affairs division, said at an interview. The new mode reduces inventory pileup risks at the port.

At the Yantian Comprehensive Free Trade Area, Shenzhen Customs adopted a mode of “application in batches, and clearance in the whole lot” that helps improve customs clearance efficiency and reduces importers’ logistics costs by 50%.