Recently, the General Administration of Customs held a press conference. Interpret some measures to promote the expansion and quality improvement of the comprehensive bonded zone and answer questions from reporters. With the consent of the State Council, the General Office of the State Council forwarded the General Administration of Customs “Several Measures on Promoting the Capacity Expansion and Quality Improvement of Comprehensive Bonded Zone” (hereinafter referred to as “Several Measures”). The relevant information of “Several Measures” is as follows:
Comprehensive Bonded Zone is an important carrier of China’s opening to the outside world. It has the unique function of connecting domestic and international markets and resources and the advantages of policy integration. It has played an important role in developing foreign trade, promoting regional coordinated development and promoting industrial upgrading. Up to now, there are 168 comprehensive bonded zones in China, which are distributed in 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government. In 2025, the import and export value of the national comprehensive bonded zones will reach 7.2 trillion yuan, accounting for 16% of the national foreign trade import and export in the same period, which has effectively promoted the development of China’s open economy.
At present, China is speeding up the construction of a new development pattern with the domestic big cycle as the main body and the domestic and international double cycles promoting each other. As an important carrier of opening to the outside world, the comprehensive bonded zone is facing a brand-new historical mission, and it is urgent to introduce high-level opening measures that are more suitable for China’s foreign trade innovation and development, so as to further help strengthen the domestic big cycle and smooth the domestic and international double cycles. To this end, the General Administration of Customs adheres to the problem-oriented and goal-oriented, conducts in-depth research, fully listens to the opinions of enterprises, collects opinions and suggestions from industry associations, experts and scholars, organizes a number of symposiums, conducts in-depth discussions with relevant departments and competent departments of comprehensive bonded zones, and puts forward “Several Measures” in conjunction with the national development and reform commission, the Ministry of Commerce, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange and other departments, taking into account the regional functional orientation, the actual needs of enterprises and the outstanding problems that need to be solved.
Based on the advantages of bonded function and policy integration of the comprehensive bonded zone, Several Measures actively meet the international high-standard economic and trade rules, and put forward 24 reform measures from four aspects, which can be summarized as “four changes and four upgrades”.
First, efforts will be made to promote the transformation of the industrial form of the comprehensive bonded zone from traditional processing and logistics to the deep integration of diversified and high-end production and services, and to enhance the development level of new formats and new models. It mainly includes seven measures, such as promoting the development of “bonded+”new formats such as bonded maintenance, bonded testing, remanufacturing, cross-border e-commerce and bonded training, strengthening the coordinated development of biomedical research, and innovating biomedical supervision.
Second, efforts should be made to promote the transformation of the function of the comprehensive bonded zone from the traditional foreign trade orientation to highlighting the national strategic needs, and to enhance the resilience and safety level of the industrial chain supply chain. It mainly includes four measures: serving the national strategic needs, implementing remote supervision of major technical equipment industrial chains, optimizing the management of key commodities, and implementing differentiated conformity assessment.
Third, efforts should be made to promote the transformation of the development model of the comprehensive bonded zone from the traditional “two ends outside” to the dual-cycle service of domestic and international, and to improve the level of integrated development of domestic and foreign trade. It mainly includes seven measures, such as supporting the joint development of comprehensive bonded areas and ports, supporting the export products to domestic sales, supporting the convenient exit of specific goods, optimizing the supervision of entrusted processing, simplifying the procedures for equipment leaving the area, expanding mutual recognition of information, and optimizing the settlement of cross-border funds.
Fourth, efforts should be made to promote the transformation of the supervision mode of the comprehensive bonded zone from the traditional purse seine management to digital intelligence and coordination, and improve the efficiency of intelligent supervision and coordination. It mainly includes six measures, such as building a smart supervision system, improving life-cycle management, increasing joint encouragement of trustworthiness, improving the level of supporting management services, building a comprehensive service management platform, and strengthening joint prevention and control of risks.
In the next step, the Customs will focus on the central task, work with relevant departments to speed up the research and introduction of supporting system documents, and promote the implementation of various reform measures. With the implementation of 24 reform measures, the comprehensive bonded zone will usher in a new round of development opportunities, undertake more important tasks and missions, and inject strong impetus into China’s further expansion of high-level opening up during the Tenth Five-Year Plan period. Foreign trade enterprises are welcome to combine their own business characteristics, make full use of the policy functions of the comprehensive bonded zone, and constantly enhance the competitiveness of enterprises and products. The Customs will continue to optimize the supervision mode and provide more efficient and efficient services for enterprises as always.
Source: official website, General Administration of Customs
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