Customs authorities work together to address challenges created by COVID-19 outbreak

Customs authorities in the five major cities in the Yangtze River Delta region, namely Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Ningbo and Hefei, have adopted mutual recognition of each other's clearance processes for cargos related to companies on Shanghai's whitelist of businesses that can resume operations.

Revealed on Wednesday by Liu Bo, deputy director of Shanghai Customs, the new measures are aimed at reducing customs clearance time, strengthening regional supply chain security and facilitating the movement of goods, hence aiding the city's goal of resuming business and production as the COVID-19 outbreak in Shanghai comes under control. 

"We have also guided the enterprises to make use of 'land-to-water' and 'land-to-rail' options to accelerate the transportation of goods across customs areas," Liu said during a media briefing.

The Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) had in late March launched a container "land-to-water" service which covers the ports in the Yangshan area, the Waigaoqiao area of Shanghai Port and related ports in the Yangtze River and Yangtze River Delta areas, according to earlier media reports.

The measure is expected to help alleviate the pressure on road transportation caused by the epidemic. Through this service, customers can first transport containers to Taicang Service Center before transferring them by ship to Shanghai Port. This service will also divert road transportation needs to waterways to ensure the smooth operation of logistics channels during the pandemic.

Liu added that customs authorities in the region have also established a coordination mechanism in response to the challenges the epidemic has created for the supply chain in the delta region.

Customs data show that the freight volume and foreign trade import and export value at Shanghai ports have gradually stabilized and recovered since late April.

Liu said the 10 measures introduced by the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China aimed at safeguarding livelihoods, assisting enterprises and promoting development, have been helpful.

"To facilitate the resumption of Shanghai's key industries - integrated circuits, biomedicine, and automobile manufacturing - the customs authorities will prioritize services to enterprises in the fields," he said.

Shanghai registered 96 local COVID-19 confirmed cases and 759 asymptomatic infections on Tuesday. All infections were found within quarantine and lockdown populations.