Customs department plans flexible policies to boost foreign trade

The General Administration of Customs will offer more flexible policies to promote innovative growth of processing trade and customs special control areas to support the country's foreign trade, said a senior official.

Sun Yibiao, GAC's vice-minister, said the government will continue to help processing trade further move up the value chain by introducing new supervision and control models over processing, logistics and the service sector.

"The GAC will play its part in boosting the growth of emerging industries with strategic importance and new trade types," Sun said at a news conference held by the State Council Information Office in Beijing.

For example, a total of 112 million shipments of online-purchased goods were imported under bonded operation between January and September of this year. The total value for these goods amounted to 17.31 billion yuan ($2.57 billion), giving consumers more access to fast-delivered quality goods at a responsible price.

Sun said the GAC will also work to optimize the industrial structure across the country. It has worked with related government branches in making adjustment to nearly 2,000 items on the processing trade negative list to phase out high-energy-consuming, highly polluting and resources-dependent industries.

The processing trade of high-tech products reached 2.66 trillion yuan during the first three quarters of this year, accounting for 51.6 percent of the total processing trading volume.

Eager to enhance the country's exporting ability, Huang said the GAC will also deploy resources and manpower to further integrate and optimize deployment of customs special control zones, as well as support innovations in the reform of free trade pilot zones.