Shanghai's customs office recently announced that it is simplifying registration procedures for import and export businesses in the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in the city's Pudong New District.

One of the beneficiaries of the new policy is the zone's Armstrong Flooring, whose head remarked that he was amazed at the efficiency in registering the company in nine days, or about a week shorter than in the past. The head also said that they were able to access a special service site for FTZ enterprises, and submit the registration information online.

So the approval could be done by the commerce departments in seven days, after which it was forwarded to the customs office, which finished the procedure in two days, considerably shorter than the old seven days.

Customs officers say that in addition to being more efficient, they can work with other departments to provide one-stop services in other ways.