In recent years, Zhejiang Province's foreign trade sector has faced complex challenges from both domestic and international environments, particularly against the backdrop of increasing global economic uncertainty. Maintaining stable growth and achieving transformation in foreign trade has become an urgent task. In response, Hangzhou Customs has introduced a series of new policies designed to promote trade development by optimizing clearance procedures, reducing corporate burdens, and supporting emerging foreign trade models. At the core of these policies is responding to enterprise needs, ensuring policy implementation, and enhancing the competitiveness of foreign trade companies.
Feedback from Hangzhou's foreign trade industry indicates that improving customs clearance efficiency is considered the top priority—a crucial factor in reducing costs and improving capital turnover for businesses. Accordingly, Hangzhou Customs has established "regional customs clearance integration reform" as the central policy initiative, aiming to simplify operations by building a more efficient clearance system. The customs authority will gradually implement an upgraded version of the "big customs clearance platform" to comprehensively integrate customs inspection resources and optimize clearance procedures.
The traditional clearance approach, with its cumbersome formalities and lengthy waiting times, has long troubled many foreign trade enterprises. The current reforms promise significant relief for these businesses. A key component of the reform involves establishing information sharing and coordination mechanisms to reduce documentation requirements during clearance processes, improve efficiency, and minimize the burden of duplicate declarations.
Addressing widespread concerns about cost pressures and financial difficulties among foreign trade enterprises, Hangzhou Customs has made clear commitments to reduce corporate burdens. While maintaining trade security and regulatory compliance, the customs authority will review and standardize import/export-related fees, eliminating all charges without legal basis. Additionally, to help companies reduce procurement and transportation costs, customs will implement flexible guarantee measures, allowing qualified enterprises to reduce cash guarantee requirements.
In supporting cross-border e-commerce, Hangzhou Customs has enhanced service convenience by implementing round-the-clock clearance services available 365 days a year. This means businesses can receive timely support and solutions whenever needed. This new service model not only improves efficiency but also provides significant advantages for Zhejiang's cross-border e-commerce companies expanding into international markets. B2B export businesses are expected to see new development opportunities, with many enterprises expressing confidence in the future of cross-border e-commerce.
Looking back, the path to stable foreign trade growth has not been smooth, but through implementing practical policies, Hangzhou Customs has demonstrated how government agencies can combine service concepts with operational practices to create a favorable trade environment. Moving forward, these new policies are expected to significantly advance Zhejiang's foreign trade development, helping enterprises seize opportunities, meet challenges, and achieve sustainable growth in the new era.
From a long-term perspective, these policies not only address current foreign trade needs but also lay a solid foundation for enhancing Zhejiang Province's competitiveness in the global economy. By continuously monitoring and responding to enterprise requirements, Hangzhou Customs will further refine these policies in subsequent implementation phases to provide more efficient and higher-quality services. As the new policies take full effect, Zhejiang's foreign trade enterprises are poised to gain stronger positions in global competition.
