Han Ximin

1824295095@qq.com

THE Combined Port program initiated by Shenzhen Customs recently was selected as the best case of institutional innovation in China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone for the Year of 2021.

Shenzhen Customs inaugurated the Combined Port program in March 2021 by opening the route between Beijiao Port in Shunde and Shekou Port, making it the first route of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Combined Port Program.

Under the program, freight from Beijiao Port that has completed customs procedures will be embarked on oceanic vessels without going through further customs checks. This enabled ports in the Pearl River estuary under different customs administrations to share codes and be dispatched without delay.

So far, the city’s western port terminals, including Dachan Bay Container Terminals and terminals at Mawan and Chiwan, have opened 19 routes linked to other Pearl River Delta cities’ ports. Between January and June, Shenzhen Port, as well as Yantian International Container Terminals (YICT) in the east, and Dachan, Shekou and Chiwan ports in the west, opened six routes with ports of other Pearl River Delta cities. Under the program, 190,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) have been handled, five times more year on year.

Data showed that the simplified procedures saved around 24 million yuan (US$3.48 million) in customs declaration costs for exporters and reduced freight liners’ expenses by 45 million yuan for container use. Turnover for cargo in stock were reduced by two days in average from the previous five to seven days.

Another innovative mechanism, adopting combined rail and sea transport services, has reduced costs for enterprises in terms of time and logistics.

Since the service was launched Aug. 26, 2021, around 3,204 TEUs carrying 19,000 tons of cargo for export have been handled. It has cut trailer going between ports by 50% and cargo transshipment time by two to five days.

In another development, the imports of fruits via Yantian International Container Terminals, one of the busiest container ports in the world, have increased by five times between January and July year on year, customs data showed Monday.

Yantian Port yard now owns warehouses with nearly 4,000 plugs for air-conditioned containers. The port also has two inspection yards with 435 slots especially for cold-chain constant temperature vehicles, which ensure efficient inspections for import and export of fruits.