【译文】上海口岸2023年深化跨境贸易营商环境改革若干措施（英文版）

Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce

Shanghai Customs District

Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission

Shanghai Administration for Market Regulation

Shanghai Municipal Development & Reform Commission

Shanghai Municipal Tax Service, State Taxation Administration

Shanghai Municipal Finance Bureau

Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration

People's Bank of China Shanghai Head Office

China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission Shanghai office

Hu Shang Zi Mao [2023] No. 132

Circular on Issuing the Several Measures for Deepening the Reform of the Business Environment for Cross-border Trade at Ports of Entry in Shanghai in 2023

To all departments concerned,

In order to thoroughly apply the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the Central Economic Work Conference, carefully implement the decisions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on optimizing the business environment, connect the World Bank's new business environment evaluation system, practice the Minutes of the 2023 Mobilization Meeting for Arranging the Special Action on Facilitating Cross-border Trade (Shu Ban An Fa [2023] No. 2) and the Action Plan for Strengthening Integrated Innovation and Continuously Optimizing the Business Environment in Shanghai (Hu Fu Ban Gui [2023] No. 1), make greater efforts to improve the level of cross-border trade facilitation, and continue to create a market-oriented, legal, and international first-class port business environment, Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, Shanghai Customs District, Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission, Shanghai Administration for Market Regulation, Shanghai Municipal Development & Reform Commission, Shanghai Municipal Tax Service, Shanghai Municipal Finance Bureau, Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration, People's Bank of China Shanghai Head Office and China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission Shanghai office have jointly enacted the Several Measures for Deepening the Reform of the Business Environment for Cross-border Trade at Ports of Entry in Shanghai in 2023, which is now issued to you for your careful implementation.

Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce                   

Shanghai Customs District

Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission             

Shanghai Administration for Market Regulation

Shanghai Municipal Development & Reform Commission        

Shanghai Municipal Tax Service, State Taxation Administration

Shanghai Municipal Finance Bureau                     

Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration

People's Bank of China Shanghai Head Office           

China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission Shanghai office

                                  June 13, 2023

Several Measures for Deepening the Reform of the Business Environment for Cross-border Trade at Ports of Entry in Shanghai in 2023

In order to thoroughly apply the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the Central Economic Work Conference, carefully implement the decisions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on optimizing the business environment, connect the World Bank's new business environment evaluation system, practice the Minutes of the 2023 Mobilization Meeting for Arranging the Special Action on Facilitating Cross-border Trade (Shu Ban An Fa [2023] No. 2) and the Action Plan for Strengthening Integrated Innovation and Continuously Optimizing the Business Environment in Shanghai (Hu Fu Ban Gui [2023] No. 1), make greater efforts to improve the level of cross-border trade facilitation, and continue to create a market-oriented, legal, and international first-class port business environment, the following measures are hereby proposed for deepening the reform of the cross-border trade business environment at ports of entry in Shanghai in 2023.

I. Further improve the security and smooth cross-border customs clearance logistics and supply chains

1. Further reduce the overall customs clearance time at the port. Establish a cross-departmental coordination mechanism to overall monitor the entire process of customs clearance logistics for imported goods at ports of entry in Shanghai and define the responsible entities and links involved. Relying on the Shanghai International Trade "Single Window" and the Shanghai Cross-border Trade Big Data Platform, strengthen system and data connections between units concerned, and build a monitoring system covering the entire process. Promote the reform of unaccompanied inspection by boosting the share of unaccompanied inspection at ports of entry in Shanghai above 70%. Further reduce the time required for circulation of shipping documents by encouraging shipping companies and port companies to deliver goods without original B/Ls based on blockchain and other technologies on a wider scale. Improve the information and intelligence level of the whole chain at air ports, accelerate the construction of projects including smart freight depots and import and export inspection centers, and push ahead with online applications for inspection orders at air ports. Continue to deepen pilot mode operations including direct shipside delivery for imported goods and direct loading on arrival at the port for exported goods. Explore innovative modes direct loading and direct delivery at Pudong International Airport. (Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission, Shanghai Customs District, Shanghai International Port Group, Shanghai Airport Authority, China Eastern Air Logistics, COSCO SHIPPING Lines)

2. Further innovate on customs supervision. On the basis of ensuring security, implement "release upon inspection + risk monitoring" for eligible companies and commodities at ports. Further apply admissible third-party inspection for imported commodities, allowing companies to appoint admissible inspection agencies to inspect, to the extent that inspection results will be admitted by the customs by law. Explore to optimize the correction of imported cosmetics by adopting a combination of conformity assessment and remote video inspection on the basis of corporate credit commitments and sample review to simplify the operation process. (Shanghai Customs District)

3. Improve the convenience of export tax rebates. Promote the issuance and use of electronic certificates of export tax rebates to ensure that no paper certificates will be used throughout the process. Further increase the efficiency of export tax rebates by reducing the average time required for processing normal export tax rebates (exemptions) to no more than 3 working days for Class I and Class II export companies classified by the type of export tax rebates. (Shanghai Municipal Tax Service, Shanghai Customs District, Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce)

4. Further improve comprehensive collection and distribution services. Move faster with the construction of the Shanghai international container transport service platform (container transport MaaS). Given the actual development of local sea-rail intermodal transport, actively promote an innovative multimodal transport mode characterized by integration of airports, ports and stations and efficient smart standard coordination, by encouraging market players to take part in the pilot full-process sea-rail intermodal transport management services, whereby one consignment with lump-sum payment makes for an order completed to the end. Aggressively expand the sea-rail intermodal transport market by establishing and improving sea-rail intermodal transport channels connecting inland regions to the ports of Shanghai. Encourage further cooperation between ports and railways, shipping and other companies, and overall locate the place of return of containers to minimize the time and costs required to allocate empty containers. Strengthen connections between river-sea intermodal transport routes to steadily increase the percentage of water-to-water transfers. (Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission, Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration, Shanghai International Port Group, Shanghai Civil Engineering Co., Ltd. of CREC)

5. Deepen the reform of integrated customs clearance in the Yangtze River Delta. Fully leverage the integrated cooperation mechanism in the Yangtze River Delta, integrate the ports of Shanghai, innovate on inland container hub models, expand the scope of ports connecting with the linkage unloading mode, and implement one release upon one inspection. Further enlarge the applicability of the departure confirmation mode for import transit. (Shanghai Customs District, Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission, Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, Shanghai International Port Group)

6. Upgrade the quality and number of China-Europe freight trains. Improve the construction of supporting facilities for inspection at the ports of entry for China-Europe freight trains. On the basis of continuing to promote stable operations, further increase the number of stops and the frequency of China-Europe freight trains. Deepen the construction of the single-window one-stop service platform for China-Europe freight trains, advance data connections with customs and railways, and provide one-stop services for relevant trade, agency, and logistics companies. (Minhang District, Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission, Shanghai Customs District, Shanghai Civil Engineering Co., Ltd. of CREC, Orient International (Holding) Co., Ltd.)

7. Press ahead with the pilot reform of transport of domestic and foreign trade goods together. Actively solicit support from ministries or commissions, and on the premise of ensuring effective supervision, support all ports of Shanghai to implement the pilot reform of smart management of customs and ports, explore the simultaneous operation of customs-supervised goods and non-customs-supervised goods, ensure the development of transport of domestic and foreign trade goods together, and serve the new development pattern of dual-circulation. (Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission, Shanghai Customs District, Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, Shanghai International Port Group)

8. Push forward the pilot coastal relay of foreign trade containers at Yangshan Port. Optimize the supervision process for coastal relay of foreign trade containers, promote more eligible international liner companies to accept such pilot operation, further increase the business scale, and better leverage the effect of policies. (Shanghai Municipal Transport Commission, Shanghai Customs District, Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce)

II. Further deepen the construction of smart ports and the digital transformation of ports

9. Promote information sharing related to customs clearance logistics relying on the Shanghai International Trade "Single Window". Encourage water, railway, aviation and highway ports to share information on logistics nodes such as cargo entry and exit stations and operation circulation with the "single window", and provide companies with one-stop information services for the whole process including reservation inspections, container adjustment applications, and inspection inquiries. Increase information connections between the Certification of Inspection and Quarantine of Imported Goods and domestic regulators. Promote the application of electronic Certificates of Packing Dangerous Goods in Containers. (Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, Shanghai Municipal Transport Commission, Shanghai Customs District, Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration, Shanghai Civil Engineering Co., Ltd. of CREC, Shanghai International Port Group)

10. Promote the pilot public aviation logistics information platform. Promote the pilot public aviation logistics information platform by relying on the Shanghai International Trade "Single Window", facilitate the interaction of all air freight data and information, and improve the operational efficiency of loading/unloading, tallying, collection and distribution of air cargo on airport apron. (Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, Shanghai Municipal Transport Commission, Shanghai Customs District, Shanghai Airport Authority, China Eastern Air Logistics)

11. Create a number of key port digital application projects. Relying on the Shanghai International Trade "Single Window", build a big database of smart ports based on various new technologies including big data, AI, and blockchain. Promote the construction of intelligent customs clearance inspections at customs ports and big data sharing and intelligent applications for maritime inbound and outbound ships, the automation of traditional container terminals, and the construction of key application scenarios at ports such as the Air Express platform. Explore blockchain solutions and application scenarios such as cross-border commodity traceability based on electronic ports, cross-border electronic invoice transmission, electronic B/Ls, and offshore trade. (Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, Shanghai Municipal Transport Commission, Shanghai Customs District, Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration, Shanghai International Port Group, Shanghai Airport Authority, Shanghai Municipal Tax Service)

12. Deepen cross-border customs clearance logistics services. Promote the pilot China-Singapore "single window" connectivity alliance chain for the purpose of the convenience and security of international trade. Start pilot cooperation with Singapore and offer one-stop cross-border customs clearance solutions characterized by one application for bilateral customs clearance for the application scenarios of bilateral and multilateral cross-border customs clearance services. (Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, Shanghai Customs District)

III. Further support the upgrading of foreign trade and the healthy and sustainable development of new business forms

13. Move forward the green and low-carbon development of foreign trade. Support companies to conduct high-quality, high-tech, high value-added green and low-carbon trade, facilitate the construction of low-carbon green supply chains, and relying on the Shanghai International Trade "Single Window", provide international trade, shipping and logistics companies in the Yangtze River Delta region with carbon footprint tracking and carbon emission calculation and help companies to optimize international trade transport organization and network design. Explore to develop green finance, and research to provide export companies with support for green transformation management of climate-related risks. Encourage business associations and other industry organizations to develop green and low-carbon standards for foreign trade products, offer training for companies in key industries, and enhance their awareness and ability of green and low-carbon development. (Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, Shanghai Municipal Development & Reform Commission, Shanghai Municipal Economy and Information Technology Commission, Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Municipal Transport Commission, Shanghai Municipal Finance Bureau, Shanghai Administration for Market Regulation)

14. Promote the innovative development of cross-border E-commerce. Support foreign trade companies to expand sales channels and cultivate independent brands through cross-border E-commerce. Actively gain support from ministries or commissions, and promote the pilot cross-customs return measures for commodities exported through cross-border E-commerce. Explore innovation in the supervision of front-end warehouses for cross-border E-commerce exports, optimize and improve the LCL operation mode for goods exported through cross-border E-commerce, and promote inspection first and then shipment for LCL goods exported. Encourage companies to set up a bonded import and return center warehouse for products purchased online through cross-border E-commerce. Support LCL transport of exported goods and returned and re-exported goods, to ensure that goods can be sold overseas, returned and transported efficiently cross borders. Build a comprehensive service platform for overseas warehouses to provide companies with information release, supply and demand connection, data collection services, so as to help with the standardized and healthy development of overseas warehouses. (Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, Shanghai Customs District, Shanghai Municipal Tax Service)

15. Deepen the "white list" system for biomedical companies (R&D institutions) to import R&D items. According to the pilot process and the needs of companies, dynamically adjust the "white list", where no Certificates of inspection for Imported Drugs are required for the import of items included in the "white list". (Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, Shanghai Customs District, Shanghai Food and Drug Administration, Shanghai Office for the Promotion of Science and Technology Innovation Center)

16. Further enhance the development of bonded maintenance. Support eligible companies in special customs supervision regions to conduct bonded maintenance in accordance with the maintenance catalog. Under the premise of risk control, support eligible companies outside special customs supervision regions to conduct bonded maintenance with high added value, high technologies and environmental protection requirements. (Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, Shanghai Customs District, Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment)

IV. Further standardize and reduce compliance costs for import and export

17. Standardize port charges. Strictly implement the freight rate filing system by guiding shipping companies to rationally adjust the charging structure. Further standardize the charging acts of various intermediate import and export links, including port charges, by actively guiding ports, airports, freight depots, and container yards to electronize charging procedures. Improve the online container cleaning and repairing management system, and promote documented transparent container cleaning and repairing charges. (Shanghai Municipal Transport Commission, Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, Shanghai Administration for Market Regulation, Shanghai Municipal Development & Reform Commission, Shanghai International Port Group)

18. Optimize the port charges announcement system. Continue to promote the "single window" port charges and service information release system for international trade in Shanghai, by guiding port charge subjects to timely announce and dynamically update information such as charging rates and service items through the "single window". Build a mobile "single window" charge inquiry function so that users can inquire and compare prices anytime and anywhere. Expand the scope of one-stop announcement of terminal handling charges and document charges priced by shipping companies for main routes. (Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, Shanghai Municipal Transport Commission, Shanghai Shipping Exchange)

19. Continue to strengthen the supervision and inspection of charging prices in import and export. Urge companies that collect port charges to disclose the list of charge items and accept social supervision so that no extra charges will be collected beyond the list. Strengthen the supervision and inspection of port charges, keep open reporting channels, and investigate and punish violations of charges such as failure to implement government pricing and guidance prices, failure to clearly indicate prices as required, and failure to implement price reduction and exemption policies. (Shanghai Administration for Market Regulation, Shanghai Municipal Transport Commission, Shanghai Municipal Development & Reform Commission, Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce)

V. Further enhance the sense of gain and satisfaction of foreign trade market players

20. Improve the predictability of the trade process. Set up a trade policy column at the Shanghai International Trade "Single Window" to centrally release international trade-related policies and regulations for view by companies. Announce the customs clearance process, and foster visual inquiries throughout the customs clearance process, so that users can visually inquire of customs, maritime affairs and other departments about port customs clearance status and whole customs clearance process. Detail the time limits and procedures for ports, airports, and stations, and announce the same at the Shanghai International Trade "Single Window" and at the site of port operators and service providers. Push air freight warehouses and distribution warehouses to announce service hours, and encourage them to provide them with 7×24-hour services. (Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, Shanghai Customs District, Shanghai Municipal Transport Commission, Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration, Shanghai International Port Group, Shanghai Airport Authority, China Eastern Air Logistics)

21. Further enhance the service capabilities of professional cross-border trade service providers, industry organizations and professional service platforms. Encourage freight forwarders, shipping agents, non-vessel operating common carriers, and customs declaration logistics service companies to expand their scope of business, improve and optimize their network presence, move faster to build digital service capabilities, expand domestic and foreign services, and improve logistics supply chain service capabilities. Fully leverage the self-discipline role of freight forwarders, shipping agents, non-vessel operating common carriers and customs declaration industry organizations to further regulate the development of industry companies. Strengthen the marketing of the container space trading platform and scale it up. Optimize China's civilian nautical chart service platform to provide basic nautical books and nautical chart data services for ships dealing with cross-border transport. (Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, Shanghai Municipal Transport Commission, Shanghai Customs District, Eastern Navigation Service Center)

22. Further improve service that benefit companies and coordination communication mechanism. Timely publicize policies and measures that benefit companies by full use of news media, government portals, official WeChat public accounts, increase the participation of companies, and enhance their satisfaction. Improve the service consulting site for RCEP companies, strengthen the training and consulting in respect of benefiting companies, and help companies benefit from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. Promote and deepen the application of the direct technical trade measures platform for serving companies, and further increase efforts to help companies through technical trade measures. Establish and improve the mechanism for eliminating problems in the port environment, strengthen normal communication with industry associations and chambers of commerce, improve feedback and coordination and resolution channels, and promptly push to resolve problems reported by companies. Make the most of the role of trade promotion organizations to further provide service support for foreign trade companies, especially small, medium and micro businesses, offer information consulting, business matching, commercial legal services, and timely release relevant country risk information and key market information. (Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, Shanghai Customs District, Shanghai Council for the Promotion of International Trade, China Export&Credit Insurance Corporation Shanghai Branch)

23. Increase efforts to cultivate and serve customs-certified companies. Further promote and train the authorized economic operator (AEO) system, optimize the enterprise coordinator mechanism, and help guide cross-border E-commerce platform companies, foreign trade comprehensive service companies, small, medium and micro businesses and other market entities to apply to be certified as and become advanced certified companies. Implement measures such as mutual AEO recognition facilitation and customs trustworthiness incentives, and try innovative joint incentive measures between Pudong New Area, Minhang District and customs. Explore a group-style, industrial chain & supply chain-style customs credit cultivation and certification model, by first including eligible HQ companies into the list of key customs credit-cultivated companies, cultivating and certifying them so that they can be entitled to AEO customs clearance convenience after having become advanced certified companies. (Shanghai Customs District, Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, Pudong New District, Minhang District)

24. Continue to strengthen credit support for foreign trade companies. Encourage banks to provide deferred interest payment and non-repayment loan renewal support for temporarily trapped foreign trade companies. Push banks to offer domestic and foreign currencies-integrated financial services based on the business characteristics of foreign trade companies. Innovate on bank trade credit settlement tool services and encourage banks to provide margin exemption or reduction settlement services such as back-to-back L/Cs, to minimize the occupation of settlement funds by companies in the trade chain. Encourage banks to innovatively launch more trade financing products by making full use of the financing credit enhancement function of export credit insurance policies. Encourage financial institutions to innovate on financial products and services on the premise of compliance with laws and regulations and controllable risks, and increase support for key import and export products such as cars and large complete sets of equipment. (PBoC Shanghai HQ, China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission Shanghai office, China Export&Credit Insurance Corporation Shanghai Branch, Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, Shanghai Municipal Finance Bureau)

  25. Further leverage the role of export credit insurance. Support policy-based export credit insurers to continue to expand the insurance coverage, increase the protection against the risk of order cancellation before shipments. Support no less than 10,000 foreign trade companies throughout the year with an underwriting scale of no less than USD 50 billion and no less than 90% limit satisfaction. Continue to support eligible small, medium and micro foreign trade businesses in purchasing credit insurance. Support companies to make full use of the small and medium-sized opening policy to learn about buyers, develop overseas markets, and improve risk control capabilities. Encourage banks, guarantors and other financial institutions to increase cooperation in export credit insurance policy financing, upgrade the financing model characterized by "guarantee + credit insurance + bank", launch a white credit insurance financing list, and continue to optimize online financing services. (China Export&Credit Insurance Corporation Shanghai Branch, China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission Shanghai office, Shanghai Municipal Finance Bureau, Shanghai Municipal Finance Bureau, Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce)

  26. Optimize financial services for small, medium and micro foreign trade businesses. Encourage banks to reduce or exempt charges collected from small, medium and micro foreign trade businesses for international trade services such as collecting foreign exchange, opening new accounts, and issuing L/Cs. Support banks in optimizing the hierarchical customer management mechanism to include more small, medium and micro foreign trade businesses in the scope of pilot cross-border RMB facilitation. Support financial institutions to further introduce favourable credit and trade financing products related to import and export for small and medium foreign trade businesses to apply online through the Shanghai International Trade "Single Window". (PBoC Shanghai HQ, Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, China Export&Credit Insurance Corporation Shanghai Branch, China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission Shanghai office, Shanghai Municipal Finance Bureau)