Chinese vice premier stresses reform progress in customs clearance

Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang has called for further reforms in one-stop customs clearance to boost trade and improve the country's business environment.

Speaking at a meeting Tuesday, Wang affirmed the progress made in customs clearance reform, noting that "single-window" customs clearance was now in place at all Chinese ports, saving companies one-third of their time needed for clearance.

"Implementing one-stop customs clearance is necessary for gaining competitive advantages in trade and developing an open economy at a higher level," said Wang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

A standard version of the single-window customs clearance system covers all trade ports, with a total of 35,000 registered users and more than 100,000 daily declarations, according to China's General Administration of Customs.

Instead of filing the same information repeatedly with different authorities, traders are now able to declare cargo and taxes with a single online submission, improving efficiency and reducing costs.

The vice premier said efforts should be made to bring forward the development of the single-window system and at the same time enhance security checks at trade ports, to make customs clearance efficient and well-controlled.