Guangdong's Hengqin to Pilot Innovative Customs Clearance: Inspection Only at One of Two Customs or Unilateral Inspection & Release

Following Shenzhen Bay port's pioneering of the customs inspection mode "inspection at one site by two customs", other innovative customs-clearance policies, such as "inspection only at one of two customs" or "unilateral inspection & release", will be piloted at the Hengqin New Area as the "demonstration zone for the closer cooperation among Guangdong Province, Hong Kong Region, and Macao Region".

After negotiated by and between Guangdong authorities and the Macao Region authorities, the port hub project on Hengqin island has recently been released, which reserves spaces for the realization of customs-clearance data sharing, the mutual recognition of inspection information, and the transformation for passenger entry/exit from current "inspection at both customs districts" to "inspection only at one of two customs".

Later on, when situation permits, this mode will be extended to other Guangdong ports in connection with Hong Kong and Macao.

According to sources from the Hengqin administrative committee, new policies for Hengqin port have reached relevant Central authorities, hopefully to get approved soonest at the end of 2010 or in early 2011; and such new policies include 24-hour customs clearance, free vehicle passes through Hengqin from Macao, management by two channels (channel 1 for passengers which is loose in management, and channel 2 for goods which is strict), and the "inspection only at one of two customs" mode.

The hub project of Hengqin port has the plan to invest CNY 2.0 billion in building a hub for "high-efficiency customs clearance" within 67 hectares around the existing port. In particular, the construction of its customs-clearance hall will accommodate to future special policy advantages for the Hengqin New Area, therefore reserving spaces for innovative customs-clearance policies.