Zhucheng Customs, a subordinate Customs office -- under Guiyang Customs in Guiyang Free Trade Zone (FTZ) -- has taken a series of measures to streamline its services, according to Guiyang FTZ officials.
They said the goal is to increase the resumption of production and development by companies based in the zone -- located in Baiyun district of the city of Guiyang in Southwest China's Guizhou province -- amid the novel coronavirus epidemic.
Officials said that Customs provided improved delivery services for enterprises to send certificates of origin (C/O) documents -- key documentation used in international trade -- to offer faster customs clearance.
From February 5 to March 31, Customs delivered 378 certificates of origin for 33 export enterprises in the Guiyang FTZ.
In order to streamline the red tape surrounding the certificates of origins, Customs has set up a presence on online communications platforms such as QQ group and WeChat.
Officials said that more than 200 companies have joined the platforms, accounting for 80 percent of the total enterprises who applied for a C/O.
Officials said Customs has greatly promoted the implementation of self-service printing, making customs clearances easier and quicker. In the first quarter of 2020, 431 certificates were managed through self-service printing, accounting for 66.4 percent of the total of those self-printed in Guiyang.
Statistics showed that in Q1, the Customs has issued a total of 1,120 C/O for exports worth $150 million, effectively saving foreign trade costs for companies.
Officials said that Customs will further strengthen policies, measures and services to improve the performance of the cross-border trade.
Zhao Yandi contributed to the story.