Ningbo Customs' "Smart Review ETC" System Boosts High-Quality Development of Local Key Industries

At the Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan, a shipment of automotive bracket components, valued at over 3 million yuan, is efficiently cleared through Ningbo Customs' "Smart Review ETC" system. From machine inspection to automated system decision, the entire inspection and release process concludes in just 4 minutes, with the smart review stage requiring a mere 12 seconds. This efficient customs clearance experience has now become a daily reality for an increasing number of foreign trade enterprises operating through the Port of Ningbo. Driving this efficiency is Ningbo Customs' extensive commitment to its "Artificial Intelligence+" initiative and innovative measures to advance the "Dual Intelligence" initiative for customs. Central to this approach is intelligent image review, which underpins a new, integrated supervisory model focused on efficiency, precision, and streamlined operations, thereby boosting high-quality development of local key industries.

The rapid growth of industries has significantly increased demands for faster inspection and release of export goods. During initial surveys, Ningbo Customs identified two primary concerns from enterprises and three common attributes of the goods themselves: enterprises' needs to reduce cargo damage and meet shipping deadlines, coupled with the goods' shared traits ofsimilar forms, standardized packaging, and large quantities. Addressing this reality, Ningbo Customs launched the innovative "Smart Review ETC" regulatory model. This model prioritizes machine inspection to fully leverage the advantages of being non-intrusive and fast, while combining with smart image review systems to enhance overall efficiency.

This model incorporates enterprise creditworthiness as a third dimension, building upon the General Administration of Customs' (GACC) universal smart image review model. This enables enterprises to participate at zero cost, requiring no additional investment. Through the personalized customization of local enterprise and commodity lists, customs-enterprise collaboration has established a seamless, automated declaration processing mechanism. Currently, Ningbo Customs has developed 25 commodity types and over 200 specialized algorithm models, creating a local commodity database centered on high-frequency export items such as automotive shock absorbers, transmissions, and tires, which collectively account for over 80% of export frequency.

"When items in our database are flagged for inspection, the system automatically cross-references machine inspection images with enterprise and product data. For these local database items, it prioritizes calling the 'Smart Review ETC' algorithm model to generate smart image review conclusions, thereby aiding the machine inspection process in achieving accurate release," said Wang Ziyan, Deputy Section Chief of Machine Inspection at Beilun Customs under Ningbo Customs.

Since its trial operation, the system has consistently maintained an smart review accuracy rate exceeding 85% for commodities in the database. The average smart review analysis time stands at 12 seconds, and inspection time has been cut to as little as 4 minutes. Calculation indicate that the inspection efficiency for enterprise commodities integrated into the local database can be improved by over 30%. This innovation was not only recognized as an outstanding institutional innovation case for the Ningbo Area of China (Zhejiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone in 2024, but it has also been included among the GACC's key smart image review initiatives for 2025.

Leveraging the opportunity presented by the GACC's "Dual Intelligence" initiative, Ningbo Customs is actively expanding its "Smart Review ETC" project to further extend policy benefits. Through the second phase of its local database development, enterprise coverage will gradually expand from Ningbo to Zhejiang Province and even the wider Yangtze River Delta region. Concurrently, commodity categories will extend from automotive parts industry to "new three items," home appliances, and other sectors with robust industrial foundations within the jurisdiction. By striking a balance between effective control and rapid clearance, and promoting development while safeguarding the national gateway, Ningbo Customs has transformed its machine inspection and verification from a traditional "supervision-only" model to a "supervision-plus-service" approach, enhancing regulatory accuracy and service facilitation. As the project advances, Ningbo Customs continuously compiles replicable and scalable best practices, establishes standards and operational mechanisms for local database inclusion for affiliated customs offices, and opens up channels for technological innovation. This effort aims to provide Ningbo' unique insights for achieving 24/7/365 rapid clearance through smart image review.

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