Ningbo Bonded Zone Unveils Its Integrated Management Information Platform

China Inspection and Quarantine Times An Integrated Management Information Platform has gone live in the Ningbo Bonded Zone (Beilun Port Comprehensive Bonded Zone), marking the first phase of a digital upgrade. It integrates multi-source data from various special Customs supervision zones to establish an intelligent oversight and coordination center. Built around a unified digital map that gives a holistic, real-time view of the entire zone, this system enables real-time detection of anomalous risks and end-to-end oversight of all business processes, creating a more streamlined, efficient, and secure model for regional regulatory services.

Local enterprises have already experienced tangible benefits from such platform. "The new platform is a significant improvement.It's more compatible, the interface is clearer, and it's just easier to use overall, making it much more user-friendly. A key benefit is that, once integrated with our systems, it automatically sends declaration data to Customs authority. This has cut our document processing time dramatically,"said Lin Ting, head of Ningbo Free Trade Zone Gaoxin Container Co., Ltd.

"Here's how it works: the platform treats each Customs procedure as a single 'point'. It then connects these points to map out complete business workflow 'lines'. Its real intelligence is in automatically figuring out how the companies we supervise are linked, and how a risk in one area could affect another. This allows us to run a system that genuinely rewards good compliance and swiftly targets any violations,"explained an official from the Comprehensive Business Division I of Ningbo Bonded Zone Customs, a subsidiary of Ningbo Customs." Based on this approach, we've now rolled out 13 key functions. These include automated company declarations, a real-time visual overview of the entire bonded zone, and coordinated logistics between the zone and the port. In essence, the platform gives us five core capabilities: handling declarations, providing visualizations, issuing early warnings, conducting monitoring, and enabling command-level oversight. Together, these are strong tools for making clearance faster without compromising on security."

To ensure a smooth rollout, Ningbo Bonded Zone Customs has overseen a seamless migration of all operational data to the new platform and organized comprehensive policy briefings and hands-on training sessions for businesses in the zone. The transition began with a pilot program involving six companies. Based on the feedback and experience gained from this pilot phase, the Customs authority plans to continuously refine the platform’s functionalities, expand its application scenarios, and optimize its technical interfaces.

The launch marks the establishment of a comprehensive digital supervision framework for Ningbo's special Customs supervision zones. This system is built upon the Integrated Management Information Platform, driven by intelligent infrastructure, and utilizes innovative approaches like “embedded supervision model” and “non-intrusive inventory verification”. It is designed to put these zones on a fast track toward high-quality development.

Gao Wenbo, Section Chief of the Regional Division at the Department of Free Trade Zone and Special Control Area of Ningbo Customs, outlined that the Customs authority will deepen its Smart Customs initiatives by exploring cutting-edge technologies such as digital twins and AI-driven risk analytics. The goal is to build a comprehensive supervision system that covers every point, follows every line, and oversees the entire surface of bonded logistics operations, enabling a seamless, end-to-end regulatory flow. This will further elevate trade facilitation and bolster high-quality economic development across the region.

(Correspondents: Zhang Anran, Cheng Jingquan, and Ying Zhan)