Small Commodity Exports Get 18-Second Automated Clearance

YIWU, Sept. 18 (Zhejiang Daily correspondents Bai Zhezhe and He Xianjun)– Just 18 seconds: that's the remarkable speed at which the first container truck completed its automated sealing at Yiwu Customs, commencing its transit to the Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan.

On September 18, the "Automated Electronic Customs Lock Sealing System," a national first jointly developed by Hangzhou and Ningbo Customs, was officially put into use nationwide. The system is designed for the primary transit route of small commodity exports from Zhejiang and beyond, specifically for goods moving from Yiwu Customs to the Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan for onward shipment. Customs sealing prevents unauthorized opening or tampering with cargo during transit. Following its implementation, the sealing time per container is cut to about 20 seconds, improving efficiency by about 80%. This allows Yiwu's small commodities, exported via the Port of Ningbo, to benefit from 24/7 automated sealing, thus significantly boosting their outbound trade.

Yiwu Port is , serving as the "sixth port area" of the Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan, is a vital conduit for small commodity exports. Yiwu Customs data indicates that in the first eight months of this year, Yiwu's exports via market procurement trade amounted to 402.62 billion yuan, a year-on-year growth of 27.3%. Of this, 251.71 billion yuan was exported by sea from Ningbo, growing by 11.1% compared to the previous year and accounting for 62.5% of the total market procurement exports during the period. Yiwu Port handles about 2,000 TEUs daily, with peak daily volumes reaching 4,000 TEUs.

Officials from the Hangzhou Customs Port Supervision Department report that the new system leverages cutting-edge technologies such as RFID, IoT, and AI image recognition for the automatic identification, verification, and sealing of electronic locks. As cargo vehicles pass through designated checkpoints, high-definition cameras automatically identify electronic lock information, compare it in real-time with customs declaration data, and upon successful verification, automatically complete sealing operations without human intervention. This system not only boosts clearance efficiency but also mitigates human errors through its automated verification capabilities, thereby strengthening safety supervision.

"Many vehicles at our site transport goods to Ningbo for onward maritime export from the Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan, requiring customs transit sealing. This new system promises a significant boost in our site's operational efficiency," said Li Yanyun, head of operations at Yiwu Port. She further elaborated that preliminary estimates indicate a reduction in single-lane transit time to one-fifth of its original duration. Once the system is fully deployed across all eight lanes, the facility anticipates an overall operational efficiency increase of 20%.

Officials from Hangzhou Customs stated that, moving forward, the agency will leverage the opportunities from comprehensive international trade reform. Adopting a dual strategy of "technology + system," they will continue to integrate intelligent technologies and refine management models. This initiative aims to continuously optimize cargo export logistics through the development of "smart logistics", strengthen collaboration with Ningbo Customs, and support the construction of the Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan's "sixth port area," ultimately creating an efficient, secure, and intelligent customs clearance environment for small commodity exports.

 Disclaimer：The above content is translated from Chinese version of Zhejiang Dailys. The Zhejiang Daily version shall prevail.