At the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, a batch of automobile transmission parts valued at over 37 million yuan was recently inspected and cleared through the "Customs Intelligent Inspection ETC" system of Ningbo Customs. The entire process, from machine inspection to automated system review and release, took only four minutes, with the intelligent review segment completed in just 12 seconds. This high-efficiency clearance experience has now become routine for a growing number of foreign trade enterprises inspected at the Ningbo port. This achievement stems from Ningbo Customs' in-depth implementation of the "AI Plus" initiative and its innovative measures under the "Dual Smart Initiative" (namely Smart Customs & Smart Customs for a Strong Nation) construction framework – establishing a new regulatory pathway characterized as Efficient, Targeted, and Centralized, with intelligent image review at its core, to support high-quality development in local key industries.
As a core sector of Ningbo's trillion-yuan industrial cluster, the automotive parts industry demonstrates robust export growth. In the first half of 2025, its export value reached 16.5 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 9.9 percent.
The industry's rapid expansion has heightened demands for faster inspection and release of export goods. Preliminary research by Ningbo Customs has identified two primary concerns from enterprises and three common characteristics of the goods: companies emphasize the need to minimize cargo damage and ensure timely adherence to shipping schedules, while the goods themselves typically share traits of similar shape, standardized packaging, and large shipment volumes. Addressing these specifics, Ningbo Customs has innovatively launched the "Customs Intelligent Inspection ETC" regulatory model. This approach prioritizes machine inspection, leveraging its inherent advantages of being "non-invasive and quick-inspection", while simultaneously integrating intelligent image review systems to enhance efficiency.
Building upon the universal intelligent image review model under the General Administration of Customs, this model incorporates enterprise creditworthiness as a third dimension, enabling enterprises to participate at "zero cost" without additional investment. Through customized catalogs of local database enterprises and product lists, collaboration between Customs and businesses has established a seamless image capture mechanism. To date, Ningbo Customs has developed specialized algorithm models for 25 product categories, comprising over 200 distinct models. Focusing on high-frequency export items such as automobile shock absorbers, transmissions, and tires - which account for over 80 percent of export volume - a local product database has been established.
"When a product in the database is selected for inspection, the system automatically cross-references the machine inspection images with corresponding enterprise and product information. It prioritizes applying the “Customs Intelligent Inspection ETC” algorithm model to these database items, generating an intelligent image review conclusion that assists in accurate and efficient machine inspection clearance," explained Wang Ziyan, Deputy Section Chief of the Machine Inspection Section at Beilun Customs, a subsidiary of Ningbo Customs.
Since the system's trial operation, the intelligent review accuracy rate for products within the database has remained above 85%, with an average analysis time of 12 seconds. The total inspection time has been reduced to as little as four minutes. It is estimated that inspection efficiency for products included in the local database can be improved by over 30%. This innovation was recognized as one of the outstanding institutional innovation cases for 2024 in the Ningbo Area of the China (Zhejiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone and included in theGeneral Administration of Customs' key tasks for intelligent image review in 2025.
Leveraging the impetus of the "Dual Intelligence" initiativeproposed by the General Administration of Customs, Ningbo Customs is advancing the continuous expansion of the "Customs Intelligent Inspection ETC" project to further unleash policy benefits. The second phase of local database development will extend enterprise coverage from Ningbo to Zhejiang Province and eventually the Yangtze River Delta region. Product categories will also expand from automotive parts to other strong industries within the region, such as the "New Three" categoriesand home appliances. By ensuring "effective control" as the foundation for "rapid clearance", and promoting development while safeguarding national security, Ningbo Customs is transforming machine inspection from a traditional "supervision-only" model towards a "supervision plus service" paradigm, enhancing both regulatory precision and service convenience. Concurrently with project advancement, efforts are made to summarize and formulate replicable experiences for wider implementation, establishing standards and operational mechanisms for local database inclusion applicable to direct Customs authorities. This helps open channels for technological innovation and contributes the "Ningbo Approach" towards achieving 24/7, year-round intelligent image review for fast-track Customs clearance.
(By LvPeifeng and Zeng Dongdong)
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