Exciting Update! Customs Declaration & Inspection Turnaround Cut to Just Half a Day!
Prior to the customs declaration-inspection integration reform, import/export business registration was a tangled process for companies. They’d shuffle between multiple agencies—customs, inspection and quarantine bodies, and local commerce departments—for reviews, signatures, and stamping. This meant back-and-forth trips, redundant visits, and tedious tasks like entering data across systems and waiting for approvals. Now, this hassle has been totally overhauled.
Per China’s General Administration of Customs (GAC) Announcement on Integrating Enterprise Customs Declaration and Inspection Qualifications (2018 No. 28):
From April 20, 2018 onward, businesses registering or filing with China Customs automatically get both declaration and inspection qualifications. This merge cuts out separate applications, reviews, and certifications—slashing red tape for companies entering import/export trade.