China reduced the customs clearance time in the last two years according to a WTO report.

According to authorities, the customs clearance time for imports was thus:

• 36.64 hours in 2021.
• 40.18 hours in 2022. 
• 33.05 hours in the first quarter of 2023.

And the timeframe for exports had the following timeframes:

• 1.74 hours in 2021.
• 1.26 hours in 2022.
• 1.05 hours in the first quarter of 2023.

Customs clearance

On January 1, 2021, prior inspection was eliminated for imported waste used as raw materials. In addition, the import of solid waste was prohibited.

Since 2021, there have been no major changes to customs rules and procedures in the country. 

China has ratified the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) and has reported on its commitments in categories A and B. 

According to the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement Database, China has fully complied with the Agreement. 

Over the past three years, there has been no change in the rules of origin laws.

The General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC) issued measures in 2020 to support the development of areas under customs control. 

These specified that the registration, enrollment or updating of information of enterprises established in integrated zones under customs control would be carried out online. 

Deregulation

In August 2022, the GACC published an announcement on updating the catalog of goods to be inspected. 

In this announcement, it was decided to eliminate mandatory inspection for some imports that are low risk in safety and quality.

Among these goods, there are seven products that are urgently needed for the electronics industry.

In addition, all customs authorities now use a paperless clearance process. 

Finally, the GACC helpdesk and official website are available to answer questions about this.