A container liner prepares to depart from Ningbo Zhoushan Port, Zhejiang province. [Photo by Yao Feng/For China Daily]

Zhejiang province has achieved a significant milestone, with four of its comprehensive bonded zones ranked in the A category in the 2023 national performance evaluation released by the General Administration of Customs in November.

This is the province's best performance ever, with two more zones achieving A status than last year.

The Ningbo Free Trade Zone led the way, ranking eighth nationwide, followed by the Hangzhou Comprehensive Bonded Zone at 11th and the Ningbo Beilun Port Comprehensive Bonded Zone at 17th.

This year's evaluation placed greater emphasis on quality rather than size. Indicators reflecting efficiency and performance, such as "bonded trade value per unit area" and "tax revenue per unit area", were given more weight. Innovation was also prioritized, with higher scores for advances in management systems.

The provincial government of Zhejiang has been instrumental in supporting the growth of the bonded zones. Policies introduced in 2023 aim to optimize customs processes and integrate free trade zone mechanisms, enabling faster trade flows and improved operational efficiency.