Nansha port remarkably reduces customs clearance time by using intelligent robots

The customs inspection of Nansha port has been carried out by intelligent robots to speed up customs clearance, according to the Nansha Customs. 

Ever since intelligent robots were put into operation, customs clearance time for importing and exporting cargoes in Nansha port has been decreased by 31 percent in September.

It is a new attempt for Nansha Customs in the reform of customs facilitation.

In recent years, Nansha Customs has taken the lead in the reform of "Internet plus customs clearance", pushing forward the simplification of clearance procedures, while achieving remarkable progresses in reducing the cost of customs clearance for enterprises' imported and exported cargoes and improving the efficiency of customs clearance.

The accuracy of robot's inspection instruction is up to 98 percent 

In Nansha port, a batch of timbers shipped by Guangzhou Haicheng International Forwarding Co Ltd just arrived. As usual, they would be transferred to the container terminal yard and the Customs would pick some containers out and send them to the inspection yard for machine inspection, checking whether cargoes' weight and other relevant information are in accordance with the declared information. 

"But now, the procedure is simpler. We will know which container needs to be inspected before the ship arrives at the port," Huang Jianlong, customs declaration manager of the company said, "as soon as the declaration is completed by the robot, the customs inspection order can be immediately received, without having to wait for manual operation. The containers picked out by the customs will be directly transferred for machine inspection after they arrive at the port, the left will be transferred to the container yard." 

This not only increases customs clearance efficiency but also saves costs. 

Based on the informational operation system for customs inspection, the intelligent robot can simulate the traditional manual operation mode of customs, automatically handling enterprises' declarations around the clock. It can also be connected to the port's intelligent management system, automatically differentiating the containers required to be inspected when they arrive at the port and transfer them to take machine inspection.

"The intelligent robot can accurately inspect cargoes' origin and weight with the accuracy up to 98 percent. It significantly decreases enterprises' waiting time and inspection costs," said Deng Yan, deputy chief of examination and documentation branch of Nansha Customs Bonded Port. 

Online Customs saves clearance time for enterprises 

In recent years, Nansha Customs made many efforts to build online customs in order to make customs clearance procedures more convenient for importing and exporting cargoes.

In 2015, Nansha Pilot Free Trade Zone took the lead in launching "Internet plus customs clearance" by constructing "online customs" for enterprises. By July 2018, the trade zone's "Internet plus self-service customs declaration" system has conducted 1.59 million customs declarations. Estimated by enterprises, the online declaration will save 0.8 to 5.4 hours for each case of cargo clearance.

The "Single window" of Guangzhou international trade was also carried out firstly and constantly improved in Nansha Pilot Free Trade Zone.

At present, the "Single window" has been 100 percent used for cargoes, international vessels and manifest declarations, increasing enterprises' declaration efficiency by more than 30 percent.

Nansha port expanded the scope of cargoes for machine inspection and release. The machine inspection time was cut by 1.8 hours.

The port also supports regional supply chain enterprises to develop international delayed transit service. 

Currently, Nansha Pilot Free Trade Zone has become China's largest international trade transfer, distribution and trading base of engineering plastics particle. By September, Nansha port has declared a total of 12,067 imported vehicles for general trade, a year-on-year growth of 126 percent, exceeding the total business volume of last year; cargo value $680 million, a year-on-year increase of 156 percent.