Waigaoqiao Port in the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone plays an active role in the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative and has ranked at the top as a single port in terms of container throughput for over ten years. 

The Waigaoqiao inspection station in the Shanghai FTZ, responsible for supervising ships and personnel, has improved immigration management to create an efficient customs environment.

Since 2018, the inspection station started to apply a simpler model of clearance customs to check arriving ships. As long as the information about the vessels submitted online was correct, the station would carry out entry procedures for them without the requirement for paper materials.

To date, more than 30 percent of the ships that enter through Waigaoqiao port have been put through the more efficient model, benefiting approximately 10,000 ships and more than 20,000 people and cumulatively saving over 20,000 hours in procedures handling. 

"With the new measure, we don’t need to go to the station to deal with the procedures and this saves us almost three hours," said Gu Yaoming, a salesman from China Ports International Shipping Agency Ltd.

As one of busiest seaports in China, Waigaoqiao port receives one international navigation ship every half hour on average.

In 2019, more than 2,800 such vessels have berthed along the port, accounting for more than 50 percent of the total amount in Shanghai ports. 

The inspection station also strove to provide qualified services for international seamen aiming to create a better business environment.

Statistics show that more than 35,000 international crew went through entry procedures at Waigaoqiao port, accounting for more than 60 percent of the crew transferring at Shanghai ports. 

There were also over 10,000 international sailors that left the country from the Waigaoqiao port after they entered from the Shanghai Hongqiao and Pudong airports. More and more shipping companies made Shanghai their crew transfer hub or set up ship management centers in the city.

To bring more conveniences for service objects, the inspection station also managed to set up the one-stop licensing service platform to accept license applications, carry out examinations and issue licenses. 

Since its initiation, the platform has accepted registrations from 309 units and 6,981 people and issued over 28,000 embarkation licenses online, greatly reducing the time required to handle administrative licenses.

Under the guidance of the National Immigration Administration, which was officially founded on April 2, 2018, the Waigaoqiao inspection station also insisted on providing handy services for the public to optimize the business environment in Shanghai.

The container throughput of Waigaoqiao Port has topped among the container ports in China for more than 10 years. [Photo/xinmin.cn]

Officials in the Waigaoqiao Port handle relevant procedures for foreign vessels. [Photo/xinmin.cn]