Fast customs clearance helps fuel trade

The Zhengzhou Xinzheng Comprehensive Bonded Zone.

Zhengzhou is not only a transportation hub but also a trading hub, with its cross-border e-commerce developing rapidly in recent years.

In 2024, the city's cross-border e-commerce transaction volume reached 145.88 billion yuan ($20.03 billion), ranking first among cities in Central China and with a year-on-year increase of 15.7 percent. These figures demonstrate Zhengzhou's dynamism of opening-up to the world, and the support from the government toward the city's international trade development. Zhengzhou aims to contribute to the development of China with the goal of "buy globally and sell globally".

Serving the capital of Henan province and acting as a gateway to China and the world, the Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone, or ZAEZ, has attracted 882 various cross-border e-commerce enterprises. In 2024, the ZAEZ's total cross-border e-commerce orders reached 166 million, marking a year-on-year increase of 35.01 percent.

The ZAEZ boasts the Zhengzhou Xinzheng Comprehensive Bonded Zone, which is suitable for bonded logistics, cross-border e-commerce, international distribution and other industries. Well-known companies like BYD, Foxconn and Vipshop have established factories and warehouses there.

The bonded zone not only benefits from Zhengzhou's central location but can take advantage of the "Four-Port Linkage". Imported and exported goods can transit seamlessly between the bonded zone and the airport area, enhancing customs clearance efficiency by 60 percent and reducing transport costs by 50 percent.

The bonded zone implemented mechanisms such as "24/7 service" and "one-time declaration, one-time inspection, one-time release", to significantly improve customs clearance efficiency. The overall import clearance time has been reduced to 4.57 hours and the overall export clearance time has been reduced to 36 seconds.

In terms of taxation, goods from abroad and imported raw materials required for processing in the bonded zone do not need to pay import tariffs when entering, and bonded goods can transfer freely among enterprises in the zone. In addition, cross-border e-commerce enterprises enjoy tax exemptions, tax refunds and other tax incentives.

Zhang Xiang, general manager of Hongyunyun Supply Chain Management, said that thanks to the bonded zone, the efficiency of their goods' clearance and transportation has significantly improved. Goods sold through Amazon to the United States can complete customs clearance on the same day and reach the door of customers in around five days. Since relocating to the zone in May 2024, the company's trade volume approached 1 billion yuan by the end of 2024. Communication between the company and government departments is smooth, and many kinds of procedures have been simplified, Zhang said.

Zhengzhou will continue to promote the clustering of the cross-border e-commerce industry; strengthen the cultivation of cross-border e-commerce entities; guide enterprises to explore emerging markets; enhance the construction of overseas warehouses for cross-border e-commerce; and accelerate the improvement of the industrial ecosystem.