Digitalization streamlines Chinese mainland's exports to Macao

GUANGZHOU -- The first batch of plant products exported from the Chinese mainland to Macao was declared with digital customs clearance on Monday by the Gongbei Customs in Zhuhai, a city in South China's Guangdong province, which borders Macao Special Administrative Region.

From Monday, all exports of plant products via Gongbei Customs started to undergo paperless customs clearance of inspection and quarantine certificates after the customs inked a cooperation agreement with the Macao SAR government on animal and plant quarantine and food safety.

"In the past, we had to spend hours in the customs office for the declaration of the paper certificates of the goods. With digital management, the time was greatly shortened," said Lin Genrui, the exporter of the plant products.

He said his company is a long-term supplier of flower and seedling products to Macao.

In the first eight months of this year, customs handled 952 batches of flower and seedling exports to Macao worth 14.88 million yuan (about $2.1 million).

Chen Weiqi, an official of the Gongbei Customs, said that customs had strengthened communication and cooperation with the Macao SAR government for mutual authentication of customs declaration certificates to jointly ensure safety, promote cross-border trade facilitation, and enhance the market integration in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

All plant products declared for export through customs are recognized through information sharing between the Chinese mainland and Macao, said Chen, adding that customs would continue to expand the types of export goods to be covered by the paperless customs clearance.