More than 3,700 foreign trade enterprises in Changsha officially have their own local customs, starting from Nov 18, as the Xingsha Customs is now open to service. Changsha's export-oriented economic development is marching towards a new starting block.

Vice Mayor of Changsha, Zhang Yingchun, attended the unveiling ceremony of the customs position, which is located in Changsha National Economic and Technical Development Zone (CETZ).

CETZ is a major gathering place for industrial enterprises, not only in Changsha, but also in Hunan province, it being home to a large amount of key enterprises such as Sany Heavy Industry, GAC Fiat, and Lens Technology.

From January to October this year, the total value of imports and exports in Changsha reached 59.7 billion yuan ($9,76 billion), a year-on-year growth of 24.2 percent, and accounting for 40 percent of total foreign trade by value in Hunan province.

The founding of Xingsha Customs was approved by the central government in 2010 and construction work started in September, 2012. It is oriented to the customs business of three cities: Changsha, Yiyang and Huaihua.