The Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Ms Louise Ho, yesterday (July 17) led a Hong Kong Customs delegation to Xiamen, Fujian Province, for a two-day visit.
Yesterday afternoon, Ms Ho attended the launching ceremony of the Fujian-Guangdong-Hong Kong Single E-lock Scheme. In her speech, Ms Ho said that the official launch of the three Customs clearance points of the Single E-lock Scheme in Fujian will help further promote interconnection and facilitate the flow of goods between Fujian, Guangdong and Hong Kong, and mark a new breakthrough in clearance facilitation and co-operation between Mainland and Hong Kong Customs.
Ms Ho said she hopes the extension of the Scheme to Xiamen Customs District would enhance the efficiency of cross-boundary logistics and further promote Xiamen's various products to overseas markets, consolidate Hong Kong's position as an international logistics centre, and create a win-win situation for trade between the two places.
Three transportation trucks carrying transshipment goods departed from the three clearance points in Fujian respectively through the Scheme yesterday and successfully arrived at Hong Kong International Airport via the Shenzhen Bay Control Point today (July 18), where the goods were ready for transshipment to overseas destinations. Following Guangdong Province and Hunan Province, Fujian Province is the third Mainland province to implement the Scheme. Fujian-Guangdong-Hong Kong Customs could streamline the clearance process and expedite the flow of cargo transshipment by reducing duplicated inspection of the same consignment under the Scheme.
Ms Ho yesterday also separately met with Vice Governor of the Fujian Provincial People's Government Mr Wang Jinfu; Vice Mayor of the Xiamen Municipal People's Government Mr Huang Yantian; the Director General of the Guangdong Sub-Administration of the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China, Mr Li Kuiwen; and the Director General in Xiamen Customs District, Mr Zhu Guangyao. She expressed her gratitude for their dedicated support and co-ordination in extending the Scheme to Xiamen Customs District, and exchanged views on leveraging opportunities of the GBA development and deepening co-operation.
During her visit to Xiamen, Ms Ho will also tour the Monitoring and Command Centre of Xiamen Customs District, the Xiamen Inbound and Outbound Express Supervision Center and the World Customs Organization Asia-Pacific Regional Training Centre and BRICS Customs Training Center, as well as the Customs facilities in Haicang Port Comprehensive Bonded Zone and the Xiamen International Shipping Center, to learn about the latest logistics and training developments.
Ends/Thursday, July 18, 2024
