Hong Kong – Successful trial run of Guangdong-Hong Kong “Single Submission for Dual Declaration” Scheme on cargo

     In proactively implementing the Central Government’s support for the integration of Hong Kong into the overall development of the country and promoting the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC) and Hong Kong Customs are fully boosting the interconnectivity between the two places and extending their areas of co-operation. In November, the two places signed the Co-operative Arrangement on Smart Customs Development between the GACC and Hong Kong Customs, in which the Guangdong-Hong Kong “Single Submission for Dual Declaration” Scheme on cargo was one of the key co-operation projects.
      
     To put in place the Scheme, the two Customs administrations yesterday (December 27) successfully launched a trial run, in which a Guangdong and Hong Kong enterprise successfully submitted road cargo information to the two Customs administrations through the Scheme and seamlessly exported cargo from Guangdong to Hong Kong via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. The Scheme facilitates completing Customs declarations for both the Mainland and Hong Kong sides by making a single submission of cargo information.
      
     The Scheme is a trade facilitation measure built on the China (Guangdong) International Trade Single Window Cargo Declaration System (Guangdong Platform) and the Hong Kong Road Cargo System (Hong Kong Platform). Currently, the Scheme applies to cargo exported from the Mainland to Hong Kong passing through the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Port. Under the Scheme, export cargo information declared by Mainland enterprises through the Guangdong Platform will be encrypted and sent to the Hong Kong Platform, where Hong Kong importers can retrieve the relevant cargo information for submission to the Hong Kong Platform for completion of a local Customs declaration. 
      
     The Scheme allows enterprises to submit cargo information direct in one go through its automatic cargo information sharing function. It not only helps enterprises save time and cost from repeated data inputting, but also offers an electronic means for enterprises of both places to achieve efficient Customs declarations. Moreover, the Scheme enhances the accuracy of declarations on cargo information and speeds up the receipt of data for the Customs administrations of both sides, thereby improving Customs clearance efficiency and maximising the cargo processing capacity of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Port.
      
     Under the precondition of Smart Customs Development, Hong Kong Customs will continue to extend the coverage of the Scheme to other control points, actively push forward interconnectivity and expand the areas of co-operation between Customs administrations of the two places, so as to enhance the international competitiveness of the Greater Bay Area.