On June 13, a truck loaded with postal items departed from Hunan for Hong Kong after the supervision and release of the Changsha Customs, marking the official launch of the Hunan-Guangdong-Hong Kong Single E-lock Scheme (SELS). After a quick inspection by the customs at the Shenzhen Bay Port, this batch of postal items will be transported directly to the Hong Kong International Airport and sent to other parts of the world. Li Dianxun, Standing Committee member of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee and executive vice governor of Hunan Province; Louise Ho Pui-shan, commissioner of the Customs and Excise Department, Hong Kong; Zhu Guangyao, commissioner of the Changsha Customs; and, Kang Zhenlin, vice mayor of Changsha City and chairman of the Changsha Municipal Federation of Industry and Commerce, attended the launch ceremony.
SELS is a fast customs clearance reform to align with the Speedy Customs Clearance System of the Chinese mainland and the Intermodal Transhipment Facilitation Scheme of Hong Kong. Under the SELS, the customs authorities of Changsha, Shenzhen and Hong Kong cooperate closely to facilitate automatic and rapid inspection and release of goods at ports through mutual assistance in law enforcement, mutual sharing of information and the use of technologies such as satellite positioning internet and direct connect gateways. This can effectively reduce the logistics cost of customs clearance for enterprises and promote the facilitation of cross-border trade.
Changsha Customs Commissioner Zhu Guangyao said that the Hunan-Guangdong-Hong Kong SELS provides a new channel for Hunan products to go global. Hunan's characteristic products can be transported directly to Hong Kong by land and then go to the world. Currently the scheme is applicable to places throughout Hunan, which is conducive to the province's deep integration into the Belt and Road and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area construction.
Hong Kong's Commissioner of Customs and Excise Louise Ho Pui-shan noted that the establishment of Hunan as a SELS clearance point is a new breakthrough between Hong Kong and Hunan customs authorities in customs clearance facilitation cooperation. After this, the trade and logistics between the two places will become more frequent. The launch of the SELS creates a new green channel for Hunan products to go global, brings new development opportunities to Hong Kong's logistics industry, and helps boost Hong Kong's economy.
The Hunan-Guangdong-Hong Kong SELS represents a major improvement over traditional highway customs transit modes, offering a range of advantages. The Hong Kong and Changsha customs authorities supervise imported and exported goods, while the Shenzhen Customs releases the goods during transit, allowing transport vehicles to directly enter and leave the Chinese mainland without undergoing inspections or unpacking examinations. This "through train" approach enables round-trip transportation within 24 hours. Procedures for vehicle customs clearance and goods transit declaration at ports are reduced, and related costs saved. Seamless customs clearance between Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Changsha is achieved. The coverage of the functions of the Hong Kong International Airport and international warehouses is extended to customs supervision and operation sites in Hunan.
Source: en.changsha.gov.cn
