The Hunan Pilot Free Trade Zone Changsha Area's practice of creating the rapid customs clearance mode of the Hunan-Guangdong-Hong Kong Single E-lock Scheme (SELS) was promoted nationwide as an innovative case, according to the area on December 4. The practice was published in the 14th issue of the bulletin of State Council's Inter-ministerial Joint Meeting for the Work of Pilot Free Trade Zones of 2023. This is a reform and innovation achievement of the area.

The SELS is a new customs clearance mode featuring "fast direct transport, no transfer to another vehicle, and no inspections during transit". Goods that have already undergone inspections at local supervision centers in Hunan no longer need to be declared and inspected at the Guangdong port. Such processes as queuing up at the port for customs transfer, vehicle change, lifting, inspections, and lock change are no longer required, greatly shortening the customs clearance time.

The Hunan-Guangdong-Hong Kong SELS was officially launched at the International Mail Supervision Center of the Hunan Pilot Free Trade Zone Changsha Area Airport Block on June 13, 2023. In September, the first pilot shipment of international express items under the SELS was completed, transporting from the Changsha Huanghua International Airport to the Macao Port via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. It marked the official opening of the SELS channel between Hunan and Macao, further extending the scheme's pilot area.

The SELS has enabled seamless clearance service between Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Changsha, reducing enterprises' cost and risk of pile-up of goods caused by waiting in line at the port, and improving logistics timeliness of mail, express, cross-border e-commerce, and other goods.

Source: en.changsha.gov.cn