In May 2022,Chengdu Customs became one of the newly added pilot customs zones for the "departure confirmation" mode of water-to-water transshipment,aiming to optimize customs supervision and enhance operational efficiency in the Yangtze River Delta’s waterway logistics.This mode was implemented at two waterway ports in Sichuan: Luzhou Port and Yibin Port.The advantage of this new approach lies in shifting the procedures for customs transit and port operations from a "series" to a "parallel" process,allowing enterprises to declare customs transit even before completing cargo tallying or finalizing domestic transport vehicles.

1.Applicable Scope of the "Departure Confirmation" Mode

The "Departure Confirmation" mode is applicable in the following scenarios:

1.The customs transit method is "intermodal transit."

2.The domestic mode of transport is "waterway transport".

Import customs transfer declaration form.

2.Comparison between the "Departure Confirmation" Mode and the Original Mode

The original process was: Containers arrive at the port,cargo manifest tallying status normal → Enterprises declare customs transfer (must fully complete information such as domestic transport company and vehicle name as per customs transfer regulations) → Customs reviews and approves the customs transfer form → Customs transfer goods depart the port.

The "Departure Confirmation" mode operates as follows: 1.The means of transport arrives at the port and submits an arrival report.2.The enterprise declares the transit declaration (without needing to provide domestic transport vehicle information).3.Customs reviews and releases the transit declaration.4.After the transit declaration is released,a "Departure Confirmation" step is added.5.The enterprise supplements the relevant domestic transport vehicle information and verifies that the cargo manifest tally mark is normal.6.Upon receiving the "Clear to Depart" acknowledgment,the transit goods can depart the port.

III.Advantages of the "Departure Confirmation" Mode

The advantage of the new model lies in changing the customs transit procedures and terminal operations from a "series" to a "parallel" process.Enterprises can declare transit without completing cargo tallying or determining domestic transport vehicles,avoiding the need to modify declaration information due to changes in the schedules of feeder vessels.This not only optimizes the transit process for imported goods but also enhances the efficiency of the Yangtze River Golden Waterway.Since July 2022,Chengdu Customs,in collaboration with port customs,has guided enterprises in piloting the first batch of goods under the Port Departure Confirmation mode.As of June 2023,the customs zone has supervised 268 shipments under this mode.Moving forward,Chengdu Customs will strengthen coordination with port customs,continue promotional and training efforts,and expand the application of the Port Departure Confirmation mode based on enterprise demand,further improving international logistics efficiency on the Yangtze Golden Waterway.

IV.Implementation of the "Departure Confirmation" Mode and Future Plans

Since July 2022,Chengdu Customs,in collaboration with port customs,has guided enterprises in piloting the first batch of goods under the "departure confirmation" mode within the customs district.As of June 2023,a total of 268 consignments of goods under the "departure confirmation" mode have been supervised by the customs district.In the next step,Chengdu Customs will strengthen coordination with port customs,continue to enhance external publicity and training,and further expand the application of the "departure confirmation" mode based on the needs and preferences of enterprises,thereby continuously improving the efficiency of international logistics transportation along the Yangtze River Golden Waterway.

The introduction of the "departure confirmation" mode by Chengdu Customs will undoubtedly further optimize the customs supervision of waterway logistics in the Yangtze River Delta region and enhance the efficiency of international logistics transportation along the Golden Waterway of the Yangtze River.