The government will carry out “single proceeding window of trade” at the end of year.　Time cost will be reduced to half; Customs clearing charges will be saved.

“The single proceeding window of trade” is going to be implemented at the end of year. The Advanced Services Platform (ASP) of the companies or the public could directly apply for importation like passing customs, inspection and examination at the “single proceeding window of trade” which is set up in the Foreign Trade Bureau. It is estimated that the companies can reduce at least half of the time cost. The customs clearing charges will be reduced accordingly.

Trade facilitation measures have been initiated since 2002. The overall scheme combining the examination and customs passage was accomplished last year. The examination authorities originally totaled more than 100 units in the past. After the coordination and cooperation, the government decided to implement the said trade facilitation measures in those examination authorities that are responsible for 85% of the examination tasks such as Foreign Trade Bureau, Bureau of Standards, Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine and the Customs from this November. According to the number of the cases relating to passing customs in 2001, it is estimated that nearly a million cases relating to passing customs applied by the importers will be benefited every year. The government also plans to accomplish all the combination tasks of examination, customs passage and importation application next year (2005) so as to achieve the goal of trade facilitation. (2004.01)

CYJ/WYL