Shanghai customs has opened 38 special channels at several ports for customs clearance for foreign companies that are attending the upcoming China International Import Expo, officials said on Thursday.
Foreign companies' participation in the import expo is not being affected by the escalating trade tension between China and the US, officials noted.
Shanghai is gearing up for the import expo, which officials say is the first of its kind in the world. The event is aimed at expanding China's imports and further opening up the Chinese market.
Huang Yuming, an official with the Shanghai Customs District, told a press conference that Shanghai customs has taken 13 measures to ensure smooth customs clearing for participating companies, including setting up the 38 special channels. Shanghai customs will also have 92 information desks at the expo to help companies and significantly cut down the time for the process, Huang said, adding that it would only take five to six hours to clear customs and arrive at the expo.
Huang also said that as many people and products are starting to arrive in Shanghai, safety is of great importance and the city has taken measures to prevent epidemics, terrorism and other situations.
A total of 80 countries and regions, as well as 2,800 companies. have been invited to the expo, which is scheduled to kick off next month, according to Liu Fuxue, an official with the China International Import Expo.
Many companies, including those on the Fortune 500 list, are attending, and ongoing trade tensions between China and the US are not affecting participation, Gao Zhiqiang, another official at the expo, told the Global Times on Thursday.
"There is almost no impact at all," Gao said, when asked about how the trade war has affected the expo. "Countries that have huge amounts of trade with China are sending more attendees."
Gao added that more small and medium-sized companies are very active, even though they never planned to enter the Chinese market before.
"The import expo is very attractive to foreign companies," he said.
