The Cross-Border Single Lock reform, a collaborative initiative between the customs authorities of mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao, has demonstrated remarkable results as it marks its tenth official year of operation this March. This innovative logistics measure centers on the use of "secure smart locks" combined with satellite positioning. It deeply integrates mainland China's "Cross-Border Highway Express Clearance" model with Hong Kong's "Integrated Multi-modal Transit and Facilitation Scheme (ITFS)", establishing a new cross-border customs clearance model characterized by "one-time sealing, full-journey monitoring, segmented supervision, and automatic verification and release." This effectively addresses bottlenecks such as repeated inspections and multiple cargo handlings, significantly reducing clearance times and lowering overall logistics costs for businesses.
The reform originated from ports in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao and has progressively expanded across mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao. It now connects these regions with 24 cities across Guangdong, Hunan, Fujian, and Guangxi, covering 83 clearance points in mainland China, 13 in Hong Kong, and 4 in Macao. This has created a convenient clearance framework characterized by regional linkage and tripartite coordination, successfully establishing a fast-track cross-border logistics channel where "one lock secures the entire journey." This enables goods to pass through ports without the need for vehicle changes, lock replacements, and facilitates rapid inspection and release, allowing for direct import and export transit under a single lock.
Over the past two years, the volume of Cross-Border Single Lock business has surged by 366.8% and 114.6% year-on-year respectively, making it the preferred choice for an increasing number of companies engaged in cross-border trade.
Furthermore, customs authorities have actively sought support from local governments, integrating the Cross-Border Single Lock initiative as a key agenda item in joint customs-local government meetings. This has helped solidify a collaborative advancement framework led by customs, supported locally, with business participation, and coordinated with Hong Kong and Macao, ensuring the reform's effective implementation at a high level. By collaborating with local port and commerce departments, as well as customs authorities in Hong Kong and Macao, over 30 offline policy briefing sessions have been held in locations such as Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Xiamen, and Nanning. Regular business visits and surveys are conducted to promptly address corporate concerns, having attracted participation from over 8,000 companies to date.
A mechanism for cross-customs zone information sharing and coordination has been established and improved, facilitating the timely exchange of key details such as participating companies, types of goods, and transport routes. This helps resolve cross-border issues like smart lock compatibility and upgrades to gate facility infrastructure, promoting a higher level of integration in regional clearance and logistics.
The three customs administrations have comprehensively promoted the replacement of traditional mechanical locks with secure smart locks. By integrating advanced technologies such as satellite positioning, route monitoring, and networked gate systems, they have built an intelligent, end-to-end supervision system based on "one lock throughout, segmented supervision," achieving a seamless, 24-hour clearance process for cross-border trucking. The application of in-transit monitoring platforms has been deepened, incorporating features for intelligent route analysis and automatic comparison and alerting to promptly handle situations like overtime transit, route deviations, and abnormal stops. Leveraging the Belt and Road customs information sharing platform, customs authorities exchange smart lock and supervision information with their Hong Kong and Macao counterparts, exploring the potential for "one-time sealing and unsealing" and continuously deepening mutual recognition of cross-border supervision, information sharing, and law enforcement assistance to enhance the intelligence level of joint oversight.
"The Cross-Border Single Lock reform actively embodies the cooperation philosophy of 'Smart Customs, Smart Borders, and Smart Connectivity.' It has been selected as a national best practice for optimizing the business environment and as a typical case in the third batch of Guangdong Province's initiatives for coordinating rules and mechanisms in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. It has become a landmark reform measure promoting the efficient and convenient flow of factors within the Greater Bay Area," stated Liu Sui, Deputy Director of the Comprehensive Operations Division of the Guangdong Sub-Administration of the General Administration of Customs. Looking ahead to the requirements for higher-level opening up during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the Guangdong Sub-Administration will collaborate with relevant customs authorities, guided by the development of a Smart Customs system and the "Smart Customs Strengthens the Nation" initiative. Efforts will continue to deepen practical cooperation with Hong Kong and Macao customs, steadily expand the application scenarios and coverage of the Cross-Border Single Lock reform, empower the development of new foreign trade formats and models, extend the reform's benefits of "one lock connecting the Bay Area" to more enterprises, and support the construction of the Greater Bay Area as a pivotal hub through integrated customs clearance.