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BEIJING: China’s General Administration of Customs has issued a notice ordering cross-border e-commerce 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year beginning on May 15, the FTZ Post reported Wednesday on the mobile social networking app WeChat.
Customs services will not stop for holidays and all procedures must be completed within 24 hours of goods arriving at customs.
A screenshot of the notice was circulated online. “(The document) is real, and I saw it at customs,” an official in East China’s Zhejiang province confirmed to the FTZ post.
According to the official, days of operation for customs in bonded area are usually Monday through Friday, but e-commerce companies can make appointments for after-hours service. Therefore, the new plan will not be difficult to implement, the official said.
Liu Nan, the CEO of Miyabaobei.com, a site specializing in maternity and infant products, told the FTZ Post that the company undertakes import business at several bonded areas. “(I’ve) never met customs staff that do not have to work after office hours,” he said.
At an economic seminar held in April, Ding Lei, the founder and CEO of NetEase, said customs services are usually not available on Sundays, yet the Internet operates around the clock. Officials present at the meeting were immediately asked questions by Premier Li Keqiang. They said that customs were aware of the situation and improvements were being made. Li then urged the General Office of the State Council to press ahead with the matter.
