Beijing Customs has introduced a streamlined system for bonded imports across nine provinces and major cities.

The system aims to boost international trade by simplifying "bonded exhibition and transaction," a specialized customs procedure for imports.

Under this streamlined system, companies operating within Beijing's bonded zones will benefit from a simplified application process. Instead of navigating separate procedures for each region, businesses can now file just one application through Beijing Customs to conduct bonded sales across Beijing and other key areas, including Hebei, Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangdong, and Zhejiang. This one-stop approach is expected to reduce tax burdens and encourage more participation in this favorable trade model.

In 2024, Beijing handled 6.46 billion yuan ($892 million) worth of bonded exhibition and transaction goods.

The "bonded exhibition and transaction" model allows companies in designated customs zones to temporarily move imported goods for display and retail, provided they guarantee payment to customs.

Beijing Customs has progressively refined this system, piloting a joint mechanism with Tianjin and Shijiazhuang customs in 2023. The Wangfujing Global Shopping store in Tianjin New Yansha Outlets was the first successful example of this cross-regional bonded trade supervision in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Since then, the Wangfujing Global Shopping concept has expanded to cities such as Xi'an, Shenyang, Jiaxing and Nanjing. These outlets source imported merchandise from Beijing's Tianzhu Comprehensive Bonded Zone using the bonded exhibition and transaction framework. This setup lets consumers browse imported goods in physical stores before buying online.

Zhang Yu of Wangfujing Duty-Free Digital Retail explained that the new system eliminates previous constraints, allowing businesses to reach consumers beyond their immediate bonded zones.

Liu Hongkui, deputy director of Shijiazhuang Customs' Audit Department, said the system will enhance efficiency, reduce costs for businesses in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, and alleviate tax burdens.