From March 20, import and export enterprises registered in Foshan City can apply for a number of services online, which include enterprise registration, information modification and cancellation, and issuance of non-registration certificates, without having to visit local administrative service centers or Customs for these formalities. It is estimated that more than 6,000 enterprises will benefit from these online services every year.

“Thanks to the registration through the 'Customs Online', now it takes us only one hour or so to complete the procedure from submitting the application till printing out the electronic certificate, and just seconds to confirm business registration information,” said a manager of Foshan Yiyi Lighting Technology Co., Ltd.

Through Guangzhou Customs “Internet + Customs” service platform, on workdays, import and export enterprises can submit their applications for consignee/consignor registration, information modification and cancellation, inquiring real-time processing status and, two hours later, print the electronic Customs Brokers Registration Certificate Issued by China Customs, with zero cost and direct access, thus saving them the trouble of visiting local customs offices. On legal holidays, the enterprises can also online submit their applications at any time and, on the following workday, print their certificates within two hours.

Since November 2017, Guangzhou Customs has been piloting the “paperless” reform for enterprise registration with the “electronic seal” technology, taking the lead in such paperless process in China. The “Customs Online” is connected to relevant computer systems of the Industrial and Commercial Administration, so as to achieve automatic data matching and verification between enterprise registration information and local business-firm information, thus improving the approval efficiency as well as ensuring the authenticity and validity of application information.

By the end of February this year, totally 3,658 enterprises have undertaken “online” registration, information modification, cancellation, etc. in Guangzhou Customs.