Officers of Shanghai Customs District said they were ready for the heavy inflow of passenger traffic for the Expo. Dedicated channels and counters were opened at the airports, cruise terminals and train stations. Inspection apparatus and personnel were added to the fields. Bilingual volunteers were trained to provide language services for the passengers.

It is estimated that Shanghai will receive 3.5 million more foreign tourists during the 184-day Expo. The two airports of Pudong and Hongqiao will handle a lot more passengers (20,000 more per day on average), charter flights and commercial jets. For the security sake, Shanghai Customs District has enhanced the scrutiny over inward passengers’ luggage. But to reduce the wait time, the Customs administration has opened more counters. Adequate baggage scanning machines are in place and dedicated Customs officers are there to channel the crowds. A special channel and a declaration counter have been used to speed up the clearance process for the Expo exhibitors and their materials.

Heads of state and government, distinguished guests and foreign journalists can enjoy V.I.P. services and clearance convenience. Contingency plan was devised in case things could go wrong. 70 more Customs officers who can provide high-quality control services were dispatched to the fields. 2 sniffer dogs are ready to help Customs officers secure a safe environment at the airport. Expo publicity materials, the image of the mascot “Haibao” and touch-screen computers used as clearance information providers can easily be found at various ports of entry. Well-trained bilingual volunteers will provide efficient language services (including sign language) to make passengers’ entry as easy as possible.