Watching the sea-going ship loaded with solar panels sailing out of the port, the head of foreign trade business of Shenzhen Touri New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. was happy and proud that the company "flew another batch of products across the sea to bask in the African sun." In recent years, various products such as solar cell chips and solar cell windows independently developed and produced by this Shenzhen high-tech enterprise have been sold in Uganda, South Africa, Kenya and other African countries, opening the door to new markets and contributing to local environmental protection and energy conservation. The cause has made a contribution.

A few days ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 8th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation drew a “road map” for China-Africa cooperation in the next three years and for some time to come, opening the way for China-Africa destiny in a new era. The new journey of the community has also strengthened the confidence of more companies to open up the African market.

Mechanical and electrical products are very popular

According to customs statistics, the total value of trade between China and Africa from January to October 2021 increased by 27.4% to RMB 1.34 trillion, and exports to Africa increased by 24.5%. The export products were mainly mechanical and electrical products and labor-intensive products, of which mechanical and electrical products were exported. An increase of 21.4% to 355.19 billion yuan, accounting for 45.4% of China’s total exports to Africa during the same period.

In fact, Chinese mechanical and electrical products are indeed welcomed in the African market. Take Shenzhen as an example. In the first 10 months of 2021, Shenzhen's import and export of mechanical and electrical products to Africa was 27.64 billion yuan, an increase of 9.3%, accounting for 52.5%. Among them, the import and export of electrical equipment, liquid crystal display panels, medical instruments and equipment, and integrated circuits increased significantly.

Shenzhen China Power Investment Co., Ltd., one of China's top ten electronic information product export companies, mainly exports consumer electronics such as audio, tablet computers, and smart bracelets, and has close business relationships with Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and other African countries. It is reported that from January to October 2021, the import and export trade volume of Shenzhen China Power Company exceeded RMB 18 billion, a year-on-year increase of more than 40%. Among them, the export value of consumer electronics products such as multimedia speakers exceeded 380 million yuan.

In order to help enterprises to further develop the African market, Shenzhen Futian Customs actively taps upstream and downstream quality subsidiaries to provide chain credit cultivation, and guides enterprises to improve their own business models and rules and regulations in accordance with the standards of advanced certification enterprises, so as to successfully obtain the customs AEO advanced certification qualification. In addition, based on the actual business situation of the company, the customs actively conveyed 28 facilitation measures for Shenzhen Customs to “stabilize foreign trade and foreign investment” through policy briefings and door-to-door visits, and proactively provided the services of corporate coordinators to clear customs that companies encountered. Quickly respond to problems and demands, follow up one by one, and write off accounts, helping enterprises to continuously improve their core competitiveness.

While the volume of trade is growing, the way of trade also reflects the transformation and upgrading of foreign trade enterprises. In the first 10 months, Shenzhen's imports and exports to Africa by general trade were 42.93 billion yuan, an increase of 24.4%, accounting for over 80% of the total value of Shenzhen's imports and exports to Africa in the same period.

New logistics channel

Guangdong has close economic and trade exchanges with Africa. The Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport port within the jurisdiction of Guangzhou Customs is one of the air ports with the most routes and the most frequent trade exchanges between China and Africa. In 2020, the value of import and export trade with Africa will still increase by about 10% under the influence of the epidemic. %, reaching about 20 billion yuan. Guangzhou Nansha Port has 22 non-container routes, ranking first in the country in terms of number.

In order to ensure the smooth supply chain of the industrial chain, Guangzhou Customs has further promoted cross-border customs cooperation, first tried China-Africa-related cooperation projects, focused on trade safety and convenience, strengthened the international mutual recognition of "certified business operators" (AEO), and vigorously promoted The high-quality development of enterprises will help more enterprises enjoy the convenience of customs clearance in countries with the AEO mutual recognition of the Belt and Road Initiative. In addition, we will innovate the supervising model of land and water combined transportation, create a cross-border multimodal transportation center, support the "Hunan, Guangdong, and Africa" rail-sea combined transportation of goods to go to sea smoothly, and serve to create a new international logistics channel for inland areas to go to Africa conveniently and efficiently.

Xinyi Automotive Glass (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., one of China's largest glass manufacturers, exported more than 140 million yuan of goods to African countries in the first 10 months of 2021, a year-on-year increase of 10.6%. The company’s customs manager Liu Yuanfen told reporters that the company has recently been working overtime to work on a batch of auto glass exported to Morocco. "Thanks to the close economic and trade relations with African countries, Xinyi's market in Africa is also growing." Liu Yuanfen said.

In order to help the company's products sell well in Africa, Shenzhen Buji Customs provides "butler-style" services, arranges special personnel to follow up the import and export customs clearance of raw materials, and provides personalized services for technical trade measures. Previously, in response to the issue of blocked customs clearance in Morocco, diplomatic consultations were carried out in the form of "forward negotiation + rear support", which helped enterprises reduce the time for customs clearance to Hong Kong by more than 60% and ensured the stability of the industrial supply chain.

"Green Channel" helps import agricultural products

Recently, Changsha Customs has smoothly handled customs clearance procedures for 22 tons of dried chili peppers produced in Rwanda, Africa. This is China's first large-volume import of African dried chilies. Next, Changsha Customs will also establish a "green channel" for the export of African agricultural products to China, follow up and study the policies of African countries' food and agricultural products, and support the import of more high-quality non-resource-based products from Africa.

The Shanghai port, which accounts for nearly one-fifth of the country’s imports and exports to Africa, is an important window for China-Africa economic and trade cooperation. The reporter was informed that in order to build a "green channel" for the import of African agricultural products, Shanghai Customs dispatched personnel to participate in non-agricultural product quarantine access negotiations, implement access management for wild aquatic products in some African countries in accordance with major categories, and actively guide companies to make appointments and declarations in advance. The customs line completes the examination and approval in real time, opens up a fully enclosed constant low temperature "green laboratory channel", focuses on quarantine pests, realizes on-site "on-the-fly inspection" and laboratory "on-the-fly inspection", greatly shortening the sampling and testing time. Helping African fresh agricultural products enter the domestic market safely and efficiently. Keywords: One Belt One Road, One Belt One Road News, One Belt One Road Project, Overseas Projects

At the same time, relying on the Shanghai Customs cross-border trade management big data platform, it accurately assists companies in mastering policies and regulations, promotes the online visa function of the "Preferential Visa System" for importing companies from least developed countries such as Africa, and guides companies to use special preferential tariff treatment in compliance. Policies, increase the utilization rate of preferential tax policies, continue to expand the scale of import trade, and ensure that preferential tax measures are implemented and effective.Editor/XuNing