Customs authorities in Zhangjiagang, Suzhou, Jiangsu province have implemented new measures to facilitate the swift clearance of imported edible vegetable oil, significantly reducing costs and boosting import business in the city.
Vegetable oil import has been an important business section of Zhangjiagang, as reflected by its first-place annual import volume in the country. From January to November, the city imported 1.89 million metric tons of vegetable oil, up 30 percent year-on-year.
For oil importers, efficiency in the unloading process at the port is of greatest concern. In fact according to Ji Yuanyuan, logistics director of Louis Dreyfus (Zhangjiagang) Feed Protein Co Ltd, the demurrage per day is more than 100,000 yuan ($14,097). Beyond increased costs at these rates, slow clearance can also lead to production delays.
To address such difficulties faced by vegetable oil companies, Zhangjiagang Customs has offered 24/7 clearance services to keep track of real-time docking information. This feature guarantees a swift inspection as soon as oil carriers arrive at the port, said Tian Zhigao, deputy head of an inspection department at Zhangjiagang Customs.
With this "zero-delay" approach, Zhangjiagang Customs has reduced the overall clearance time for edible vegetable oil to less than one hour.
Customs officials carry out on-site inspection. [Photo/WeChat account: zhangjiagangfabu365]
An oil carrier docks at a port in Zhangjiagang. [Photo/WeChat account: zhangjiagangfabu365]