Mainland and HK officials agree on a single customs examination
The mainland and Hong Kong have agreed on a single customs examination at the border - a move that will slash paperwork in half and reduce the time it takes for trucks to deliver goods.
Hong Kong will step up checks on local manufacturers and their goods to prevent abuse of the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (Cepa), which comes into effect on Thursday. Random checks on outgoing trucks will also be intensified.
Under the free-trade pact, 273 Hong Kong products entering the mainland will be exempted from tariffs.
From Thursday, Hong Kong customs will certify exports delivered to the mainland as legal, stamp them with a green seal of approval, and forward their Certificates of Origin to mainland authorities via the internet.
Mainland officials will check the documents against a database to ensure they meet import rules.
The amount of paperwork will be further reduced after it was also agreed that truck drivers will only have to fill in one cargo manifest instead of the current two for both Hong Kong and the mainland.
