An employee of Yiwu Kaihe Import & Export Co shows the automatically issued inspection and quarantine certificate for its imported goods. [Photo/Tide News]
Yiwu Kaihe Import & Export Co, based in Yiwu county-level city in Jinhua, Zhejiang province, received an automatically issued inspection and quarantine certificate for its French fries imported from Indonesia on July 2 via the "smart certification" reform initiative.
The certificate is the first in Zhejiang that was automatically issued by the customs system, marking the successful pilot launch of the "smart certification" model in the region.
The Inspection and Quarantine Certificate for Imported Goods, mandatory under Chinese law as proof that goods meet safety standards before domestic distribution or sale, has seen surging issuance volume amid growing imports of food, cosmetics, and perishables like frozen meat and pre-packaged items where rapid processing is critical.
To address efficiency challenges, the General Administration of Customs rolled out the "smart certification" program in several pilot regions including Hangzhou Customs on June 30.
By automating document drafting, review, and issuance processes previously handled manually, this digital upgrade slashes approval times and enhances the clearance efficiency for enterprises.
"This certificate allows our products to hit shelves immediately," said Yang Ronglan from Yiwu Kaihe, noting that previously the process needed two to three working days.
Companies can now receive certificates in seconds and download the electronic documents with a QR code on the Single Window platform. "We can directly send the certificate with complete information to the customer, which saves time and effort," Yang added.
Huang Xiaohui, an official at Hangzhou Customs, said that the new model also allows regulators and businesses to verify the authenticity of certificates via the mobile app for customs.
