Chinese customs official calls for more APEC efforts to remove trade barriers

APEC economies should step up efforts to eliminate trade barriers and take more concrete measures to address cross-border trade bottlenecks so as to make supply chains in the Asia-Pacific region safer, more stable and more efficient, a Chinese customs official said on Saturday.

"Security and facilitation are eternal themes of customs governance," Zhang Baofeng, deputy chief of the General Administration of Customs, said at the ongoing second plenary meeting of the 2026 APEC Sub-Committee on Customs Procedures (SCCP) in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province.

Amid growing fragmentation of global supply chains, adjusting rules and standards and strengthening supply chain resilience have never been more urgent, Zhang noted.

He expressed hope that all parties will take the meeting as an opportunity to deepen alignment of rules and standards, strengthen coordination on risk management and supervision, reduce transaction costs, improve customs clearance efficiency and provide businesses with a safer, more transparent and more predictable business environment.

The Asia-Pacific region, home to one-third of the world's population, accounts for over 60% of the global economy and nearly half of global trade, serving as a key engine of global economic growth.

China's trade with other APEC economies totaled 18 trillion yuan (about $2.65 trillion) in the first seven months of this year, up 21% year on year, outpacing overall growth in China's foreign trade in goods and demonstrating strong potential for regional cooperation.

During the meeting, participants observed smart devices, exchanged experience and ideas and built consensus. China's customs shared the latest progress of the smart customs partnership program and held an exhibition showcasing achievements in smart customs development.

Zhang also put forward a three-point proposal to further deepen APEC customs cooperation – upholding true multilateralism and jointly building a new pattern of open and inclusive Asia-Pacific cooperation; riding the wave of the digital era and reshaping new paradigms of customs governance with technological innovation; balancing security and facilitation; and underpinning lasting prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region with a resilient and stable supply chain system.

The meeting also approved an APEC customs cooperation document on promoting technology and innovation for trade security and facilitation.

The APEC SCCP was established in 1994. China's customs holds the SCCP chairmanship for 2026. This meeting, following the first plenary in Guangzhou in February this year, featured in-depth discussions on cutting-edge topics such as artificial intelligence, smart customs and cross-border e-commerce.

Over 100 delegates, including customs representatives from all 21 APEC economies and officials from relevant government departments, international organizations and business communities, attended the meeting.