"Starting from today, enterprises can apply for electronic versions of ship sanitation and ship health and quarantine certificates issued by the Customs through the China International Trade Single Window," announced a customs officer from Sanya Customs, under Haikou Customs, during a phone notification to enterprises.
On July 15, the inspection and issuance function for smart customs ship sanitation certificates was officially activated within the H2018—Means of Transport Management Water and Air (2021) system. This system enables the online issuance of ship entry and exit health and quarantine certificates and certificates for exemption from health control measures/health control measures. This advancement facilitates more convenient remote certification services for enterprises, significantly reducing the time costs of obtaining certifications and achieving "certificate received with no extra steps required." This innovative initiative represents a significant advancement by the Customs in the realms of digital transformation and intelligent development. Ye Biqing of China Sanya Foreign Shipping Agency Co., Ltd., stated,"To help us quickly become familiar with the application process, the Customs organized an early exchange seminar. Several enterprises present effortlessly acquired the skills needed for the online application process." "This new function is truly convenient and efficient! There is no longer a need to commute back and forth to submit documents, significantly reducing our costs."
The ship sanitation certificate, often referred to as the "health passport" for international maritime travel, is issued by authorized port health authorities acknowledged by the World Health Organization based on applications from shipowners. It is recognized among the contracting parties to the International Health Regulations (2005) and serves as a crucial document for customs inspections during the quarantine and health supervision processes of international ships entering and exiting ports.
Liu Jie, Head of the Cruise Supervision Division at Sanya Customs, stated, "Electronic certificates hold the same legal validity as conventional paper-based ones. Additionally, they can be scanned and verified via mobile applications, effectively mitigating risks of certificate counterfeit and alteration."
The formal implementation of this new function represents a significant advancement by the General Administration of Customs (GACC) in embracing the national digitalization strategy and furthering the "streamline administration, delegate powers and improve regulation and services" reform initiatives. The Customs will consistently advance the development of smart customs systems, enhancing system functionalities and broadening application scenarios. These efforts aim to facilitate an expanding opening-up of Hainan Free Trade Port and to streamline foreign trade and personnel mobility.
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