Southern China's First Bonded Warehousing Project for Sea-Caught Crabs Lands in Guangzhou Huangpu Comprehensive Bonded Zone

On April 8, with the dispatch of the first 1,750 kilograms of live snow crabs from the Guangzhou Huangpu Comprehensive Bonded Zone (hereinafter referred to as the "Huangpu CBZ") to overseas markets, Southern China's first "inter-provincial transport + bonded warehousing + transshipment export" operation for imported sea-caught live snow crabs was officially launched.
Currently, the bonded transshipment model for the inter-provincial transport of live aquatic animals has no precedent in China, filling a void in the industry. To support the development of this new model, Huangpu Customs collaborated with the Commerce Bureau of the Guangzhou Development District and the Administrative Committee of the Guangzhou Suigang Intelligent Manufacturing Cooperation Zone to conduct in-depth research and assessments. They guided the competent local customs authority in formulating a customized regulatory plan, innovatively creating an integrated supervision and service model encompassing the land transport, bonded storage, and re-export of imported sea-caught crabs.

Exported snow crabs. Photo by Li Jianfeng

Reportedly, compared to air freight, the bonded warehousing model offers lower transportation costs and a higher cargo capacity, aligning perfectly with overseas market demands for small-batch, high-frequency deliveries. Huangpu Customs guided the enterprises in establishing a self-inspection and self-control management system covering daily management, health and epidemic prevention, and quality traceability. Concurrently, a customs clearance "green channel" was opened specifically for seafood like snow crabs. Services such as advance declaration and appointment-based clearance were implemented, along with priority inspection and certification, to guarantee rapid clearance.

Customs officers from Suidong Customs, a subordinate of Huangpu Customs, conduct sampling on the first batch of sea-caught crabs in bonded storage for safety risk monitoring. Photo by Huang Qianyi

Transitioning from "unable to enter" to "entering upon declaration," and from "ordinary goods" to "live cargo," this model has effectively solved storage challenges for enterprises. Looking ahead, Huangpu Customs will continue to leverage the advantages of bonded warehousing in the CBZ. Together with the Commerce Bureau of the Guangzhou Development District and the Administrative Committee of the Suigang Intelligent Manufacturing Cooperation Zone, it will actively explore the "bonded warehousing + transshipment export" regulatory model for aquatic animals. This will support the Huangpu CBZ in building an international seafood transit and distribution center that integrates bonded storage, international distribution, and the linkage of domestic and foreign trade, injecting new momentum into the high-level opening-up and high-quality development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.