Xiamen Port. [Photo provided to ftz.xm.gov.cn]
A shipment of goods including IP phones and video conference terminals, valued at 5.25 million yuan ($735,719), recently cleared customs at Xiamen Customs and departed for South Africa aboard the vessel ONE Tokyo.
This milestone marks the official launch of the China-South Africa Secure and Smart Trade Line (SSTL), which is also the first such route established between China and another BRICS country.
The China-South Africa SSTL route operates under a model of information sharing and mutual recognition of regulatory standards.
Participating enterprises benefit from prioritized customs procedures in both China and South Africa. If goods are inspected by the customs authorities of the exporting country, the importing country's customs will generally waive repeat inspections. This approach significantly enhances clearance efficiency across the entire logistics chain and reduces compliance costs for businesses.
Eligible applicants must be manufacturing enterprises with a stable South African partner, provided at least one party is an Authorized Economic Operator (AEO). Applications can be submitted after the enterprise pairing is confirmed.
This shipping route has established an efficient trade corridor between cities around Xiamen and South Africa and provided valuable project experience for similar shipping models along other BRICS routes.
A ship docks at Xiamen port for cargo handling. [Photo provided to ftz.xm.gov.cn]