China’s customs authorities are making it easier for medical supplies to quickly enter the country, as a looming shortage of crucial items hampers efforts to contain the rapid spread of coronavirus, which had killed over 130 people and infected over 6,000 nationwide as of Wednesday morning.
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According to an announcement (link in Chinese) posted to the General Administration of Customs website Tuesday, all local customs authorities are required to ensure the “immediate clearance” of incoming medical supplies, including equipment, medicines, disinfectant and hazmat suits. Items can be cleared after registration with the local customs authorities and go through formalities later if required, and import duties will be cut or waived for donated goods.
Donated medical equipment will not need to go through the normal procedure of being registered with the State Administration for Market Regulation and will be able to clear customs with local government approval alone, the announcement said.
In addition, employees of pharmaceutical companies bringing medical supplies into China will be given individual instruction on clearing customs.
The loosening of customs procedures comes as hospitals face a shortage of medical supplies. The coronavirus outbreak has spread rapidly during the country’s Lunar New Year holiday, when the nation’s workers take a weeklong break. At present, the country is producing 13,000 hazmat suits a day, falling far short of the requirements of the worst-hit province alone, according to the country’s industrial ministry. Hubei province now requires as many as 100,000 suits daily, the ministry said.
China’s central government has purchased 220,000 hazmat suits from overseas and has called on mask manufacturers to resume production as soon as possible.
A customs official in Changsha, capital of Central China’s Hunan province, which borders Hubei, told Caixin anonymously that this could be the most significant easing of Chinese customs procedures ever. Relevant goods can clear customs in less than a day, they said.
A total of 10,000 hazmat suits donated by Cambodia were cleared through Wuhan customs on Sunday, the first foreign donation received by the country during the outbreak, according to state-run media outlet Hubei Daily.
Several domestic airlines, including Hainan Airlines, China Southern Airlines and Sichuan Airlines, have opened fast-clearance channels for medical supplies heading to Wuhan, and are offering free delivery for foreign NGOs, pharmaceutical companies and civil society groups to ensure sufficient transport capacity for donations.
Contact reporter Lu Yutong (yutonglu@caixin.com) and editor Joshua Dummer (joshuadummer@caixin.com)
