The number of clearance points under the Single E-lock Scheme in Guangdong Province has increased from 32 to 51, the Customs & Excise Department announced today.

The scheme was launched in March 2016 targeting intermodal transhipment cargoes between Guangdong and Hong Kong, including foreign goods arriving in Hong Kong by air which will be transhipped to the Mainland by land and vice versa.

Under the scheme, the two customs administrations make use of single e-lock technology and GPS devices to monitor the condition of goods during transportation. 

It reduces duplicated inspections of shipments by the respective customs authorities at the land control points, resulting in streamlined clearance processing and speedy cargo flow.

The scheme is operating smoothly and has been well received by the industry. Last year, more than six million cargo shipments were handled under the scheme.

The department said, to cope with the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has been actively exploring with Mainland authorities the extension of the scheme to more parts of the bay area.

Clearance points under the scheme in Guangdong Province increased from 32 to 51 this month to cover more cities in the province. Seven of them are in the bay area, including the first customs clearance point set up in Zhuhai.

The department said the extended network enhances cargo clearance efficiency and also benefits cargo shipments that are transhipped through Hong Kong using the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.

It will explore with its Mainland counterparts for an extension of the scheme to cover more parts of the bay area, and encourage the logistics industry to participate in the scheme, the department added.