"At 10:00 a.m. we submitted the customs declaration, and by 10:02 a.m. it had already been released," said a logistics operator at Xi'an Comprehensive Bonded Zone. "Customs clearance has truly entered the era of real-time processing." The experience reflects the continuous customs innovation introduced by Xi'an Railway Station Customs to improve the efficiency of the China-Europe Railway Express logistics hub.
One of the most significant improvements is the implementation of the "One Declaration, Multiple Vehicles" model. Previously, exporters had to wait until an entire shipment of containers was ready before customs declaration could begin. Today, even a single container can be declared and dispatched immediately, greatly improving cargo flexibility and reducing waiting time.
Xi'an Customs has also expanded several trade facilitation measures, including pre-inspection before loading and integrated operations between the bonded zone and the railway port. These initiatives have continuously shortened export customs clearance times—from 96 minutes to 48 minutes, and now to approximately 30 minutes.
To support the rapid growth of China-Europe Railway Express services, Xi'an Railway Station Customs launched the second phase of its Smart Logistics Supervision System and upgraded the "Smart Customs" mobile application. By integrating customs, railway, and logistics data, Xi'an became the first inland railway port in China to achieve full-process digital supervision of railway containers.
According to customs officials, the intelligent supervision platform has increased declaration processing capacity by more than three times compared with manual operations. Overall cargo circulation efficiency has improved by over 50%, while enterprises can complete customs procedures directly through mobile devices, reducing customs declaration costs by more than 70%.
Xi'an Railway Station Customs continues to expand policy support for import and export enterprises. Through the Port of Departure Tax Refund Program, export tax refunds can now be completed within three working days, significantly improving cash flow. The customs authority has also promoted domestic railway freight deduction policies for return China-Europe Railway Express cargo, reducing logistics costs for importers.
From January to November, these policies helped 388 companies reduce tax expenses by more than RMB 1.02 million. Exporters also reported substantial improvements in working capital turnover due to faster tax refunds.
Supported by continuous customs reforms, Xi'an Comprehensive Bonded Zone has further strengthened its position as one of China's leading China-Europe Railway Express logistics hubs. During the first eleven months of the year, the bonded zone recorded import and export trade valued at RMB 36.61 billion, representing year-on-year growth of 17.7%.
Beyond serving local manufacturers, the logistics hub increasingly attracts cargo from eastern, southern, and northern China for consolidation before international rail transportation, reinforcing Xi'an's role as a national gateway for China-Europe Railway Express services.
Xi'an Railway Station Customs stated that it will continue improving customs efficiency, expanding digital supervision, optimizing business services, and supporting the long-term development of Xi'an as an international railway logistics hub under the Belt and Road Initiative.
