On the morning of January 20, the Information Office of the Shandong Provincial Government held a series of press conferences with the theme of “Data Talks about Shandong’s Development”, inviting responsible comrades from Qingdao Customs and Jinan Customs to introduce the overall situation of Shandong Province’s foreign trade development in 2025.
At the press conference, a reporter asked: Facing the complex and ever-changing international economic and trade environment, how will Shandong further consolidate the positive trend of foreign trade in 2026?
What new measures will the Customs launch?
Zhu Hong, deputy director of Qingdao Customs, said that 2026 is the first year of the “15th Five-Year Plan” and foreign trade development will face greater opportunities and challenges.
Shandong’s export-oriented industries have a solid foundation and strong resilience. It is believed that with the further expansion of institutional opening-up, Shandong will further consolidate the positive trend of foreign trade and form a more dynamic foreign trade development pattern in terms of stabilizing the import of bulk commodities, expanding the export of emerging industries, building a diversified market structure, promoting reform and innovation in the free trade pilot zone and the Shanghai Cooperation Demonstration Zone, and accelerating the development of new foreign trade formats.
Qingdao Customs and Jinan Customs will continue to promote the implementation of the “package” of policy measures to stabilize foreign trade and achieve effective results, build a good policy “combination”, release the superimposed effects of existing policies and incremental policies, and go all out to promote the realization of a “good start” for foreign trade during the “15th Five-Year Plan”.
In terms of optimizing the port business environment, the customs will comprehensively replicate and promote 25 measures to facilitate cross-border trade, conduct research on stabilizing foreign trade, extensively collect enterprise demands and suggestions, actively strive for preferential policies based on Shandong’s industrial characteristics and development priorities, formulate targeted support measures, and enrich policy reserves.
In accordance with the unified deployment of the General Administration of Customs, a new round of cross-border trade facilitation special actions in 2026 will be carried out with high quality, the “policy toolbox” will be dynamically updated, and more targeted facilitation measures will be introduced to help create a market-oriented, legal and international first-class port business environment.
In terms of promoting system innovation in the free trade pilot zone, the customs will take the initiative to benchmark against international high-standard economic and trade rules, steadily promote the replication and promotion of system-based opening pilot measures, focus on innovative measures urgently needed by enterprises and the public, release the dividends of system innovation in a wider range, and improve the level of trade facilitation and marketization.
Actively participate in the construction of the Yellow River Basin Free Trade Pilot Zone Alliance, rely on collaboration mechanisms such as the “District Customs and Port” Joint Meeting, expand cross-regional and cross-field cooperation, and promote the reform system integration and experience sharing of the Free Trade Pilot Zone.
Focusing on Shandong’s characteristics and industrial advantages, we will carry out original and integrated exploration, focus on key areas and launch systematic innovative measures, promote the upgrading and innovative development of the industrial chain, and enhance the industrial competitiveness of the free trade pilot zone.
In terms of supporting small and medium-sized enterprises to develop markets, the customs will improve its working mechanism, conduct “face-to-face meetings with customs and enterprises” on a regular basis, build “online and offline” three-dimensional problem collection channels, optimize the response process, realize instant acceptance and rapid circulation of appeals, and continue to deepen the relief of enterprises.
Organize policy publicity, measure interpretation and business guidance for small and medium-sized enterprises to help small and medium-sized enterprises make full use of policy dividends and enhance their competitiveness in the international market.
Increase AEO credit cultivation efforts, establish a “key cultivation enterprise database”, carry out priority cultivation and priority certification of potential small and medium-sized enterprises, ensure the steady growth of the number of small and medium-sized AEO enterprises, at the same time deepen cross-departmental cooperation, lengthen the list of joint incentives, and further enhance the sense of gain for small and medium-sized enterprises.
In short, Qingdao Customs and Jinan Customs, through a series of policy measures and positive actions, are expected to inject strong impetus into the development of Shandong’s foreign trade in 2026, consolidate the positive trend of foreign trade, and push Shandong’s foreign trade to a new level.
