China launches smart container terminal at Tianjin

A smart container terminal at Tianjin Port in North China's Tianjin was opened on January 17, 2021. The MOC issued a circular on accelerating the pilot program of developing market procurement trade in order to develop new forms of foreign trade and cultivate new growth drivers, a joint initiative of seven departments of the central government, which include the Ministry of Commerce and the National Development and Reform Commission.

A total of eight marketplaces in provincial regions including Jiangxi, Heilongjiang, Hebei, Jilin, Heilongjiang and Tianjin were selected to pilot market procurement trade.

The statement said that the seven government departments had already conducted 31 market procurement pilot projects, for which supportive policies such as simplified declaration have been applied to market procurement trade development.

The MOC said it will work with the authorities to speed up the formation of the implementation plans, build an information network platform and implement supportive policies, promote trade facilitation, and to improve foreign trade growth while improving trade quality.