Dalian Customs has carried out a raft of institutional innovations since the establishment of the China (Liaoning) Pilot Free Trade Zone in 2017, streamlining port operations and empowering high-quality growth across Liaoning province.

Official data show that exports from Liaoning and its major port city Dalian jumped 8 percent and 10.6 percent, respectively, in 2025. It reversed nine-year trade deficits for the province and 11-year deficits for the city.

"With the 'smart gate' system, we simply need to submit an electronic gate release application on our computer. Upon approval, we receive a pass code, and our vehicles pass through in seconds," said Xue Gang, manager of Dalian Natural Wood Industry Co Ltd, a furniture firm.

The paperless system automatically collects and compares data for incoming and outgoing goods, dramatically accelerating turnover while cutting costs.

Over the years, four of Dalian Customs' practices — bonded ore blending supervision, imported grain quarantine processes, smart declaration navigation and cloud-based export inspection certificates — have been adopted by the State Council as national pilot reforms and replicated countrywide.

Ten other measures have been filed with the General Administration of Customs, with 50 successful cases promoted across Liaoning.

The "cloud issuance" platform for export certificates has been particularly transformative, issuing over 400,000 electronic documents to date. These cover 23 major certificate categories for exports to more than 194 countries and regions, representing over 90 percent of the province's export permit business.

"Through 'bulk commodity +reform' initiatives, we facilitated the first-ever bonded iron ore screening and bonded copper concentrate blending in Northeast China," said Lin Shaojie, head of logistics supervision at Beiliang Port Customs, a subordinate unit.

"Dalian Port's superior location and leading ore blending capabilities, combined with customs' preferential policies and efficient services, have made it a crucial hub for supplying new blended ore products to Japan, South Korea and other Asian markets," said Chen Sheng, Rio Tinto's general manager of iron ore in China.

The automotive sector is also accelerating. Dalian Customs' "speedway supervision mode" uses AI-powered high-speed camera recognition technology, enabling second-level identification and simultaneous record-keeping.

This creates a fast-track channel for complete vehicle and knockdown parts exports, attracting major projects from automakers like Chery and FAW to the Dayaowan bonded logistics center.

With vehicle storage capacity exceeding 10,000 units, the center meets comprehensive enterprise needs for bonded warehousing, in-zone tax rebates and cross-border logistics.

"We are fully committed to supporting domestically produced automobiles in seizing new overseas opportunities," said Zhang Maosheng, head of the free trade zone and special region development division at Dalian Customs.

Environmental considerations feature prominently in recent innovations. A new supervision model for reusable lithium battery packaging, recognized by the State Council as a best practice for enterprise services, has saved businesses over 130 million yuan ($18.8 million) through its "one-box circulation" inspection approach.

Dalian Customs aims to build on this momentum.

"This year marks the first year of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period. We will strive to further enhance our regulatory efficiency and service levels," said Yu Xiaodan, head of Dalian Customs, at its annual work conference in January.

"We will focus on safeguarding national security, promoting innovative trade development, expanding openness and deepening institutional reform," she said.