Vehicle customs clearance at the Khorgos and Nur Zholy ports has long been slow, a common pain point in China-Kazakhstan overland trade. Li Kangchao, general manager of Beijing Baojing Qihang Technology Industry Co., Ltd. (also known externally as Baolijin New Vision / Polyking), recently said in an interview at the Kazakhstan-China Investment Forum that the company is promoting a digital solution connecting the two countries' customs systems, with the goal of reducing vehicle customs clearance waiting times from the current 20-30 days to about 1 day.
According to a report by Kazinform, Li Kangchao said that one of the main reasons for port congestion is that the two sides previously had differences in systems, databases, accounting methods, and working time arrangements, causing the same batch of vehicles to undergo repeated procedures. The new solution plans to achieve direct connection of customs systems and, together with dedicated transport routes, simplify the customs clearance process for automobile trade. The project is supported by the governments of Kazakhstan and China, and China Customs' data processing center provided assistance for information security.
In terms of investment pace, the company said it will initially invest US$10 million for the construction and launch of the new system; next, it plans to invest about US$200 million to build integrated warehousing facilities and new roads. In the first phase, the company hopes to increase the scale of Kazakhstan-China automobile trade by 30% this year; after the warehousing and road facilities are put into use, it will seek to further double that indicator. It should be noted that the above goals are all the company's stated advancement plans, and the actual implementation progress still depends on system connectivity, port supporting facilities, and regulatory coordination.
According to a follow-up report by Kazinform, in June this year Baojing Qihang cooperated with relevant Kazakh authorities to launch the 'EuraTrade Link' trade service platform, which is currently first applied to automobile trade customs clearance at the Khorgos and Nur Zholy ports, and with the support of the Khorgos municipal government and the Jetisu regional government, it is accompanied by a fast-track channel. In addition to 'one document, two declarations' and fast customs clearance, the platform also plans to introduce artificial intelligence to assist in filling out customs declarations and explore data interconnection with financial institutions to expand cross-border payment and financing services.
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In parallel with the customs clearance project, Baojing Qihang, together with partners including the Design Institute of China Construction Sixth Engineering Bureau Co., Ltd., is planning a smart manufacturing industrial park in the 'Khorgos-Eastern Gate' special economic zone in Jetisu Region, aiming to attract enterprises in fields such as auto parts, vehicle assembly, drones, and robotics. The first-phase planning of the park has been completed, and it is planned to complete procedures and start construction before the end of 2026; some relevant enterprises have already signed agreements to enter the park.
For Chinese enterprises, the value of this lead lies mainly in three points: First, if the digital connectivity of vehicle customs clearance at China-Kazakhstan highway ports continues to advance, the flow of cross-border vehicles and parts may accelerate; Second, if warehousing, roads, and industrial park supporting facilities are implemented, they will form a logistics and manufacturing cluster around the ports; Third, the 'platform + customs clearance + park' combination provides an observable implementation path for manufacturing and trading enterprises that subsequently enter the Kazakh market. Enterprises still need to independently verify the actual customs clearance timeliness at the ports, investment procedures, and local cooperation conditions.
Sources: Kazinform, https://cn.inform.kz/news/zhongheguanyou-6e1875f8/ ; Kazinform, https://cn.inform.kz/news/yijinzhongzuo-c5e2772a/ ; Qazinform, https://qazinform.com/news/from-30-days-to-1-chinese-company-targets-faster-kazakhstan-china-trade-53cc5f
Key facts
- At the Kazakhstan-China Investment Forum, Polyking introduced that it is promoting a digital customs clearance solution connecting the customs systems of the two countries.
- The solution aims to shorten vehicle customs clearance waiting time at Khorgos and Nur Zholy ports from 20 to 30 days to about 1 day.
- Polyking says the project will initially invest USD 10 million for the construction and launch of the new system, and plans to invest about USD 200 million next to build a comprehensive warehousing facility and new roads.
- The EuraTrade Link platform has been launched and applied to vehicle trade customs clearance at Khorgos and Nur Zholy ports, with supporting fast lanes.
- In the 'Khorgos-Eastern Gate' Special Economic Zone in Zhetisu Region, the partners plan an intelligent manufacturing industrial park, and the first-phase plan has been completed.
- The above goals are the company's stated advancement plans; implementation progress depends on system connectivity, port supporting facilities and regulatory coordination.
FAQ
How long does vehicle customs clearance currently take at Khorgos and Nur Zholy ports?
According to Li Kangchao, General Manager of Polyking, the current vehicle customs clearance waiting time is 20 to 30 days; the company is promoting a digital solution with the goal of shortening it to about 1 day.
What are the main contents of Polyking's digital customs clearance solution?
The solution is intended to connect the customs systems of the two countries to achieve direct integration, and to work with dedicated transport routes to simplify the customs clearance process for auto trade.
What is the scale of the project investment?
The company says it will invest USD 10 million initially for the construction and launch of the new system, and plans to invest about USD 200 million next to build a comprehensive warehousing facility and new roads.
What functions does the EuraTrade Link platform have?
The platform has been launched and applied to vehicle trade customs clearance at Khorgos and Nur Zholy ports, supports 'single document, two declarations' and rapid customs clearance, and also plans to introduce AI-assisted customs declaration form filling and explore data interconnection with financial institutions.
What is the status of the industrial park planning?
In the 'Khorgos-Eastern Gate' Special Economic Zone in Zhetisu Region, an intelligent manufacturing industrial park is planned, intended to attract enterprises in auto parts, complete vehicle assembly, drones and robotics; the first-phase plan has been completed, and procedures are planned to be completed and construction started by the end of 2026.