On February 4, 2026, the first plenary meeting of the APEC Customs Procedures Subcommittee was grandly held in Guangzhou. During the 14th Five Year Plan period, the total import and export value between China and other APEC economies reached 125.49 trillion yuan, an increase of 39.4% compared to the 13th Five Year Plan period. Among them, the total import and export value in 2025 will reach 2.629 trillion yuan, accounting for nearly 60% of China's total foreign trade value during the same period, and the dividends of cooperative development are continuously being released.

China Customs will be appointed as the Chairman of the APEC Customs Procedures Subcommittee in 2026. On that day, Zhao Zenglian, Deputy Director General of the General Administration of Customs, pointed out that currently, the total economic output of the Asia Pacific region has exceeded 60% of the world's total, and the total trade volume is also close to half of the world's.

Customs, as a key gateway and bridge link for opening up to the outside world, is also a regulator and guardian of international trade. We need to continuously optimize regulatory efficiency and service levels through innovation, build consensus among all parties through cooperation, promote regional security and prosperity, and work together to build the Asia Pacific community. This is our unshirkable mission, "Zhao Zenglian said forcefully.

In order to jointly promote the security and convenience of trade in the Asia Pacific region, Chinese Customs has taken the opportunity of this meeting to issue three initiatives to the customs of APEC economies: firstly, to uphold the concept of inclusiveness and promote the "Smart Customs" partnership program, deepen cooperation in various fields such as paperless trade, cross-border e-commerce, and green trade, and continuously release more open dividends; Secondly, focus on stabilizing the industrial chain, smoothing the supply chain, strengthening institutional coordination and standard docking, and actively promoting the "soft connectivity" of rules and standards; Thirdly, highlight the empowerment of digital intelligence, accelerate the pace of digital transformation and intelligent upgrading, and enhance the level of modern customs governance.

It is reported that the conference will last for three days. The conference closely focused on the theme of "Building the Asia Pacific Community and Promoting Common Prosperity", and explored in-depth hot topics such as technology and innovation, smart customs construction, and cross-border trade facilitation around the three priority areas of "openness, innovation, and cooperation". More than 100 representatives from customs, international organizations, academia, and business from 18 APEC economies gathered together to discuss development plans. Key words: the Belt and Road, Customs Procedures Sub Committee

APEC, as the highest level, widest range, and most influential economic cooperation mechanism in the Asia Pacific region, plays a crucial role. Since its establishment in 1994, the Customs Procedures Subcommittee has become a core "incubator" for promoting innovation and technological progress in customs procedures, injecting a continuous stream of strong momentum into building a more interconnected, secure, reliable, and resilient Asia Pacific supply chain.Editor/Cheng Liting