Customs staff members check the first "Qilu" freight train running from Jiaozhou, east China's Shandong province to Baku, capital of Azerbaijan in Jiaozhou, Jan. 31, 2021. A freight train carrying 100 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers' goods such as tires and air conditions left Jiaozhou on Sunday, marking the launch of "Qilu" freight train services from Jiaozhou to Baku. (Photo by Xie Hao/Xinhua)

Shanghai Customs detected and intercepted 134 million pieces of unqualified medical epidemic prevention export materials in 2020, said an official on Monday, a consumer rights protection day in China.

5.2 million pieces of counterfeit, fake and inferior export epidemic prevention materials have been detected, said Shi Jian, an inspector of Shanghai Customs.

In terms of import materials, Shanghai is adopting an "on arrival inspection" practice to ensure the rapid customs clearance of imported epidemic prevention materials on the premise of effectively ensuring quality and safety, Shi said.

During the peak period of the domestic epidemic, the city released 858 batches of imported ventilators and patient monitors by the rapid inspection practice, involving a total value of $53.767 million.

Shi said that Shanghai Customs will further strengthen its inspection and supervision over key sensitive commodities such as imported automobiles, imported food contact materials, dangerous chemicals and their packaging. 

In 2020, Shanghai Customs inspected 98,000 batches of imported and exported commodities, 794 batches (7,448 vehicles) of imported automobiles, 60 batches of imported food contact products, 96 batches of imported paints, and 5,515 batches of imported and exported dangerous chemicals and their packaging. 

Spot checks on 30 batches of unqualified child use products showed a failure rate of 42.9 percent and that on 23 batches of e-commerce imported consumer goods showed a failure rate of 26.1 percent.

On Monday, Shanghai Customs was approved by the General Administration of Customs to build three first-class check points for imported and exported commodities and a national risk assessment center for imported and exported commodities, to cover key regions (North America) and key commodities (medical devices, used mechanical and electrical equipment).

Global Times