General Import and Export Freight Service Guide for Baisha Li Autonomous County, Hainan, China
I. City Introduction
1.1 Geographical Location
Baisha Li Autonomous County is located in the central – western part of Hainan Island, within the hinterland of the Wuzhi Mountains. The terrain is rather undulating, mainly consisting of mountains and hills. Although it is an inland area, the transportation network has been gradually improving. It is closely connected to other cities on the island through expressways and national highways. For example, it can conveniently reach important cities like Haikou and Sanya via the Hainan Ring Expressway. Its unique geographical location endows it with rich natural resources, with a high forest coverage rate, laying a foundation for the development of local characteristic industries.
1.2 Economic Characteristics
The economy of Baisha County mainly focuses on agriculture and characteristic industries. In agriculture, tropical characteristic high – efficiency agriculture is the key. It grows economic crops such as rubber, tea, and southern medicines, as well as various tropical fruits like mangoes and bananas. In recent years, eco – tourism has also been developing rapidly, attracting tourists with its unique Li and Miao cultures and primeval forest landscapes. In addition, the local area is actively developing the agricultural product processing industry to increase the added value of products. Against the backdrop of the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port, Baisha County is actively integrating and leveraging policy advantages to promote diversified economic development.
1.3 Administrative Divisions and Freight – related Areas
Baisha County has 11 towns and townships under its jurisdiction. Each town and township develops characteristic industries based on its own resource advantages. Yacha Town, as the county seat, is the economic, cultural, and transportation center of the whole county. It has gathered many commercial and logistics enterprises and plays a crucial role in the distribution and transfer of goods. Qifang Town is a major agricultural town with a large – scale agricultural product planting and processing industry. The agricultural products produced here are transported to various places through logistics, making it one of the important sources of freight.
II. Port and Airport Information
2.1 Ports
As an inland county, Baisha County has no ports of its own and mainly relies on surrounding ports for cargo transportation. Haikou Port is the main port it depends on. It has advanced container handling equipment, professional cargo storage warehouses, and a complete logistics supporting system. Its shipping routes cover major domestic ports as well as international routes in Southeast Asia, Europe, and America, which can meet the import and export needs of various goods in Baisha County. Sanya Port is also an important option, with advantages in handling high – value – added and time – sensitive cargo transportation.
2.2 Airports
There is no airport in Baisha County. Air freight mainly relies on Haikou Meilan International Airport and Sanya Phoenix International Airport. Haikou Meilan International Airport has rich freight routes and can directly reach major domestic cities and some international cities. It provides efficient cargo transportation services and is suitable for transporting fresh agricultural products, high – end agricultural product processing equipment, etc. Sanya Phoenix International Airport also has strong freight – handling capabilities and plays an important role in connecting domestic and international tourism markets and transporting characteristic tourism commodities.
2.3 Inland Transportation
Road transportation is the main mode of inland transportation in Baisha County. The road network in the county is constantly improving, with expressways, national highways, and provincial highways running through it, connecting every town, township, and village. Trucks are the main means of transportation, which can achieve door – to – door transportation of goods, being convenient and fast, especially suitable for small – batch and multi – batch cargo transportation. In terms of railway transportation, Baisha County is connected to railway stations in surrounding cities to achieve long – distance transportation of large – quantity goods. The connection with ports and airports is also relatively smooth, which can meet the transportation needs of different goods.
III. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
3.1 Cost – related
3.1.1 FCL (Full Container Load)
When exporting goods from Baisha County by FCL sea freight, the basic ocean freight is one of the main costs. Its price varies greatly depending on the destination port. For example, the cost of shipping to Southeast Asian ports is relatively low, while that to European and American ports is higher. Port handling fees are charged according to the type and weight of the container. The handling fee for a 40 – foot container is usually higher than that for a 20 – foot container. Documentation fees are used to prepare transportation documents such as bills of lading and commercial invoices. In addition, the bunker adjustment factor (BAF) fluctuates with oil prices, and the currency adjustment factor (CAF) adjusts according to exchange rate changes. These surcharges can significantly affect the overall transportation cost.
3.1.2 LCL (Less than Container Load)
The cost of LCL sea freight is calculated based on the volume or weight of the goods for the basic freight. It also includes LCL service fees, covering operations such as cargo consolidation and de – consolidation at the origin and destination ports. There will be storage fees when the goods are waiting for consolidation or de – consolidation in the warehouse. The longer the storage time, the higher the cost. The charging standards of different freight forwarders vary, and service quality and price need to be comprehensively considered when making a choice.
3.2 Process – related
3.2.1 Export Process
When enterprises in Baisha County export goods, they first sign a trade contract with foreign customers, clarifying terms such as the specifications, quantity, price, and delivery time of the goods. Then, they prepare documents such as commercial invoices, packing lists, and customs declaration forms to ensure the accuracy of the information. The goods are transported to the designated port for customs declaration and inspection. After the customs reviews the documents and inspects the goods, and if they are qualified, they are released for loading. After the goods are loaded, the enterprise should promptly send a shipping notice to the customer and deliver documents such as the bill of lading so that the customer can pick up the goods at the destination port.
3.2.2 Import Process
When importing goods, the enterprise first signs a purchase contract with the foreign supplier and arranges payment. Before the goods arrive at the port, the enterprise declares to the customs and submits documents such as the import customs declaration form, bill of lading, commercial invoice, and packing list. The customs inspects the goods and levies customs duties and value – added taxes. After the enterprise pays the taxes, it can pick up the goods. If the goods need inspection and quarantine, relevant procedures should be completed before picking up the goods to ensure that the goods meet domestic standards.
3.3 Customs Clearance – related
The customs clearance of import and export goods in Baisha County is handled at Haikou Customs. The customs strictly inspects the goods in accordance with relevant laws, regulations, and trade policies. Enterprises need to truthfully declare the information of the goods, including the name, quantity, value, and place of origin. At the same time, they should prepare documents such as certificates of origin and quality inspection certificates to cooperate with the customs inspection. For special goods such as animal and plant products and hazardous chemicals, additional approval procedures are required. For example, animal and plant products need to provide quarantine certificates, and hazardous chemicals need to have relevant safety permits.