On May 31, 2022, Li Tengfei, Chairman of the Nitro-Calcium-Magnesium Fertilizer Branch of the China Nitrogen Fertilizer Industry Association, presented a banner inscribed with the words “Comprehensive and Thorough Service for Enterprises, Diligent and Responsible in Safeguarding the National Gate” and a letter of gratitude to Ding Chuanmin, Deputy Commissioner of Taiyuan Customs.

The letter of thanks stated that, starting from October 15, 2021, in accordance with Announcement No. 81 of 2021 issued by China’s Customs, fertilizer products must undergo mandatory statutory inspection prior to export. In January 2022, products such as calcium nitrate, magnesium nitrate, and calcium salts were added to the scope of hazardous goods inspections. The implementation of these policies has had a significant impact on the export of nitro-water-soluble fertilizers and nitrates from Jiaocheng County, Lüliang City. Jiaocheng County is designated by the Ministry of Commerce as a key area for the transformation and export of new-type fertilizers; annually, it exports approximately 1 million tons of new-type fertilizers and various nitrates, accounting for 80% of the nation’s total export volume. Since the implementation of the statutory inspection policy, the export volumes of member companies in the association have plummeted, while inventories have continued to rise. Many small and medium-sized enterprises now face severe difficulties, including the risk of bankruptcy and closure.

After learning about the relevant situation, Taiyuan Customs—especially Jinyang Customs—urgently addressed the enterprises’ needs and swiftly launched corresponding measures. First, the First Division of Comprehensive Business at Taiyuan Customs and relevant leaders from Jinyang Customs led teams to conduct in-depth on-site investigations at enterprises, gaining a thorough understanding of their production and operational conditions, identifying the characteristics of exported products, standardizing export packaging markings, developing operational guidelines, and providing guidance to enterprises on compliance rectification efforts. Second, Jinyang Customs actively communicated with local governments and industry associations, seeking government support for inspection work and leveraging the coordinating and communicative role of industry associations in connecting with enterprises to jointly promote policy awareness. Third, despite severe staff shortages, heavy workloads, and challenges posed by epidemic prevention and control, we scientifically scheduled the on-site and internal duties of all inspection personnel. Senior customs officials personally took to the front lines to provide on-site services to enterprises. Fourth, we proactively adjusted inspection procedures: notifying enterprises in advance to prepare accordingly and speeding up the inspection process on-site. We optimized the inspection workflow, increasing the daily inspection volume by more than 10 batches over the original level. Fifth, we increased the frequency of inspections in Jiacheng from twice a week to four times a week, ensuring that goods declared by enterprises could be inspected promptly.

The diligent work ethic, high-quality service attitude, noble professional dedication, and strong work competence demonstrated by the staff of Taiyuan Customs have made a positive contribution to the export of nitrates and nitro fertilizers from the Jiaocheng region. Although the inspection and release process for fertilizer exports still takes relatively long, the association and enterprises fully understand the far-sighted nature of the country’s macro policies as well as the critical responsibility of Customs as the guardian of the national borders. Currently, both production and business operations of association members have significantly increased compared to the beginning of this year. We sincerely thank Taiyuan Customs for its strong support of the nitro calcium-magnesium fertilizer industry. We firmly believe that, with the continued assistance of Taiyuan Customs, the calcium-magnesium fertilizer industry will surely achieve new heights!