The Greater Bay Area in the Certificates: Accelerating the Flow of Scientific Research Materials

The approval time for scientific research materials such as animal cells, blood, and their products has been shortened from one to two weeks to one to three days, and the entry inspection and quarantine time has been shortened from three days to one day, according to a relevant person in charge of the Guangzhou Laboratory.

The scene of accelerated flow of scientific research materials is being staged in scientific research units in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. In this regard, the Greater Bay Area has taken an innovative step in the “soft connection” of rule docking. Guangzhou City has piloted the reform of the free cross-border flow of scientific research materials.

Pilot Reform of Free Cross-Border Flow of Scientific Research Materials

Scientific research materials included in the positive list can be given priority for quarantine approval, document review, and inspection.

Can simplify the process of tax reduction and exemption.

Accelerate customs clearance.

Reagent imports were approved within 5 days after the approval form was submitted. Some materials only took 22 minutes from declaration to release.

Collaboration Acceleration

The smooth flow of materials promotes scientific and technological cooperation, and teachers from Guangzhou and Hong Kong universities have a passion for scientific research exchanges.

The pilot reform has enabled the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) to achieve a breakthrough in the cross-border flow of scientific research materials. In August 2023, the university’s first batch of rabbit serum and guinea pig serum included in the positive list achieved efficient customs clearance, and various cross-border documents were quickly approved.

Breakthrough Acceleration

Imported meteorite specimens are exempted from tax, becoming the first case in China. 15 science popularization units in Guangdong benefit from this.

Last August, a Hong Kong cargo ship slowly sailed into the container terminal in Huangpu District, Guangzhou, and the 11 meteorite specimens that the staff of Zhengjia Natural Science Museum had been waiting for finally arrived at their destination.

This batch of meteorite specimens, with a total value of $230,000, came from Russia, Argentina, Kenya, and other places. This is also the first batch of tax-exempt goods for the “14th Five-Year Plan” science popularization project in the country.

At present, 15 Guangdong science popularization units, including Guangdong Science Center, Guangzhou Zoo, and Sun Yat-sen University Medical Specimen Museum, have enjoyed the import tax policy qualification to support the development of science popularization during the 14th Five-Year Plan period.

The implementation of the tax reduction and exemption policy for science popularization projects has effectively helped science popularization units reduce operating costs, promoted the enrichment and improvement of science popularization collections and specimens, and brought more interesting science popularization experiences to residents in the Greater Bay Area.