Tugboats dock the oil tanker Eagle Varna, carrying imported crude oil, at Zhoushan Port in Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province, on July 4, 2018. [Photo/IC]

Zhoushan launched an online platform for the customs clearance of marine stores on Aug 19 after nearly one month of tests and trial operations.

The platform was designed to solve common problems experienced by enterprises when dealing with marine store clearance, and can save time and labor costs for enterprises as well, said Chen Xinjian, an official from Zhoushan Customs.

The launch of the platform means that the major customs clearance services for marine stores, including oil, foodstuffs and spare ship parts, from China (Zhejiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone are now entirely paperless, said local authorities.

Shipping supply is a crucial business in the zone. According to statistics, in 2018, there were over 100 enterprises engaged in shipping supply in the zone, providing marine stores to 10,614 ocean-going vessels.

The total marine stores supplied by the zone's ocean shipping supply enterprises were valued at $700 million in the first half of 2019.

In recent years, Zhoushan has been dedicated to promoting the paperless customs clearance services, in order to improve bonded oil supply, ship maintenance and other maritime service industries in the city, officials said.

Zhoushan Port currently ranks first among China's bonded bunkering ports, and is among the top 10 bonded bunkering ports in the world, according to local authorities.