Suzhou Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau announced on October 11 that the four types of high-risk special goods of micro-organism, human body tissue, blood and its products, and biological products in Suzhou Industrial Park were qualified for batch sampling inspection instead of 100% inspection.

The authority shifts the administrative focus from cargo supervision to corporate classification and risk rating of different products. Local companies engaged in R&D, production, medicine, test, and service outsourcing making application and passing the assessment are entitled to the preferential policy of annual inspection on products of the same project or falling into the same category. The bureau will also set up a database so that the assessment on the second import of similar products will take less time.

Wang Qiuxia, the bureau chief, said the key to this new policy was pre-review and 12-month examination and approval term on low-risk products. "The pre-review changes the procedure of getting permit from local office of health before coming to us at the inspection and quarantine bureau," she explained. "Instead, they come to us first so that we can decide whether they need the permit or should complete all the required formality here." 

Another new initiative is the combination of on-site and video inspections. The bureau will make regular or random inspections on product storage as well as the safety control of work place.