BEIJING — China's customs clearance time shortened dramatically in 2019, meeting a target set by the State Council two years ahead of schedule, the General Administration of Customs said on Jan 13.

The country's import clearance time was reduced to 36.7 hours in December last year, plunging 62.3 percent from 2017. Export clearance time was slashed to 2.6 hours, plummeting 78.6 percent from 2017.

Besides, China's import and export firms saw the number of customs declaration items dwindle to 105 from 229 in the past.

China also simplified clearance procedures and cut customs-related fees over the past two years.

In October 2018, the State Council, or the Cabinet, asked customs authorities to cut the time it took for clearing goods in 2017 by half by the end of 2021.

The country has long been committed to creating favorable conditions for businesses by reducing customs clearance time, supporting cross-border e-commerce and promoting diversification of export markets.

China ranked 56th last year on the indicator of trading across borders, a jump from 65 in 2018, according to a report titled "Doing Business 2020" from the World Bank.