Dubai customs delegation to visit China

DUBAI - A delegation from the Dubai Customs will start a five-day visit to China on Sunday, with efforts to promote trade and share experiences with their Chinese counterparts, the Dubai Customs said on Saturday.

"Our visit to China is set with the objective to enhance commercial trade relations through coordination and exchange of experiences with the China Customs, and to learn about its customs and commercial practices, aiming at optimizing coordination of customs procedures between both parties," said Ahmed Butti Ahmed, director general of the Dubai Customs in a statement.

The meeting will focus on the development and use of information technology applications, regulations in categorized customs clearance, as well as the role of customs intelligence in the inspection of shipments.

According to Butti, China has become one of Dubai's most prominent commercial partners. The commercial trade between the two reached a net value of 63 billion UAE dirhams ($17.15 billion) for the first half of 2013, compared to 54 billion Dirhams for the same period last year, representing a growth rate of 17 percent.

He added that China is considered Dubai's top commercial partner for imports, which reached a net value of 61 billion dirhams for the first half of 2013, compared to 52 billion dirhams for the same period in 2012.

Dubai is now a primary portal for the influx of Chinese goods into international markets in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

Chinese companies are increasingly expanding their business in Dubai, a city used as their primary headquarters to sell their products to international markets.