Media Spotlight – Hebei Economic Daily | Pressing the “Fast-Forward” Button on Internationalization: Guangxiang Pharmaceutical Obtains Customs AEO Advanced Certification


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TIME:2025-12-16

【SUMMARY】 On December 10, Shijiazhuang Customs awarded the Advanced Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Certificate to Hebei Guangxiang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. of Shijiazhuang Sihua Pharmaceutical Group (hereinafter referred to as “Guangxiang Pharmaceutical”), making it the only pharmaceutical company in the province to date this year to obtain AEO certification from Customs.

AEO, short for Authorized Economic Operator, is a certification scheme promoted by the World Customs Organization. In China, AEO certification represents the highest level of enterprise credit management awarded by Chinese customs. Companies holding this certification enjoy numerous facilitations in international trade, including reduced inspection frequency, lower inspection rates, and shorter customs clearance times. As one of the leading domestic enterprises in the R&D, production, and export of chemical APIs, Guangxiang Pharmaceutical has, in recent years, focused on adapting to changes in both domestic and international markets by continuously pursuing advancements in quality improvement and green manufacturing. Leveraging new technologies such as continuous-flow microreactors and continuous crystallization, the company has successfully addressed multiple common and critical challenges in the production of its flagship products, including caffeine and metronidazole, thereby significantly enhancing product yields and quality metrics. Its product quality has reached industry-leading levels and has earned recognition in international markets.

“In the caffeine raw-materials sector, we have become one of the leading suppliers in the global premium market,” said Zhu Shujie, Chairman of Guangxiang Pharmaceutical. The company’s key products—including caffeine, theophylline, aminophylline, metronidazole, and nifedipine—have each obtained national GMP certification as well as international certifications such as CEP, BRC, FSSC 22000, KOSHER, and HALAL. These products are now exported to more than 60 countries and regions worldwide, with the company’s international competitiveness steadily increasing.

“As overseas markets continue to expand, customers are placing increasingly higher demands on customs clearance efficiency and logistics timeliness, making the need for companies to obtain AEO certification ever more urgent,” said Zhu Shujie. He added that AEO certification involves numerous assessment items and stringent standards, resulting in a relatively low approval rate; however, during the certification process, the company received comprehensive guidance and support from Shijiazhuang Customs and ultimately succeeded in obtaining certification.

“With AEO certification, we will benefit from streamlined customs procedures such as advance declaration and priority processing, which will significantly reduce the time required for export clearance and is expected to cut logistics costs by nearly 10%. This will provide substantial support for us in gaining a competitive edge in the market and enhancing the competitiveness of our products,” said Zhu Shujie. He added that Guangxiang Pharmaceutical will next leverage the prestigious AEO certification to shift its foreign trade operations from “volume-based exports” to “value-driven exports,” thereby making new contributions to the development of Hebei’s pharmaceutical industry.

(Reprinted from the December 16 issue of Hebei Economic Daily)

 

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