[PROJECT NAME] Smart Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) for Non-Disruptive Control
[SUBMITTED BY] Qingdao, Xiamen, and Shenzhen Customs Districts
[PROJECT OVERVIEW] Under traditional Customs procedures, manual cargo inspections involve time-consuming tasks such as container relocation and unpacking, leading to operational inefficiencies and additional logistics costs. To address these challenges, China Customs has deployed large-scale container/vehicle inspection equipment at port. This enables non-intrusive scanning of vehicles and their cargo, integrated with AI-powered image review. The system achieves end-to-end supervision through “Pre-Scan Analysis → In-Transit Scanning → AI-Powered Image Review → Targeted Inspection”, embedding inspection procedures into the logistics chain. This innovation significantly improves port cargo supervision efficiency while strengthening risk control capabilities.
[PROJECT DETAILS]
I. Key Approaches
1. Pre-Scan Analysis and In-Transit Scanning. China Customs has developed risk assessment models with historical Customs data, so as to screen containers and cross-border trucks based on manifests, declarations, and logistics information. A hybrid approach combining manual analysis and random selection has also been applied to target containers or cross-border vehicles for scanning. The port administrations and drivers are then notified to complete scanning during container loading/unloading, transshipment, and vehicle Customs clearance processes.
2. AI-Powered Image Review System. For border security control, China Customs has deployed identification algorithms for prohibited and restricted items (such as drugs, endangered species, solid waste, etc.) to effectively mitigate the risk of illicit entry. For product identification, China Customs carries out “image-declaration verification” or “approximate matching” based on the declared cargo information, and prioritizes analysis for high-complexity (i.e., the complexity of goods loaded inside the container) cargo images that exceeded preset thresholds to prevent significant risks of misdeclaration or concealment of goods. For cross-border truck identification, China Customs matches scanning images against the vehicle information database. By establishing positive/negative sample lists and an image database based on compliance records, China Customs was able to reference these lists and the image database for automatic comparison during the entry and exit process, in order to prevent smuggling and violations carried out via vehicles.
II. Achievements
1. Enhanced cargo supervision efficiency. China Customs implements in-transit scanning and real-time AI-powered image analysis for containers/vehicles during port logistics operations, enabling intelligent cargo flow management. High-risk targets identified through image review are diverted to manual inspection channels, while low-risk goods with no anomalies are expedited for release. Compared to traditional manual inspection methods, this smart, non-intrusive approach significantly improves precision in intercepting high-risk shipments while reducing clearance time for low-risk goods.
2. Enhancing Border Interdiction Capability. This regulatory model extends inspection coverage to more inbound and outbound containers and vehicles, in addition to existing risk-based targeting systems. For instance, at one regional Customs office under direct administration directly subordinated Customs district, 8.9% of imported containerized cargo in 2024 was subject to intelligent NII conducted during the clearance process, which substantially enhanced interception efficiency and deterrent effect at the port.
III. Scaling and Application
An increasing number of countries are now adopting NII equipment to strengthen Customs control over cross-border cargo. With advances in technology, inspection systems for containers and vehicles are increasingly evolving toward lighter, more portable formats, such as gantry-style scanners. Deploying NII equipment along main logistics channels at port terminals for seamless, on-the-spot inspection is becoming increasingly feasible and widely applicable. China Customs has conducted extensive testing and validation of “NII + AI Image Review” scenarios using container and vehicle inspection equipment from various manufacturers and models, thereby developing a scalable and transferable experience for broader implementation. Customs administrations worldwide can learn from each other’s innovations and practices, particularly in areas such as inspection workflow design and AI image recognition algorithm development. Such collaboration can help improve Customs supervision capabilities while advancing trade facilitation goals.