Customs officers at the Ningbo Bonded Zone supervise artworks. [Photo by Huang Lin/Yongpai App]

Forty-two sculptures from Florence, Italy, worth tens of millions of yuan, were transported from Ningbo Bonded Zone to Hangzhou's Xiaoshan district for a special exhibition on July 29, marking the city's first cross-customs-area bonded art exhibition and trading project.

Under a new cross-regional bonded exhibition model, artworks can be transferred from a bonded warehouse in Ningbo to a designated non-bonded exhibition venue in another city before completing import tax procedures.

The innovative model connects bonded storage at ports with off-site bonded exhibitions, reducing institutional costs and making it easier to bring high-value international artworks into the Chinese market.

Previously, art companies had to pay import taxes in full before exhibitions, creating significant pressure on cash flow, especially for large-scale sculptures with long transportation and installation periods. The new policy allows companies to complete tax procedures based on actual sales or re-export arrangements, freeing up funds and encouraging more overseas art to enter China.

To ensure safe and efficient customs clearance, Ningbo Customs provided early guidance, streamlined procedures, and conducted traceable inspections for each artwork.

The new model is expected to boost Ningbo's role as a gateway for international cultural exchange and create more opportunities for global art circulation in China.