The Qingdao Area of the China (Shandong) Pilot Free Trade Zone, or Qingdao FTZ, has had 358 institutional innovation outcomes since its establishment six years ago, with 97  recognized and promoted at the national or provincial level. The Qingdao FTZ focuses on being pioneering and integrated, addressing key challenges like international transit consolidation. In collaboration with Qingdao Customs, it developed a national model combining "bonded goods and export transit customs" consolidation with sea-rail intermodal international transit without customs declaration. This innovation boosts transit efficiency, saving 3 to 5 working days compared to ports like Busan or Singapore, and significantly reduces corporate costs.

Data shows the effectiveness: from January to August this year, international transit consolidation at Qingdao Port reached 754 TEUs, a 55.5 percent year-on-year increase.

Adhering to an innovation logic of "problem-oriented + international benchmarking", the Qingdao FTZ continues its pioneering and integrated explorations. It has also implemented a fault-tolerant mechanism to encourage innovation.

According to Sui Bin, deputy director of the Qingdao FTZ Administrative Committee, differentiated innovation outcomes have been achieved in customs clearance facilitation, digital trade ecology, green development, marine economy, and new trade forms, empowering high-quality regional development.

Within Shandong, the zone has implemented over 20 innovative outcomes in six FTZ-linked innovation zones in cities like Rizhao, Linyi, and Liaocheng.

Across the Yellow River basin, five institutional innovations from the Qingdao FTZ have been promoted. The zone collaborated with nine provinces and autonomous regions along the Yellow River to establish a cross-border e-commerce alliance. The basin now has 51 dry ports and 83 sea-rail intermodal routes, making the Qingdao FTZ the most convenient "economic gateway to the sea" for the Yellow River basin.