- In May 2026 the General Administration of Customs issued a 20-measure package specifically designed to accelerate the flow of goods, people and data across the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area.
2026 年 5 月，海关总署出台包含 20 项具体举措的一揽子政策，专门推动粤港澳大湾区货物、人员与数据的跨境流动。- The “single declaration, dual application” model cuts declaration time by roughly half, while the expanded “cross-boundary lock” compresses cargo clearance time by about 30%.
“一单两报”模式将申报时间缩短约一半，”跨境一锁”范围扩大后货物运输通关时长压缩约 30%。- Cross-border wealth management connect (WMC), the integrated local/foreign-currency cash pool and the FT account system remain the three pillars channelling foreign-investor capital across the GBA.
跨境理财通、本外币一体化资金池与 FT 账户体系，仍是引导外资资金在大湾区跨境流动的三大支柱。- Goods flows benefit from “combined port” and multi-modal pilots, with cross-border e-commerce “inspect first, ship later” lowering logistics cost by about 30%.
货物流动受益于”组合港”与多式联运试点，跨境电商”先查验、后装运”使物流成本降低约 30%。- Guangdong is advancing “Guangdong vehicles going south” and “Greater Bay Area yacht free travel”, and broadening mutual recognition of professional qualifications for Hong Kong and Macao residents.
广东正推进”粤车南下”与”粤港澳游艇自由行”，并扩大港澳居民职业资格互认范围。- A pilot negative list for cross-border data export is being rolled out in the Guangdong FTZ, and Shenzhen–Hong Kong medical-data sharing is being trialled.
广东自贸试验区正在落地数据出境负面清单试点，深港医疗数据跨境共享亦在开展试点。- Foreign investors should map their people, goods and treasury flows onto the four major platforms — Qianhai, Nansha, Hengqin and the HK–SZ Loop — each with its own “one zone, one policy” regime.
外国投资者应将其人员、货物与财资流动对应到前海、南沙、横琴、河套四大平台，各平台均实行”一区一策”。
Greater Bay Area 2026: new facilitation for cross-border flow of people, goods and capital | 2026 粤港澳大湾区：人流物流资金流对外资便利化新举措
Overview
The Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) is built on “one country, two systems, three customs territories, three legal systems”. Hong Kong and Macao are separate customs territories with their own currencies and legal traditions, while the nine Guangdong municipalities sit inside the Mainland customs and legal system. For a foreign investor, the GBA is therefore not a single frictionless market but a layered platform where the real value lies in “soft connectivity” (规则衔接、机制对接) — building bridges between the three systems so that production factors move more efficiently while each side keeps its own regime.
In 2026, against the backdrop of the “15th Five-Year Plan” opening year, the facilitation agenda has shifted from broad statements to concrete, operational measures. The most important development is the *Measures by the Customs Administration to Support the Development of the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area*, announced at a Guangzhou press conference on 21 May 2026, which sets out 20 specific measures across five dimensions. Complementing it are Guangdong provincial measures on infrastructure and rules, and Shenzhen’s 21-point business-environment action plan tied to the 2026 APEC ministers’ meeting. Together they materially lower the friction foreign-invested enterprises face when moving people, goods, capital and data across the GBA.
The May 2026 customs package: 20 measures in five dimensions
The 20 measures are organised around five themes: (1) integrated market development through rules alignment; (2) a science-and-innovation highland enabling efficient allocation of innovation factors; (3) new forms and models empowering foreign trade innovation; (4) a “dual circulation” logistics hub; and (5) pilot platforms such as Qianhai, Nansha, Hengqin and the HK–SZ Loop.
On trade performance, the context is strong: in 2025 the nine GBA mainland cities recorded total import–export value exceeding RMB 9 trillion; in the first four months of 2026 the figure reached RMB 3.4 trillion, up 18.4% year on year, contributing one quarter of the national increment in foreign trade. Port container throughput across the nine cities exceeds 60 million TEU annually, among the highest in the world.
Concrete customs innovations include:
- “Single declaration, dual application” (一单两报): enterprises declare once and the data is applied on both sides, cutting declaration time by about half.
- Expanded “cross-boundary lock” (跨境一锁): a single intelligent lock manages the whole journey, compressing cargo clearance time by roughly 30%.
- “One-zone-one-policy” (一区一策): Qianhai, Nansha, Hengqin and the Loop each receive tailored customs support.
- Unified GBA trade statistics: mainland customs will jointly compile and publish external goods-trade statistics for the GBA as a whole with Hong Kong and Macao customs, replacing the current patchwork of three separate datasets.
People flow: smoother movement and talent mobility
People movement is the most visible dividend. The GBA’s Hong Kong–Macao and Guangdong–Macao ports handle nearly 500 million passenger crossings per year, over 70% of the national total. The 2026 measures promote “one-stop” supervision for “Hong Kong/Macao vehicles going north” and “Guangdong vehicles going south”, and “AI +” driven “seamless customs clearance” to build a one-hour living circle.
On 29 May 2026, the Guangdong Development Reform Commission confirmed it will steadily advance “Guangdong vehicles going south” and “Greater Bay Area yacht free travel”, optimise personnel visa policies, expand the “Bay Area standard” and “Bay Area certification” regimes, and broaden mutual recognition of professional qualifications so that Hong Kong and Macao professionals can practise more easily in Guangdong. It also pledged to extend the “Hong Kong–Macao medicine and device pass” (港澳药械通), the “elderly health voucher” (长者医疗券) and the “Guangdong residential care service scheme” (广东院舍照顾服务计划).
For foreign (non-Chinese) staff, Shenzhen’s 2026 business-environment plan offers concrete entry facilitation: foreign senior managers establishing branches or subsidiaries in the Qianhai–Shekou free-trade片区 may obtain visas or residence permits valid up to two years, extended to accompanying spouses and family; AEO enterprises and trade headquarters enjoy relaxed APEC business travel card requirements; and urgent-entry port visas are available for critical foreign technical or management personnel.
Goods flow: ports, locks and bonded innovation
Goods benefit from three linked reforms. First, the “combined port / one-port-connect” (组合港 / 一港通) model and multi-modal (sea–rail, sea–sea) pilots let cargo move “one declaration, one document through”. Second, cross-border e-commerce “inspect first, ship later” (先查验、后装运) lowers logistics cost by about 30%. Third, for innovation factors, the package supports an expanded “positive list” for research materials, applies bonded supervision to imported inputs used in biomedical R&D, simplifies documentation, and explores lifecycle carbon-footprint management at customs clearance.
Agricultural and food supplies also see facilitation: a “product list + enterprise whitelist + risk monitoring” model for short-shelf-life foods destined for Hong Kong and Macao reduces on-site inspection frequency, while the “batch inspection” reform for export agri-food cuts on-site work by over 70%.
Capital flow: WMC, cash pools and FT accounts
The financial arteries are the most relevant for foreign treasury operations. Three instruments stand out:
- Cross-boundary Wealth Management Connect (跨境理财通): launched in 2021 and optimised in January 2024 (broader investor eligibility, securities firms included, wider product scope, higher quotas), it provides a closed-loop RMB channel for retail investors to hold cross-boundary investment accounts. Shenzhen’s 2026 plan goes further by allowing a three-party online communication channel (investor–HK/Macao seller–Mainland partner) inside pilot outlets, moving WMC from “limited contact” to “precision service”.
- Integrated local/foreign-currency cash pool (本外币一体化资金池): Shenzhen is deepening the pilot, bringing more qualified multinational groups into the scheme to centrally manage cross-border funds on a real-business basis.
- FT accounts: in Nansha, the free-trade account system had opened over 9,700 accounts with cross-border settlement approaching RMB 5 trillion, and the average time for Hong Kong-invested enterprises to complete RMB capital-account settlement was cut by more than 50%.
QFLP and QDLP pilots continue to widen: Guangdong’s QDLP quota approvals reached RMB 12.6 billion across nine institutions in the 14th Five-Year period, and over 500 foreign-invested QFLP projects were approved with quotas exceeding RMB 50 billion.南沙’s FT全功能资金池 exceeds 260 entities with FT loans above RMB 240 billion.
Data flow: negative lists and medical-data pilots
Data is the newest frontier. Shenzhen’s plan commits to issuing the China (Guangdong) Free Trade Zone negative list for cross-border data export, giving enterprises a clear, operable compliance reference. It also deepens the Shenzhen–Hong Kong cross-border data verification platform (targeting no fewer than 10 application scenarios) and pilots Shenzhen–Hong Kong medical-data sharing by connecting hospitals to Hong Kong’s “eHealth” system for mutual recognition of laboratory and imaging results.
Practical steps for foreign investors
- Map your flows: decide whether your bottleneck is people, goods, capital or data, then identify the single measure that removes it.
- Choose a platform by fit: Qianhai for modern services, Nansha for trade/shipping and FT treasury, Hengqin for Macao-linked activity, the Loop for R&D.
- Use Hong Kong as a holding, financing and IP base while operating a Mainland WFOE for substance; plan treasury around WMC, the cash pool and FT accounts.
- For R&D importers, apply the bonded-supervision and positive-list facilities for biomedical and high-tech inputs.
- Engage a local adviser early on data-export compliance before moving operational systems across the border.
Sources
- 海关总署支持粤港澳大湾区建设若干措施新闻发布会（深圳海关，2026-05-21）
- 广东：聚焦四大关键点 20项举措助推粤港澳大湾区融合发展（广东省政府，2026-05-22）
- 深圳市抢抓APEC机遇加快打造一流营商环境工作方案（深圳市发改委，2026-03-23）
- 广东：市场准入、金融开放、税收优惠 南沙三大国家级政策红利加速释放（广东省税务局，2026-01-19）
- 香港金融管理局：粤港澳大湾区跨境理财通
Related reading
- see also: Greater Bay Area SME opportunities (article 22)
- see also: GBA foreign-invested enterprise tax and landing (article 135)
- see also: Cross-boundary talent recognition (article 136)
2026 粤港澳大湾区：人流物流资金流对外资便利化新举措
概述
粤港澳大湾区以”一个国家、两种制度、三个关税区、三种法律体系”为基础。香港、澳门是独立的关税区，拥有各自的货币与法律传统；广东九市则处于内地关境与法律体系之内。对外国投资者而言，大湾区并非一个无摩擦的统一市场，而是一个分层平台，真正的价值在于”规则衔接、机制对接”——在三套制度之间架设桥梁，让生产要素更高效地流动，同时各自保留自身制度。
2026 年，”十五五”开局之年，便利化议程已从宽泛表述转向具体可操作的举措。最重要的进展是海关总署于 2026 年 5 月 21 日在广州新闻发布会上公布的《海关支持粤港澳大湾区建设若干措施》，从五个方面提出 20 项具体举措。与之配套的是广东省在基础设施与规则衔接方面的举措，以及深圳市围绕 2026 年 APEC 会议制定的 21 条营商环境行动方案。三者共同显著降低了外资企业在大湾区跨境调动人员、货物、资金与数据时面临的摩擦。
2026 年 5 月海关一揽子政策：五个维度的 20 项举措
这 20 项举措围绕五个主题展开：（1）通过规则对接促进市场一体化；（2）打造科创高地、高效配置创新要素；（3）以新业态新模式赋能外贸创新；（4）建设”双循环”物流枢纽；（5）前海、南沙、横琴、河套等重大平台的先行先试。
从贸易表现看，背景十分强劲：2025 年大湾区内地九市进出口总值突破 9 万亿元；2026 年前 4 个月达 3.4 万亿元，同比增长 18.4%，贡献了全国外贸增量的四分之一。九市港口集装箱年吞吐量超过 6000 万标箱，居全球前列。
具体的海关创新包括：
- “一单两报”： 企业一次申报、两地适用，申报时间缩短约一半。
- 扩大”跨境一锁”： 单一智能锁管全程，货物运输通关时长压缩约 30%。
- “一区一策”： 前海、南沙、横琴、河套各自获得量身定制的海关支持。
- 统一大湾区贸易统计： 内地海关将联合港澳海关编制并发布以大湾区为整体的对外货物贸易统计数据，取代当前三套分立的数据。
人员流动：通行更顺畅、人才更便捷
人员往来是最直观的红利。粤港澳口岸年出入境人员近 5 亿人次，占全国七成以上。2026 年举措对”港车北上””澳车北上””粤车南下”实施”一站式”监管，并以”人工智能+”推动”无感通关”，助力打造”一小时生活圈”。
2026 年 5 月 29 日，广东省发展改革委确认将稳步推进”粤车南下”与”粤港澳游艇自由行”，优化人员往来签注政策，拓展”湾区标准””湾区认证”应用场景，并进一步扩大职业资格互认，便利港澳专业人士跨境在粤执业；同时扩大”港澳药械通””长者医疗券””广东院舍照顾服务计划”适用范围。
对外国（非华裔）员工，深圳 2026 年营商环境方案提供了切实的入境便利：在中国（广东）自由贸易试验区深圳前海蛇口片区筹建分公司或子公司的外国企业高级管理人员，可获 2 年以内有效签证或居留许可，并惠及配偶与家属；AEO 企业、贸易型总部企业人员申请 APEC 商务旅行卡可豁免或放宽限制；有紧急入境需求的外籍高管、技术人员可申办口岸签证。
货物流动：口岸、锁链与保税创新
货物受益于三项联动改革。其一，”组合港/一港通”模式与海铁、水水多式联运试点，让货物”一次申报、一单贯通”。其二，跨境电商”先查验、后装运”降低物流成本约 30%。其三，针对创新要素，政策扩大科研用物资”正面清单”，对生物医药研发进口料件实施保税监管、简化单证，并探索口岸通关环节碳足迹全生命周期管理试点。
农食产品供应同样得到便利：”产品清单+企业白名单+风险监测”模式面向供港澳短保质期食品降低口岸查检频次；出口农食产品”批次检验”改革减少 70% 以上现场作业。
资金流动：理财通、资金池与 FT 账户
金融血脉对外资财资运作最为关键，三项工具尤为突出：
- 跨境理财通： 2021 年推出，2024 年 1 月优化（扩大投资者准入、纳入证券公司、拓宽产品范围、提高额度），提供零售投资者跨境持有投资账户的闭环人民币通道。深圳 2026 年方案进一步允许在试点网点内建立”内地投资者—港澳销售机构—内地合作机构”或反向的三方线上沟通渠道，推动跨境理财从”有限接触”走向”精准服务”。
- 本外币一体化资金池： 深圳深化试点，将更多符合条件的跨国公司集团纳入，在真实业务背景下集中运营跨境资金。
- FT 账户： 南沙 FT 账户体系已累计开立超 9700 户，办理跨境结算规模近 5 万亿元；港资企业人民币资本金入账结算平均耗时缩减 50% 以上。
QFLP 与 QDLP 试点持续扩容：广东”十四五”期间 QDLP 备案机构 9 家、额度 126 亿美元，QFLP 获批项目超 500 亿元。南沙 FT 全功能资金池超 260 个、FT 项下贷款超 2400 亿元。
数据流动：负面清单与医疗数据试点
数据是最新的前沿。深圳方案承诺推动中国（广东）自由贸易试验区数据出境管理负面清单出台，为企业数据跨境流动提供清晰、可操作的合规指引；同时深化深港跨境数据验证平台应用（目标不少于 10 个场景），并试点深港医疗数据跨境共享，连接香港”医健通”系统实现检验结果互认。
外资企业的实操步骤
- 梳理自身流动瓶颈：判断堵点在人、货、资金还是数据，再锁定单项可破局的举措。
- 按契合度选平台：服务业看前海，贸易航运看南沙，涉澳业务看横琴，研发看河套。
- 以香港为控股、融资与知识产权基地，同时以内地 WFOE 承载实质经营；围绕理财通、资金池与 FT 账户规划财资。
- 研发进口企业，善用生物医药与高新技术料件的保税监管与正面清单便利。
- 在跨境迁移业务系统前，就数据出境合规提前咨询本地顾问。
来源
- 海关总署支持粤港澳大湾区建设若干措施新闻发布会（深圳海关，2026-05-21）
- 广东：聚焦四大关键点 20项举措助推粤港澳大湾区融合发展（广东省政府，2026-05-22）
- 深圳市抢抓APEC机遇加快打造一流营商环境工作方案（深圳市发改委，2026-03-23）
- 广东：市场准入、金融开放、税收优惠 南沙三大国家级政策红利加速释放（广东省税务局，2026-01-19）
- 香港金融管理局：粤港澳大湾区跨境理财通
相关阅读
- 见：大湾区中小企业机遇（第 22 篇）
- 见：大湾区外商独资企业落地与税收优惠（第 135 篇）
- 见：跨境人才资格互认（第 136 篇）