The General Administration of Customs issued Order No. 256 (referred to in English as the " Measures of the Customs of the People's Republic of China for the Administration of Comprehensive Bonded Zones " (1 January 2022)) as the first formal management method for comprehensive bonded areas in China.

Order No. 256 provides a more standardized and specific management system to meet a higher level of opening up comprehensive bonded areas. The measures have an effective date of 1 April 2022.

With Order No. 256, earlier policies and regulations applicable to special customs supervision areas have been integrated. Specifically, the special customs supervision areas have been optimized and integrated, and 155 comprehensive bonded areas have been formed. The original management rules for bonded port areas and bonded logistics parks are integrated, comprehensive bonded zone management methods are defined, and new regulations are provided for comprehensive bonded zones.