The State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) released new measures on January 5, 2026, simplifying cross-border foreign exchange settlement procedures for qualified exporters. The changes are designed to reduce administrative burden and accelerate the conversion of export proceeds into RMB.
Key Changes
Higher Facilitation Thresholds
The most significant change is the increase in the "facilitation threshold" — the transaction value below which banks can process FX settlements with minimal documentation:
- Previous threshold: $50,000 per transaction
- New threshold: $200,000 per transaction
Qualifying enterprises (those with a track record of compliant reporting) can now settle up to $200,000 per remittance by simply presenting the bank with the commercial invoice and a basic declaration, without needing to provide the full underlying contract, bill of lading, or customs declaration.
Expanded Trusted Enterprise List
SAFE also expanded its "Trusted Enterprise" (A-Class) list, which qualifies companies for additional benefits including:
- Pre-approval of FX settlement quotas valid for 12 months
- Priority processing (same-day settlement guaranteed)
- Reduced spot-check frequency for compliance audits
What This Means for Exporters
For exporters regularly receiving payments from overseas buyers, these changes translate into:
- Faster cash conversion — Same-day settlement for qualifying transactions
- Lower bank fees — Less document processing required
- Reduced administrative overhead — Less time spent compiling supporting documents for each remittance
Zhongshen handles FX settlement as part of our Export Agency service. We maintain A-Class trusted enterprise status with our partner banks, ensuring your export proceeds are converted and remitted to you with minimum delay.