Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone's policy on import and export of animals, plants and related products will be introduced across the city, officials said on Monday.

The FTZ launched a trial program in 2014 after the State Forestry Administration and the National Office for Endangered Species Import and Export authorized it to carry out international trade in rare animals and plants on a trial basis.

Shanghai's forestry department is now the sole agency in the city to issue permits to companies that want to import and export rare terrestrial animals and byproducts on behalf of the agencies in Beijing.

In 2014, only 15 companies benefited from the trial program and the number rose to 66 last year, officials said.

The Shanghai Forestry Department and the Shanghai office of the national authority for endangered species import and export plan to open a one-stop shop to process applications from enterprises.

Source:china-shftz.gov.cn