Guangzhou Customs Guide to Local Declaration & Port Clearance

In pace with the integration of global economy and the deepening affect of China entering WTO, international cooperation increases and national economy cycle forms. The home enterprises are facing fiercer domestic and international competition. The development of foreign trade and modern logistics makes still greater demands on the management of Customs declaration. For this reason, Guangzhou Customs creates a new supervision mode to improve the declaration management. Through the institution of Twelve Service Measures to Improve the Comprehensive Efficiency of New Baiyun International Airport & Ten Service Measures to Facilitate the Economic Development of Foshan Area, Guangzhou Customs puts out the supervision mode of Local Declaration & Port Clearance basing on standardization, integration, justice and transparency. The new mode provides enterprises with a flexible and convenient declaration environment. It also helps raise the efficiency and reduce the cost of declaration to make the enterprises more competent. It reflects the unity of effective supervision and efficient operation.

I. Characteristic of the supervision mode of Local Declaration & Port Clearance

This new mode means that the consignor, consignee or agent (hereafter referred to as declarant) could choose any competent customs under the jurisdiction of Guangzhou Customs to make declaration and go through the formalities of document-checking and duty-paying, and then finish the cargo-examination and cargo-release at the customs office of entry or exit. The new mode separates the declaration of declarant and the examination of customs. Therefore, it saves the cost on declaration and transportation and inures to the management of customs.

II. Definition of competent customs and port customs

Competent customs refers to other customs offices beyond the customs office of entry or exit.

Port customs refers to the customs office of entry or exit.

In the new supervision mode, the ports of entry and exit now mainly include New Baiyun International Airport and the New Port of Nansha. So the port customs refers to Baiyun Airport Customs House and Panyu Customs House.

III. Terms of application

All cargoes are applicable to this supervision mode except the following:

ⅰ. Reclaimable import waste materials, including copper scrap(tariff number 7404), aluminum scrap(tariff number 7602), steel scrap(tariff number 7204), waste plastics(tariff number 3915), waste paper(tariff number 7602)etc;

ⅱ. Transit cargo;

ⅲ. Tariff-surcharged cargo of processing trade for home use and, deep-processing cargo cleared for home use;

ⅳ. Cargo excepted by other regulations.

Ⅳ. Procedure

ⅰ. Import

1. After the person in charge of the means of transport or his/her agent has finished the customs clearance for the means of transport upon arrival of the cargo to the airport or dock, the declarant could input the code of the competent customs to send it an electronic declaration form. Except the enterprises applicable to the facilitative measures, other enterprises that need to declare before the arrival of the cargo could input the code of the competent customs and send an electronic declaration form only when the data of the means of transport is sent in advance and confirmed by the port customs.

2. After the electronic declaration form is checked and released, the declarant shall submit the paper declaration form and go through relevant procedures at the competent customs.

3. The owner of cargo or agent goes through the formalities of examination and release at the port customs. The customs decides whether the cargo is to be checked or not on the base of risk analysis. If not, the cargo is released directly.

ⅱ. Export

1. After the cargo arrives at the port and gets the proof of optimum arrangement, declarant shall input the code of competent customs and send it an electronic declaration form. The enterprises applicable to the facilitative measures or approved by the customs could send the form in advance.

2. After the electronic declaration form is checked and released, the declarant shall submit the paper declaration form and go through relevant procedures at the competent customs.

3. The declarant goes through the formalities of examination and release at the port customs. The customs decides whether the cargo is to be checked or not on the base of risk analysis. If not, the cargo is released directly.

Ⅴ. Provision on submitting the form

1.The form-receiving counter of the competent customs takes charge of the inspection of documents(such as the paper declaration form, contract, invoice, packing list, licensing documents, certificate of origin， etc).

2.The documents that could only be handled at the port customs (such as bill of entry) should be submitted to the customs when going through the examination and releasing formalities.

Ⅵ. Amendment and cancellation

The amendment and cancellation of the declaration form should be applied to the competent customs.

Ⅶ. Examination and release

After submitting the paper document to the competent customs, if the declarant receives an examination notice, he/she could go through the formality of examination by himself/herself or by an agent; the cargo whose owner doesn’t receive such a notice is released directly at the post customs.

Ⅷ. The issue of certified customs declaration form

After the cargo is examined and cleared, the declarant could apply to the competent customs for issuing certified customs declaration form.