China Adjusts Imp. & Exp. Inspection Catalog of 2012

On Dec. 29, 2011, China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) and General Administration of Customs (GACC) jointly issued the Announcement No. 203 of 2011 regarding adjustment of the 2012's Catalog of Entry & Exit Goods Subject to China's Entry-Exit Inspection & Quarantine Administrations (hereinafter referred to as the Legal Inspection Catalog) in concert with the adjustment of Chinese HS codes for 2012.

As per the Announcement No. 203, thirteen (13) HS codes covering food additives are adjusted in terms of their supervision criteria that are changed from blank to A/B;

The supervision criteria for nine (9) HS codes therein, involving melamine or sodium silicate (water glass) forbidden to be food additives, are adjusted from blank to A. Upon imports under such HS codes, the outer package of goods shall be marked with alerting words as "Forbidden for Food Processing".

One hundred and sixty (160) HS codes covering dangerous chemicals are also adjusted in terms of their supervision criteria;

Therein, the criteria for one hundred and thirty-four (134) codes are adjusted from blank to A/B; the criterion for one (1) code is adjusted from A to A/B; those for four (4) codes are adjusted from B to A/B; those for nineteen (19) codes are adjusted from blank to A; and those for two (2) codes are adjusted from blank to B.

The adjustment from blank to B is applied to the supervision criteria set for seventy (70) HS codes covering primary products of rare earth.

Additionally, any entry/exit goods listed in the Legal Inspection Catalog shall be inspected and quarantined by China's entry-exit inspection and quarantine administrations. Importers/exporters concerned shall make customs declarations on the strength of After-Inspection Certificates for Entry Goods and/or After-Inspection Certificates for Exit Goods that are issued by the entry-exit inspection and quarantine administrations.