GACC Announcement No.25, 2014 on Paperless Clearance Promotion

The GACC has decided to further promote in 2014 paperless customs clearance on the basis of relevant pilot operations in 2013.

Relevant matters are hereby announced:

1. Expansion of the pilot operation:

(1) The pilot operation may be expanded to all customs clearance spots nationwide.

(2) To promote the paperless clearance practice for the transferred-across-customs goods and the goods under the "local declaration and local release" mode.

(3) To launch the paperless clearance for express/mail-delivered goods.

2. Simplification of declaration-attached documents:

(1) Import Goods

1) Processing-trade and bonded declarations:
Customs declarations may dispense with contracts, packing lists, cargo manifests, etc. unless otherwise required by the customs.

2) Non-processing-trade and non-bonded declarations:
Customs declarations may dispense with packing lists, cargo manifests, etc. unless otherwise required by the customs.

3) Declarations involved in regional clearance integration among Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province:
Customs declarations may dispense with contracts, packing lists, cargo manifests, etc. unless otherwise required by the customs.

(2) Export Goods

Customs declarations for exports may dispense with contracts, invoices, packing lists, cargo manifests, etc. unless otherwise required by the customs.

3. Upon local customs approval, the pilot firms may adopt the paperless clearance mode within local customs jurisdiction after they sign electronic data application agreements with local customs and the third-party certifying agency (China E-Port Data Center).

4. The customs-approved firms may choose paper-based or paperless operation mode; those choosing the paperless mode shall select "paperless clearance" mode at the entry side of China E-Port Data Center.

5. Upon the choice of the paperless mode, the customs-approved firms of AA grade or A-grade manufacturers may declare without sending the attachments’ data, unless otherwise required by the customs; the firms of other classified grades shall send both the electronic data of their declaration forms and of all required attachments.

6. The applicants may refer to customs’ electronic archives of declarations and documents as per customs regulations.

7. The paperless clearance mode shall not be applied to license-based imports or exports where the electronic license data are not networked.

This Announcement shall enter into force on April 1, 2014 along with simultaneous repeal of GACC Announcement No. 19 of 2013.


The General Administration of Customs of China (GACC)

April 1, 2014