GACC-MOFCOM Announcement No.58, 2014 on Paperless Clearance for Automatic Imports into Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone

 The GACC and the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) hereby jointly decide to conduct from August 11, 2014 customs clearance in a paperless way for the import goods under automatic import license into China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone.

Relevant matters are hereby announced:

1. As from August 11, 2014, the import goods under automatic import license in the “one certificate for one batch of goods” manner to Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone may be declared to the customs in a paperless way, but except crude petroleum and fuel oil. The customs will verify the automatic import license electronic data through networked examination, thus permitting importers to be exempt from submission of paper licenses of this kind.

2. The importers may apply for automatic import licenses as per current customs regulations. During the period of trial, only the goods under automatic import license shall be imported in the “one certificate for one batch of goods” manner to the Pilot Free Trade Zone; each declaration form can only correspond to one automatic import license. The import goods in other different manners may not be involved in the paperless clearance for now.

3. Where the paper automatic import license is needed, paper-based declaration may apply or the paper license may be submitted as a supplement.

4. Other issues than the application of paperless clearance to automatic import licenses may resort to the Administrative Measures on Automatic Import License of Goods (MOFCOM-GACC Decree No.26 of 2004), Automatic-Import-License Networked Examination System Announcement (MOFCOM-GACC Announcement No.2 of 2013) and GACC Announcement No.25 of 2014.

China Customs contact mode: hotline 12360


The General Administration of Customs of China (GACC)

August 5, 2014