No. 3 Joint Announcement, 2018: The Announcement of Concrete Measures to Further Improve the Business Environment to Better Facilitate Trading across the Beijing-Tianjin

To implement the requirements in the Work Plan of the State Council for Optimizing Port Business Environment to Enhance Cross-border Trade Facilitation (Guo Fa [2018] No. 37) and further improve the facilitation level of Beijing-Tianjin Cross-Border Trade, we have, on the basis of the actuation situation, formulated the specific measures which are hereby announced as follows:

I. Optimizing Customs Clearance Modes1. Promoting the application of the advance declaration mode. Import enterprises are encouraged to adopt advance declaration to handle document examination and freight transportation operations and goods not under controlled inspection may be released upon arrival at the port.

2.　Implementing the "Release Before Declaration Modification" mode. In case of any abnormality revealed during customs inspection and involving no document, duty or inspection and quarantine risk but only the customs declaration that should not be released until after customs declaration modification, the declaration data may be modified after customs release.

3.　Implementing the "Release Before Tax Payment" mode. We will further promote "banking, customs and financing" credit enhancement guarantee and "horizontal combination" credit enhancement guarantee and the guarantee for financial companies, actively carry out the guarantee and insurance of customs duties, improve customs clearance efficiency, and lower corporate operation cost. We will implement differentiated guarantee modes based on the credit ratings of enterprises and explore the implementation of guarantee-free release of senior AEO enterprises, and reduce financing costs of enterprises.

4.　We will expand the applicability of the new generation customs taxes and fees electronic payment system to include the tax deposit and DDF, thus further improving the convenience of paying customs taxes and fees.

II. Optimizing Inspection and Test Modes5.　Implementing "Inspection-Test-In-One" operation on site of goods control. We will comprehensively integrate the inspection resources including inspection yards, facilities and equipment, strengthen overall coordination of inspection instructions, and strictly implement one-stop inspection to realize unified on-site enforcement, optimized clearance process and improved clearance efficiency.

6.　Promoting the inspection and supervision mode of "release before test". The imported goods meeting the conditions of the General Administration of Customs can be released from the customs control site after completing site inspection and quarantine and satisfying relevant requirements. Lab test will be conducted after the release and comprehensive assessment. Certificate issuance will be handled to shorten the stacking time at port yards and reduce costs for storage and handling.

7.　Optimizing the inspection and quarantine process for fresh product import. We will set up express clearance channels for goods such as meat, fresh aquatic products, fruits and edible aquatic animals, etc., speed up port inspection and support the expansion of daily consumer goods imports.

8.　Imported food and cosmetic samples for filing registration, R&D testing and trade negotiations are exempt from label inspection and filing, from providing sanitary evaluation data and certificate of origin and from sampling inspection.

9.　We will optimize the pre-declaration process for the export of animals, plants and their products, food, cosmetics and biological products, strengthen the organic connection and integration of export inspection and quarantine operations and customs clearance operations through the measures of enterprise classification management and product risk analysis, and develop electronic original accounts so that the enterprise may close the relevant inspection and quarantine procedures before the export declaration.

10.　We will optimize the express mail and e-commerce supervision mode, and uniformly use the automatic inspection line of the workplace to implement "one-screen operation".

III. Facilitating Document Handling and Promoting Paperless Operations11.　We will implement paperless import license claim and clearance operation. Except for special circumstances such as security protection and confidentiality, online submission and examination and approval of application data, networked check of license and paperless clearance operations may be realized for goods under the administration of the automatic import license or the import license (except ozone layer depleting substances). The enterprise is no longer required to submit written data and claim paper license.

IV. Vigorously Carrying Forward the Application of the International Trade Single Window12.　The enterprise may declare export rebates on the international trade single window platform, thus realizing automatic conversion between the information of the declaration form and that of the tax rebate declaration without the need for repeated entry.

13.　We will speed up upgrading of electronic port and International Trade Single Window, highlight local features, and enrich and improve functions to realize "One-stop Closing with One Submission at One Platform". We will expand the Single Window functions to the relevant zones like Special Customs Supervision Zones and Cross-Border E-Commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zone.

V. Removing, Regulating and Reducing Port Charges14.　Implementing the system of Port Charges Catalogue. We will establish the work mechanism for removing port charges with dual leading of the local finance bureau and commerce bureau (port office) and participation of entities involving price, market regulation, transportation and financial ombudsman office of MOF. We will publicize the charges catalogue following the national unified catalogue template on the International Trade Single Window platform, the website of the port administration department, website of enterprises and site of the port operations and services and no items out of the catalogue will be charged.?15.?Port business and service charges shall be removed or regulated: the government-set prices shall strictly follow the regulations and standards; and the market-adjusted prices shall be promoted among charging enterprises and no extra fees shall be charged in violation of the relevant provisions. Efforts shall be made to encourage competition, break monopoly, and promote the reduction of business and service charges, such as customs declaration, freight and shipping agency, logistics, warehousing, and port services. Focus shall be put on supervision and inspection, as well as punishment on various types of charges in violation of laws and regulations. The compliance costs for import and export will be greatly reduced, so that the comprehensive charging level of the port is obviously competitive nationwide and good services are provided for the coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei.

VI. Improving Port Service Mechanism16.　Promoting the "Customs Clearance Appointment" mode. Supported by the "Internet Plus Customs" integrated online service platform, the import and export consignees or consignors or their agents (excluding dishonest enterprises) can file an application with the customs office for customs clearance appointment if the customs clearance of the three goods categories stipulated in the Announcement [2018] No. 109 of the General Administration of Customs formalities beyond the normal office hours of the customs office is required. Customs Clearance Appointment at a greater range will be explored.

17.　Through the establishment and classification of precedent databases, the promotion and classification of pre-ruling service, the strengthening of tax policy research, and the development of systems (like product classification information service system), we will support and help enterprises to determine tax-related elements in advance, helping enterprises to fully benefit from the national tax reduction policy.

18.　Improving enterprise credit management level. Following the principle of "compliance accompanied by convenience", we will implement echelon classification management of credit ratings and provide all-round convenient services for enterprises with high credit rating. We will actively foster and expand the number of authorized enterprises, optimize the integral credit rating structure of enterprises, implement AEO senior authorization and support the "going global" efforts of enterprises by leveraging the outcomes of AEO international mutual recognition cooperation.

19.　Providing personalized services for key enterprises. The customs will establish the enterprise daily tracing and service mechanism by multiple online and offline means including the "enterprise coordinator system" and new media of WeChat public account so as to solve the difficulties and problems encountered by the enterprises in the process of export and import.

20.　Completing policy publicity and interpretation well. By multiple means including holding "service and consultation conference on export and import policies", conference on price policy reminding and warning, promotion of the International Trade Single Window and publicity and training of relevant new policies and measures, we will strengthen policy publicity and interpretation, guide port operating entities and export and import service enterprises to participate in the efficiency improvement and fee reduction of the port, thus realizing coordination and interaction between governments and enterprises.

21.　Improving port customs clearance system environment. Revolving around improving efficiency and reducing cost of ports and following three orientations (that is problem orientation, demand orientation and goal orientation), we will gradually establish Beijing port system by exploring the aspects from the improvement of International Trade Single Window and the expansion of openness and transparency to the optimization of service process and the regulation of intermediary and agent services and foster a stable, fair, transparent and predictable cross-border trade and business environment.

This Announcement will come into force as of the date of promulgation.

Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau (Port Office of the People's Government of Beijing Municipality)

Tianjin Municipal Commerce Bureau (Port Office of the People's Government of Tianjin Municipality)

Beijing Customs District People's Republic of China

Tianjin Customs District People's Republic of China

Beijing Municipal Bureau of Finance

Tianjin Municipal Bureau of Finance

Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform

Tianjin Municipal Commission of Development and Reform

Beijing Municipal Administration for Market Regulation

Tianjin Municipal Administration for Market Regulation

Administrative Committee of Beijing Tianzhu Free Trade Zone

December 29, 2018