CIRCULAR OF THE GENERAL OFFICE OF THE STATE COUNCIL CONCERNING THEAPPROVAL AND TRANSMISSION OF SEVERAL PROVISIONS BY THE LEADING GROUP FORPORT AFFAIRS ON STRENGTHENING THE WORK OF UNCLOGGING HARBOURS
CIRCULAR OF THE GENERAL OFFICE OF THE STATE COUNCIL CONCERNING THEAPPROVAL AND TRANSMISSION OF SEVERAL PROVISIONS BY THE LEADING GROUP FORPORT AFFAIRS ON STRENGTHENING THE WORK OF UNCLOGGING HARBOURS
Important Notice:
This English document is coming from the "LAWS AND REGULATIONS OF THE
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA GOVERNING FOREIGN-RELATED MATTERS" (1991.7)
which is compiled by the Brueau of Legislative Affairs of the State
Council of the People's Republic of China, and is published by the China
Legal System Publishing House.
In case of discrepancy, the original version in Chinese shall prevail.
Whole Document
CIRCULAR OF THE GENERAL OFFICE OF THE STATE COUNCIL CONCERNING THE
APPROVAL AND TRANSMISSION OF SEVERAL PROVISIONS BY THE LEADING GROUP FOR
PORT AFFAIRS ON STRENGTHENING THE WORK OF UNCLOGGING HARBOURS
(December 19, 1984)
Several Provisions on Strengthening the Work of Unclogging Harbours
formulated by the Leading Group for Port Affairs under the State Council
has been approved by the State Council. It is hereby transmitted to you
for implementation.
SEVERAL PROVISIONS ON STRENGTHENING THE WORK OF UNCLOGGING HARBOURS
With the all-round deepening of the reform of the economic structure and
the further implementation of the opening policy, there will be further
growth in our domestic and foreign trade. However, it is not possible to
improve the comprehensive capacity of passage of our harbours
fundamentally in the near future. Sharp contradiction between freight
volume and transport capacity will remain for a fairly long time in the
foreseeable future. In order to keep the harbours unblocked, raise the
rate of utilization of vehicle, vessels and warehouses, speed up the flow
of goods, and improve social and economic results, it is necessary to
strengthen the work of unclogging harbours. For this purpose, provisions
are formulated as follows:
1. The policy of planned transport must be persisted in. The method of
"two-level balance and centralized administration" shall be adopted in
formulating transport plans for import and export of foreign trade goods.
The transport plans, which are issued after going through the procedure of
comprehensive balance, must be strictly implemented by all the
departments.
(1) All the foreign trade companies and industrial trade corporations
shall deliver goods in a balanced way. All the shipping companies shall
dispatch their ships in a balanced way so as to prevent the ships from
crowding into the harbours.
(2) In arranging loading and unloading foreign trade vessels, the harbours
shall strictly observe the principle of planned ones first and those
outside the plans next, and basically according to the order of their
arrival to the harbours.
(3) The railway, highway and water transport departments shall take an
active part in the work of unclogging harbours. Railway departments shall,
in dispatching wagons, loading and transporting goods, give priority to
the materials from the clogged harbours, according to the monthly balance
plan made jointly by the Ministry of Communications, the Ministry of
Railways and the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade. Except
when transport is suspended as a result of natural disasters and major
accidents and when railways are seriously blocked, the loading and
transport of the materials from the clogged harbours may not, in
principle, be stopped or restricted.
(4) Departments in charge of materials and goods (or their agent units)
shall provide direction of transportation for the arrived materials and
take practical measures for receiving and storing the materials according
to the time set by transport departments. They shall unload the materials
and goods from the wagons during their stay at the stations and must not
use the wagons as storehouses. The relevant departments shall notify
departments in charge of materials and goods, timely, of the delivery and
arrival of vessels.
(5) If vessels arrive at harbours without having obtained the approval of
the monthly balance meeting held jointly by the Ministry of
Communications, the Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of Foreign
Economic Relations and Trade, local people's governments shall impose a
fine of one yuan for every ton of goods on the responsible units and the
unloading of such vessels shall be arranged according to relevant
stipulations. Fines shall not be imposed on the vessels which have sent
the plans as demanded but have not been included in the plans due to
inadequacy of capacity of the harbours and railways. However, for large
amounts of materials which have crowded into harbours, if the amount is
15% more than the monthly average of the yearly plan, a fine of 0.5 yuan
for every ton of goods shall be imposed on the responsible units. Local
people's governments shall use 50% to 70% of the income derived from fines
in awarding the relevant units (including departments for harbour
inspection and examination) and individuals at the harbour that have made
achievements in unclogging the harbours. This shall be organized and
implemented by the offices in charge of port affairs in the provinces
(regions and municipalities).
(6) For those materials which have arrived at harbours to be transferred
through railways to certain places and which do not belong to reasonable
flow, if the amount is within the limit (less than 500 ton for sundry
goods, less than 1,000 ton for a large bulk of materials), railway
departments shall undertake their transport as reasonable flow. If the
amount exceeds the limit, the materials shall be unloaded at the harbours.
(7) Leading Group for Port Affairs of the State Council and the offices in
charge of port affairs in the provinces (regions and municipalities)
shall, together with the relevant competent departments, conduct
supervision and examination over such links of transportation as
organizing sources of goods, ordering goods, delivery of goods, dispatch
of vessels, loading and unloading at harbours and dispersion in transport,
and shall handle and arbitrate major problems which arise in planned
transport.
2. In order to maintain normal production order at harbours, bring into
full play the initiative of all the parties and raise the rate of
turn-rounds of vehicle, vessels and goods, the relevant units at the ports
shall, in the spirit of the current reform of the economic structure, sign
bilateral or multilateral economic agreements, define each party's
responsibilities and clearly observe the policy of awards and penalties.
The content of the agreements may include provisions concerning period of
detention for vessels, number of railway wagons to be loaded, the time
freight trains may be allowed to stay at harbours, awards to those who go
beyond the plans in unloading goods from vessels and loading wagons and
trucks, etc. - which, as economic restrictive clauses for the parties,
shall be implemented under the aegis of the local offices for port
affairs.
3. Except bulk cargo and those which can be transported through special
railway lines, the materials destined for places not far from harbours
shall in principle be transported by trucks. Highway transportation
enterprises shall try every means to improve business management, lower
the cost and freight rates, and apply the business policies of good
service, and small profits but quick turnover. The distance limit within
which the materials and goods from harbours must be transported by trucks
shall be set by local people's government of the province (region or
municipality) in accordance with the local conditions.
Except for special circumstances, the materials and goods for places
within the prescribed distance limit shall not be transported through
railways.
4. The harbours from which materials and goods can be transported by water
shall make full use of vessels. In case the provinces, autonomous regions
and municipalities directly under the Central Government are unable to
transport timely their materials and goods from clogged harbours, local
offices for port affairs and the relevant departments shall organize
transport for them, and the harbours of arrival shall treat such vessels
as those within the plan and arrange unloading for them.
5. In case a harbour is clogged or in other special circumstances, the
Ministry of Communications, the Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of
Foreign Economic Relations and Trade as well as the competent departments
of the relevant units in charge of materials and goods, or the Leading
Group for Port Affairs of the State Council, may decide to change the
harbour of arrival for foreign trade vessels. The ports of arrival for
those vessels and departments for transportation shall treat them equally
as those within their plans and, with the close cooperation of the owners
of the cargo, adjust the direction of transportation for the cargo and
take measures for receiving and storing the cargo. The extra shipping
expenses shall be borne by the shipping companies and the extra domestic
freight, by the owners. If agreements have been signed, the agreements
shall apply.
6. Except for small quantities, imported grade-1 dangerous goods shall be,
in principle, transported in containers. Highly dangerous goods shall be,
in principle, transloaded directly without touching the ground. If it is
necessary to move them onto storage ground in extraordinary circumstances,
the owners must take delivery of the goods and leave the ground within a
time limit.
7. If economic agreements have not yet been signed in accordance with
Article 2 of these Provisions, the relevant departments shall handle the
cases according to the following measures:
(1) In case the imported materials which have been unloaded onto harbour
storage grounds remain at the harbour for more than 10 days (the 4 days of
reasonable storage period is not included, the same below) because the
owners or their agents fail to provide reasonable directions of
transportation and adopt practicable measures for receiving and storing
the goods, an additional storage fee, which is 50% of the set rate, shall
be collected from the owners or their agents starting from the first day
that is overdue; an additional storage fee, which is 100% of the set rate,
shall be collected if the materials are overdue for more than 20 days. If
the owners cannot take delivery of their goods in time because of the
harbour's responsibility, the harbour authority shall exempt them from
additional storage fees and pay the owners the expenses for hiring the
vehicle and vessels which have come in vain for the goods. If the owners
cannot take delivery of the goods which are within the monthly balance
plans because of the railway department's responsibility, the railway
department shall bear the additional storage fees. If goods cannot be
taken delivery of in time due to force majeure or other special reasons,
additional storage fees shall be exempted. Local offices for port affairs
shall mediate and arbitrate any disputes over issues of responsibilities.
(2) In case any unloaded and stored goods remain on the storage grounds of
a clogged harbour for more than 14 days, and the owners has already been
urged to take delivery of the goods, the local office for port affairs may
decide to move the goods to a warehouse or move them outside the harbour
area. The owner shall bear all the expenses arising therefrom. The choice
of the warehouses shall facilitate transportation of goods from the
clogged harbour. When the owners apply for train wagons for the
transportation of the goods in the warehouses, railway departments shall
treat their goods as materials from clogged harbours.
(3) In case imported goods remain at a harbour for more than two months
and the owner has not taken delivery of the goods although he has been
urged to do so, they shall be treated as goods which cannot be delivered.
Those goods which have gone through Customs declaration shall be
confiscated by the relevant department at the harbour according to the
instructions of the local people's government. Those goods which have not
gone through Customs declaration shall be confiscated by the Customs. The
income from the sale of the confiscated goods shall be turned over to the
State treasury according to the relevant stipulations. If it is proved
that the goods have been wrongly confiscated and sold, the party
responsible for the error shall pay for the economic loss of the owner.
(4) When a harbour is seriously blocked, in order to unclog it as soon as
possible, upon the suggestion of the local office for port affairs and the
approval of the Leading Group for Port Affairs of the State Council, some
materials which have remained at the harbour for less than two months may
also be subjected to necessary treatment.
8. The provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the
Central Government, where there are harbours, shall, in accordance with
these Provisions, formulate rules for implementing the work of unclogging
harbours in the light of their respective conditions and report to the
Leading Group for Port Affairs of the State Council for the record. Local
offices for port affairs shall be responsible for the implementation of
the rules.
9. These Provisions shall be trial implemented as of February 1, 1985. If
any existing provisions in this regard conflict with these Provisions,
these Provisions shall prevail.
rts of arrival for
those vessels and departments for transportation shall treat them equally
as those within their plans and, with the close cooperation of the owners
of the cargo, adjust the direction of transportation for the cargo and
take measures for receiving and storing the cargo. The extra shipping
expenses shall be borne by the shipping companies and the extra domestic
freight, by the owners. If agreements have been signed, the agreements
shall apply.
6. Except for small quantities, imported grade-1 dangerous goods shall be,
in principle, transported in containers. Highly dangerous goods shall be,
in principle, transloaded directly without touching the ground. If it is
necessary to move them onto storage ground in extraordinary circumstances,
the owners must take delivery of the goods and leave the ground within a
time limit.
7. If economic agreements have not yet been signed in accordance with
Article 2 of these Provisions, the relevant departments shall handle the
cases according to the following measures:
(1) In case the imported materials which have been unloaded onto harbour
storage grounds remain at the harbour for more than 10 days (the 4 days of
reasonable storage period is not included, the same below) because the
owners or their agents fail to provide reasonable directions of
transportation and adopt practicable measures for receiving and storing
the goods, an additional storage fee, which is 50% of the set rate, shall
be collected from the owners or their agents starting from the first day
that is overdue; an additional storage fee, which is 100% of the set rate,
shall be collected if the materials are overdue for more than 20 days. If
the owners cannot take delivery of their goods in time because of the
harbour's responsibility, the harbour authority shall exempt them from
additional storage fees and pay the owners the expenses for hiring the
vehicle and vessels which have come in vain for the goods. If the owners
cannot take delivery of the goods which are within the monthly balance
plans because of the railway department's responsibility, the railway
department shall bear the additional storage fees. If goods cannot be
taken delivery of in time due to force majeure or other special reasons,
additional storage fees shall be exempted. Local offices for port affairs
shall mediate and arbitrate any disputes over issues of responsibilities.
(2) In case any unloaded and stored goods remain on the storage grounds of
a clogged harbour for more than 14 days, and the owners has already been
urged to take delivery of the goods, the local office for port affairs may
decide to move the goods to a warehouse or move them outside the harbour
area. The owner shall bear all the expenses arising therefrom. The choice
of the warehouses shall facilitate transportation of goods from the
clogged harbour. When the owners apply for train wagons for the
transportation of the goods in the warehouses, railway departments shall
treat their goods as materials from clogged harbours.
(3) In case imported goods remain at a harbour for more than two months
and the owner has not taken delivery of the goods although he has been
urged to do so, they shall be treated as goods which cannot be delivered.
Those goods which have gone through Customs declaration shall be
confiscated by the relevant department at the harbour according to the
instructions of the local people's government. Those goods which have not
gone through Customs declaration shall be confiscated by the Customs. The
income from the sale of the confiscated goods shall be turned over to the
State treasury according to the relevant stipulations. If it is proved
that the goods have been wrongly confiscated and sold, the party
responsible for the error shall pay for the economic loss of the owner.
(4) When a harbour is seriously blocked, in order to unclog it as soon as
possible, upon the suggestion of the local office for port affairs and the
approval of the Leading Group for Port Affairs of the State Council, some
materials which have remained at the harbour for less than two months may
also be subjected to necessary treatment.
8. The provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the
Central Government, where there are harbours, shall, in accordance with
these Provisions, formulate rules for implementing the work of unclogging
harbours in the light of their respective conditions and report to the
Leading Group for Port Affairs of the State Council for the record. Local
offices for port affairs shall be responsible for the implementation of
the rules.
9. These Provisions shall be trial implemented as of February 1, 1985. If
any existing provisions in this regard conflict with these Provisions,
these Provisions shall prevail.
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