PROVISIONS OF THE GENERAL CUSTOMS ADMINISTRATION OF THE PEOPLE'SREPUBLIC OF CHINA ON CONTROL OVER GOODS, MEANS OF CONVEYANCE, LUGGAGE ANDPOSTALARTICLES ENTERING OR LEAVING THE SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES
PROVISIONS OF THE GENERAL CUSTOMS ADMINISTRATION OF THE PEOPLE'SREPUBLIC OF CHINA ON CONTROL OVER GOODS, MEANS OF CONVEYANCE, LUGGAGE ANDPOSTALARTICLES ENTERING OR LEAVING THE SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES
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
PROVISIONS OF THE GENERAL CUSTOMS ADMINISTRATION OF THE PEOPLE'S
REPUBLIC OF CHINA ON CONTROL OVER GOODS, MEANS OF CONVEYANCE, LUGGAGE AND
POSTAL ARTICLES ENTERING OR LEAVING THE SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES
(Approved by the State Council on March 21, 1986, promulgated by
the General Customs Administration on March 25, 1986)
Chapter I General Provisions
Article 1
These Provisions are formulated with a view to promoting the development
of Special Economic Zones, safeguarding national interests and ensuring
the smooth progress of socialist construction.
Article 2
These Provisions shall apply to the four Special Economic Zones: Shenzhen,
Zhuhai, Shantou and Xiamen (hereinafter referred to as "SEZ").
Article 3
Goods, means of conveyance, luggage and postal articles entering or
leaving SEZ shall go through the railway stations, road passes, sea ports,
aerodromes or post offices where there are Customs establishments and
shall be subject to declaration to the Customs and to its supervision and
control.
Article 4
All foreign trade enterprises or production enterprises within SEZ engaged
in import or export business shall complete the formalities of
registration at the Customs against the documents of approval issued by
the foreign economic and trade administrations at the provincial level or
above, or by SEZ people's governments.
If it is necessary, Customs officers may be sent to the aforesaid
production enterprises and stationed there for the performance of
supervision and control and the conduct of Customs procedures. All such
enterprises shall provide necessary offices and accommodations free of
charge.
Regular written reports on the end-use, sales and inventory of the
imported goods shall be submitted to the Customs by the enterprises
mentioned in Paragraph 1 of this Article for inspection and verification.
Article 5
Smuggling and other illegal activities carried out by taking advantage of
the preferential treatments granted to SEZ by the State are strictly
prohibited. The Customs is empowered to inspect, in accordance with the
Interim Customs Law any premises in SEZ which are suspected of
concealing smuggled goods.
Article 6
Goods, means of conveyance, passengers' luggage and personal effects and
mails destined to or originated from the non-SEZ areas of China, on their
way, from or to foreign countries or regions of Hong Kong and Macao via
SEZ, shall be handled in accordance with relevant State regulations on the
control of imports and exports.
Article 7
The Customs establishments in SEZ shall register the statistics of the
goods, means of conveyance, passengers' luggage and personal effects, and
mails entering and leaving SEZ according to the categories of import,
export or transport between SEZ and the non-SEZ areas.
Chapter II Control over Goods Entering or Leaving SEZ
Article 8
The consigner or the consignee or his agent shall fill in the Customs
declaration forms declaring the goods entering or leaving SEZ and submit
the relevant licenses and other documents to the Customs for examination
in accordance with pertinent regulations.
Article 9
The Customs duties and consolidated industrial and commercial taxes
(products tax and value added tax) on goods imported by the administrative
organs, institutions and enterprises in SEZ for use within SEZ, upon
approval of the competent authorities specified by State regulations,
shall be dealt with in the following ways:
(1) No duty and tax shall be levied on the machines, equipment, spare
parts, components, materials, fuel and transport vehicles imported for
construction and production in SEZ, nor on foodstuffs for the tourism and
catering trade and office equipment and means of transport imported in
reasonable quantities by enterprises, institutions and administrative
organs for their own use.
(2) Duties and taxes shall be levied at specified rates on goods, spare
parts, and components which are subject to import restrictions set by the
State, except those imported by enterprises for their own use in
production and business operations or by administrative organs and
institutions for their own use.
(3) The departments authorized by the State shall review and determine
annual import quotas for goods other than those listed in Items (1) and
(2) of this Article, and duties and taxes shall be computed and collected
on the goods imported within the set quotas at half of the specified
rates, and full-rate duties and taxes shall, according to relevant
regulations, be levied on the goods imported beyond the set quotas.
Article 10
Exemption from export duties shall be granted to export goods produced by
enterprises in SEZ.
Article 11
When the finished products manufactured in SEZ are transferred to non-SEZ
areas upon approval according to the relevant State regulations, the
consigner or his agent shall declare to the Customs by filling out a
declaration form for the transference of goods to other areas from SEZ and
submit it together with the approval documents and other relevant papers
to the Customs in conformity with the regulations. The aforesaid products
shall be released by the Customs after checking.
Goods imported into SEZ are strictly prohibited from being transferred to
other areas for sale unless otherwise stipulated by the State.
Article 12
Finished products processed or assembled by enterprises in SEZ with raw
materials, spare parts, components (hereinafter referred to as materials
and parts) imported duty free shall be re-exported.
Where the finished products mentioned above are transshipped, upon
approval, to other areas, payment of duties and taxes shall be calculated
on the basis of the imported materials and parts employed in the products.
Where the products are sold within SEZ, exemption from or payment of
duties and taxes on the imported materials and parts shall be handled
according to the stipulations in Article 9 of these Provisions. In a case
where the consigner or his agent fails to clarify the description,
quantities and value of imported materials and parts employed in the
products, payment of duties and taxes shall be calculated at such a rate
as if the finished products as a whole had been imported.
Article 13
The consignee or his agent shall declare to the Customs on goods
introduced into SEZ from other areas and the Customs shall release such
goods after checking.
Chapter III Control over Means of Conveyance Entering or Leaving SEZ
Article 14
All ships, trains, vehicles and aircraft entering or leaving SEZ shall be
declared to the Customs by the persons in charge, the owners or owners'
agents for inspection.
Article 15
All vehicles and vessels engaged in freight or passenger service or those
owned by enterprises or individuals in SEZ for transportation shall be
registered for the record at the Customs by the owners of the vehicles and
vessels with the approval documents issued by the relevant competent
authorities of SEZ together with a list stating the total number of
vehicles or vessels, licence numbers, their designations, names of the
drivers or of the crew.
Chapter IV Control over Luggage and Postal Articles Entering and Leaving SEZ
Article 16
Luggage carried by passengers entering SEZ from abroad or leaving SEZ for
abroad and personal articles sent by post from abroad into SEZ or sent
abroad by post from SEZ shall all be dealt with according to the Customs
rules on the control over the luggage and articles carried by the
passengers or postal articles entering or leaving Chinese territories.
Article 17
Articles intended for the establishment of the persons from abroad who
have bought residential houses or have decided to reside in SEZ for a long
time shall be declared to the Customs with the certification papers issued
by the relevant competent authorities of SEZ. The articles shall be
released duty free after Customs inspection if they are verified to be for
personal use and within reasonable quantities.
Article 18
Luggage carried by passengers travelling between SEZ and other areas shall
be restricted to reasonable quantities and be released by the Customs
after checking.
Article 19
Personal articles sent by post between SEZ and other areas in both
directions shall be in reasonable quantities.
Chapter V Supplementary Provisions
Article 20
Smuggling and other infringements upon these Provisions shall be dealt
with by the Customs according to the Interim Customs Law and other
relevant regulations. The judicial organs shall investigate the criminal
responsibilities of those who violate the criminal law.
Article 21
The right to interpret these Provisions resides in the General Customs
Administration; the Customs establishments in SEZ may, in accordance with
these Provisions, formulate specific rules for implementation, which shall
be enforced after approval by the General Customs Administration.
Article 22
These Provisions shall be effective as of April 1, 1986.
Notes:
The Interim Customs Law has been superseded by the Customs of
Law of the People's Republic of China, which was adopted at the 19th
Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Sixth National People's Congress
of the People's Republic of China on January 22, 1987 - The Editor
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