In order to further optimize the business environment at ports and promote cross-border trade facilitation, the General Administration of Customs, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the Ministry of Commerce have decided to launch the pilot program of the networked verification of electronic data on three certificates including the Certificate of Import Tariff Quotas for Agricultural Products of the People's Republic of China. The relevant issues are hereby announced as follows:
I. Starting on September 29, 2022, the networked verification of electronic data on the Certificate of Import Tariff Quotas for Agricultural Products of the People's Republic of China, the Certificate of Import Tariff Quotas for Fertilizer of the People's Republic of China, and the Certificate of Quotas for Preferential Tariff Rates beyond Tariff Quotas for Imported Cotton (hereinafter collectively referred to as the Quota Certificates) and the electronic data provided in the customs declarations will be implemented nationwide on a pilot basis.
II. From the date of launching the pilot program, the National Development and Reform Commission will issue electronic quota certificates for the year's newly approved tariff quotas for cotton imports and preferential tariff rates beyond tariff quotas for cotton imports, and transmit the electronic data to the customs. The Ministry of Commerce will issue the electronic quota certificates for the year's newly approved tariff quotas for fertilizer imports, and transmit the electronic data to the customs. Enterprises shall undergo the import formalities with the customs with the electronic quota certificates, and the customs shall call the electronic data on quota certificates and compare and verify them with the electronic data in the customs declaration.
III. Starting on November 1, 2022, the Ministry of Commerce will issue electronic quota certificates for the year's newly approved tariff quotas for sugar, wool, and wool tops imports and the tariff quotas for importing countries, and transmit the electronic data to the customs. Enterprises shall undergo the import formalities with the customs with the electronic quota certificates, and the customs shall call the electronic data on quota certificates and compare and verify them with the electronic data in the customs declaration.
IV. From the date of launching the pilot program, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce will no longer issue paper quota certificates to those that have been issued with electronic quota certificates. There is no limit on the number of uses for electronic quota certificates. For the quota certificates issued before the implementation of the pilot program, an enterprise holding a paper quota certificate may undergo import formalities with the customs within the validity period. Quota certificates that do not specify the mode of trade shall be applicable to import by general trade, processing trade, barter trade, small-scale border trade, aid, donation, and other trade modes.
V. From the date of launching the pilot program, if a paper or electronic quota certificate is used to undergo import formalities with the customs, the enterprise shall accurately fill in the code and number of the quota certificate, and fill in the corresponding relationship between the commodity items in the customs declaration and the commodity items in the quota certificate (see the attachment for the filling requirements). The names of the end users of the Certificate of Import Tariff Quotas for Agricultural Products of the People's Republic of China and the Certificate of Quotas for Preferential Tariff Rates beyond Tariff Quotas for Imported Cotton shall be consistent with the users of the customs declarations, and the importer and import user of the Certificate of Import Tariff Quotas for Fertilizer of the People's Republic of China shall be consistent with the consignee, consignor, and user of the customs declaration respectively.
For goods chosen to be declared in advance, the quota certificate shall, according to the provisions of Article 15 of the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Import and Export Duties on the point that "the valid tariff rate of the day when an entry declaration is filed for the means of transportation that carries the goods shall apply to the advanced declaration of goods", be valid on the date when the customs accept the import declaration of goods and on the date when the entry declaration is filed for the means of transportation. If a two-step declaration is selected, the declaration shall be made according to the certificate-related mode.
If the quota certificate of the country is used and complies with the Free Trade Agreement Between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of New Zealand, the Free Trade Agreement between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia, and the Free Trade Agreement between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Mauritius, the "Preferential Trade Agreements" column shall be filled in according to the requirements of Announcement No. 34 [2021] of the General Administration of Customs.
VI. In case of any relevant problems, please contact the customer service of China International Trade "Single Window" for consultation and settlement. Tel.: 010-95198.
It is hereby announced.
General Administration of Customs, National Development and Reform Commission, and Ministry of Commerce
September 28, 2022