Chongqing - To support the resumption of work and production of foreign trade enterprises, Chongqing Customs District P.R. China, or Chongqing Customs, issued 11 measures from six aspects, including fast customs clearance, tax payment, and helping to the expansion of import and export on February 21, 2020.
Staff members of Chongqing Customs inspect supplies for epidemic prevention on February 1, 2020. (Photo by Ren Jun)
Ensuring fast customs clearance
The customs clearance is facilitated for production equipment and raw materials that enterprises urgently need to import. Supplies that enterprises use for the prevention and control of COVID-19 when resuming operation may be registered and released first, followed by appropriate formalities.
Involving tax payment
Temporary exemptions for donated imports for epidemic prevention and control from January 1 to March 31, 2020, are import tariffs, value-added tax, and consumption tax according to regulations. Import supplies directly organized by the competent health authorities for epidemic prevention are exempted from import tariffs.
Related exempted imports, if tariffs or taxes collected, shall be refunded. During the epidemic period, the time limit for customs-related formalities is extended, such as the payment of taxes, the fee for delay declaration, and the processing trade account book.
Reducing business operating pressure
Simplify the procedures for business registration or filing. If the registration information changes other than the company name, it can be handled after the epidemic ends. Moreover, the certification enterprises engaged in the production, transportation, and declaration of epidemic prevention and control materials shall not start re-certification for the time being, unless explicitly required. In addition, handle cases of violations in a simplified and quick manner.
Helping to expand imports
Accelerate the inspection and release of agricultural produce, food, and consumer goods and other urgently-needed imported materials to protect the domestic market supply. Allow the import of complete sets of equipment for major projects in Chongqing Customs to transfer from the port to the place of use to implement a "one-stop" inspection at any arrival time. Generally, no verification and testing are conducted on samples imported by enterprises for research and development.
Supporting enterprises to expand exports
Give full play to the role of international mutual recognition and coordination of the Authorized Economic Operator to help enterprises facilitate customs clearance overseas.
Facilitating business affairs
Carry out online customs processing via service platforms such as the Internet+ Customs, the Single Window for International Trade, and the customs-enterprises cooperation platform.
As for the logistics role in supporting the resumption of production and work, Chongqing Customs has been ensuring the operation of China-Railway Express (Chongqing) to Europe. Statistics showed that the China-Europe freight service made 42 trips and shipped 3780 TEUs of containers from January 24 to February 19.
Chongqing Customs also strictly implements the emergency measures of "registering and releasing first, followed by appropriate formalities" to ensure "zero-delays" for the customs clearance of imported epidemic prevention and control materials. As of February 19, Chongqing Customs had inspected and released 15,000 batches of imported anti-epidemic materials.
The General Administration of Customs P.R.China issued ten measures on February 16 to support foreign trade enterprises to resume operation.