Minister Yu Guangzhou Signs Cooperation Document with Director General of General Authority for Customs and Taxation of Mongolia

08/04/2016

On July 14, witnessed by Premier Li Keqiang and Mr. Jargaltulga Erdenebat, Prime Minister of Mongolia, Minister Yu Guangzhou of General Administration of Customs of China and Mr. Purev, Director General of General Authority for Customs and Taxation of Mongolia signed the Cooperation Arrangement on Promoting Trade Facilitation between the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China and the General Authority for Customs and Taxation of Mongolia (hereinafter as Arrangement) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

The Arrangement is aiming at supporting the coordination of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the Road of Grassland, serving the construction of China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor. Based on the principle of mutual exchange of information, mutual recognition of controls, and mutual assistance of enforcement, the Arrangement covers the main cooperation area between the two Customs Administrations, including port management, customs clearance and control, anti-smuggling, trade statistics as well as regional and multilateral cooperation.

On the same day, Minister Yu Guangzhou and Mr. Huang Shengqiang, Head of National Office of Port Administration had meetings respectively with Mr. Gantsog, State Secretary of Ministry of Finance of Mongolia and Mr. Purev, Director General of General Authority for Customs and Taxation of Mongolia.

During the meeting with Mr. Gantsog, Minister Yu made five proposals on further strengthening bilateral customs cooperation. Firstly, both sides should jointly build the Silk Road Economic Belt and the Road of Grassland for better inter-connectivity. Secondly, customs cooperation should be deepened to meet bilateral trade needs. Thirdly, both sides should develop more key programs to highlight the cooperation on customs clearance facilitation. Fourthly, law enforcement cooperation should be enhanced to maintain trade security. Fifthly, infrastructure construction of ports should be strengthened to promote port connectivity.

During the meeting with Mr. Purev, both sides spoke highly of the progress of customs and port cooperation and reached consensus on further strengthening cooperation. Firstly, the two sides should implement the newly sighed Arrangement. Secondly, both Customs Administrations should promote cooperation of mutual exchange of information, mutual recognition of controls and mutual assistance of enforcement to support the coordination of national strategies. Thirdly, both sides should deepen cooperation on port affairs for the smooth flow of supply chain. Fourthly, the joint control between the two Customs Administrations should be promoted as a model program. Fifthly, collaboration should be enhanced in AEO mutual recognition. Sixthly, cooperation should be strengthened in combating smuggling. Seventhly, both sides should further enhance cooperation in trade statistics. Lastly, the two sides should push forward the cooperation under the regional and multilateral frameworks.

On the same day, Mr. Huang Shengqiang met with Mr. Behbat, Deputy Director General of General Authority for Customs and Taxation of Mongolia. Both sides exchanged perspectives and reached consensus on strengthening infrastructure construction of ports between the two sides, implementing the new field inspection method, locating the border-crossing point of the railway port of Ganqimaodu and upgrading of ports between China and Mongolia.