Online Interview
Topic: Jinan Customs District - P. R. China’s Youngest Customs District
Time:10:30 AM (Fri) May 09, 2014
Special Guests:Liu Weiwei, Party Leadership Group Secretary and Director General of Jinan Customs District
Online Interview Photos
Jinan Customs District - P. R. China’s Youngest Customs District
[Liu Weiwei]: At present, all businesses of Jinan Customs District tend to develop well, with the main business indicators ranking in the first 20 places among the 42 customs districts directly under GACC nationwide. For example, in 2013, Jinan Customs District obtained tax revenue of RMB19.35 billion, with a year-on-year increase of 9.4%, ranking 16th in the country; supervised inbound and outbound goods of 110 million tons, with a year-on-year increase of 46.2%, ranking 11th in the country; and achieved a total value of exports and imports of USD40.37 billion, with a year-on-year increase of 7.2%, ranking 19th in the country. 05/09/2014 10:36:57
[Wang Hua]: What a great performance Jinan Customs District has achieved, when the imports and exports nationwide have slowed down especially due to the influence of international economic environment since last year. Ms. Liu, after the upgrading, will the changes in employees, organizations, businesses and other aspects bring inconvenience to enterprises in customs declaration? 05/09/2014 10:37:37
[Liu Weiwei]: All the employees and equipment of Jinan Customs District are directly transferred from Qingdao Customs District, the original parent customs. During the construction of Jinan Customs District, we have kept close cooperation in all the businesses to ensure the operation order and the integrity of the working team at the beginning of construction. There’s little effect on enterprises. 05/09/2014 10:38:51
[Liu Weiwei]: To be specific, after the upgrading of Jinan Customs District, the biggest change in customs clearance faced by enterprises is that there are two customs districts they can go to for relevant business now, and between different customs districts, the regional clearance model must be adopted. To maintain the continuity of business and avoid affecting corporate clearance as far as possible, we developed the model of “local declaration and authorized release” with Qingdao Customs District, to make their formalities basically consistent with original ones. So we can say there is almost no impact on enterprises. 05/09/2014 10:39:11
[Liu Weiwei]: In 2013, in terms of exports and imports in foreign trade, 9 cities under jurisdiction of Jinan Customs District achieved a total value of USD70.89 billion, with an increase of 9.4%, 0.6 percentage points higher than the average level of the province. This shows the positive effects of the efforts carried out by Jinan Customs District to support the open economy. 05/09/2014 10:39:40
[Wang Hua]: What does the “local declaration and authorized release” mean? Could you please explain it? 05/09/2014 10:40:40
[Liu Weiwei]: Generally, inland companies in Jinan Customs District are required to declare the goods for import or export locally, and then complete the formalities for release at the port customs in Qingdao Customs District. Under the model of “local declaration and authorized release”, with the authorization from the Qingdao Customs, all the procedures from the receipt to the release relevant to the declaration for regional clearance declared in Jinan Customs District can be completed with Jinan Customs, and potential inconvenience to enterprises is resolved via all internal operations of Customs, so as to greatly reduce the costs on clearance by enterprises. 05/09/2014 10:41:38
[Liu Weiwei]: This model came into operation this year. It is a breakthrough and has won strong support from GACC. 05/09/2014 10:42:42
[Wang Hua]: What should those enterprises do if this model is not applicable? 05/09/2014 10:43:01
[Liu Weiwei]: They can adopt the model of transfer between Customs districts. For example, as to imported goods transferred between Customs, where such goods enter China through some port in Qingdao Customs District, the enterprise concerned can apply for handling of the formalities for transfer with the local Customs at the place of entry within 14 days, and within 14 days from the date when the goods are transferred to the supervision premise of a business site of Jinan Customs District, go through the import declaration formalities with the said business site. From January 17, 2014, for the import of waste papers and other goods, the model of speedy customs transfer and clearance “allowing enterprises to use their own transportation vehicles with recognized commercial seals and marks” has been adopted within Jinan Customs District. This truly reduced the costs on customs clearance of enterprises and has received positive responses from enterprises. Next we will deepen the cooperation with Qingdao Customs District, expand the applicable scope of speedy customs transfer and clearance model, and make all efforts to provide more convenience for foreign trade enterprises. 05/09/2014 10:44:23