Online Interview
Topic: Border Trade Promotion by Kunming Customs District in Yunnan Province
Time:09:30 AM (Thu) June 05, 2014
Special Guests:Ma Jun, Deputy Director General of Kunming Customs District; Shi Yi, Director of the Supervision and Clearance Department, Kunming Customs District; Xu Minghai, Director of the General Office, Kunming Customs District
Online Interview Photos
Border Trade Promotion by Kunming Customs District in Yunnan Province
[Xu Minghai]: Before the sugar squeezing season begins, the customs officers went to the company and completed the registration formalities for the company’s 220 sugarcane transport vehicles in the quick customs clearance system, and provided trainings on customs clearance for the drivers in advance. During the sugarcane squeezing season, the company may import as many as thousands of tons of sugarcane per day sometimes. So the Customs established a special green channel on the Qingshuihe Port under Mengding Customs House which handles most of the sugarcane import. In addition, the Customs implemented a 7x24 hours customs declaration reservation mechanism, so as to handle the customs declaration applications at any time and enable the vehicles to pass the port quickly. 06/05/2014 10:06:08
[Xu Minghai]: Some import and export enterprises, especially the newly established small and medium enterprises with insufficient funds and experiences, usually cannot fully utilize the state preferential policies, so they need the support and assistance from the Customs. Therefore, the Customs go to the enterprises and provide policy guidance to them, help them to choose the most appropriate customs clearance mode, and solve their difficulties during import and export businesses through coordination. 06/05/2014 10:06:18
[Wang Hua]: As I know, it is one of the feature services in the Kunming Customs District to supervise cross-border trade of plant products. So what have you done in this respect? 06/05/2014 10:06:30
[Ma Jun]: Well, in 1990s, the State decided to "eliminate the drug sources" by growing substitute plants for opium poppy, and also launched favorable policies for import and export of commodities under the project of growing substitute plants. Therefore, enterprises started to take the lead in growing substitute plants. 06/05/2014 10:06:45
[Ma Jun]: In order to help the enterprises reduce clearance costs and improve clearance efficiency, and promote the formation of an industry relating to growing of substitute plants and processing them into agricultural products for domestic sales,, we delegates the approval authority for tax reduction and exemption to the subordinate customs house at each port. In this way, we have helped improve the customs clearance efficiency and reduced the operation costs of enterprises. 06/05/2014 10:07:02
[Ma Jun]: Considering that the agricultural products for domestic sales made from substitute plants are mostly fresh and live goods, we provide enterprises with the convenience of release by bond. That is, the enterprises deposit a certain security bond in advance, and by the bond, the Customs inspect and release their goods. After the enterprises obtain the quota, they can have security bond returned and complete the relevant formalities. 06/05/2014 10:07:12
[Ma Jun]: In 2013, Kunming Customs District provided 5,002 tax-free certificates for import and export goods under the substitute plantation projects. The total value of such goods reached USD 370 million, with a year-on-year increase of 35%. The total value of reduced and exempted taxes exceeded RMB 800 million, with a year-on-year increase of 29%. 06/05/2014 10:07:28
[Wang Hua]: It is really a unique "welfare" in the border areas. 06/05/2014 10:07:45
[Ma Jun]: Yes, it is. 06/05/2014 10:07:54
[Wang Hua]: OK. Mr. Ma, the Kunming Customs District has made great efforts to support the border trade and stimulate the local economic development. So is there anything you want to remind the enterprises and individuals engaging in import and export businesses to pay attention to? 06/05/2014 10:08:20