Announcement of the Shanghai Entry-exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau and the Shanghai Customs on the Implementation of the Paperless Customs Clearance in Export Processing Zones

· Document Number：Announcement No. 5 [2016] of the Shanghai Entry-exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau of the People's Republic of China and the Shanghai Customs of the People's Republic of China

· Area of Law： Customs

· Level of Authority： Local Regulatory Documents

· Date issued：05-30-2016

· Effective Date：07-01-2016

· Status： Effective

· Issuing Authority： Shanghai Entry-Exit Inspection & Quarantine Bureau

Announcement of the Shanghai Entry-exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau and the Shanghai Customs on the Implementation of the Paperless Customs Clearance in Export Processing Zones
(Announcement No. 5 [2016] of the Shanghai Entry-exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau of the People's Republic of China and the Shanghai Customs of the People's Republic of China)
For the purpose of simplifying the formalities for the import and export declaration and enhancing the efficiency of the import and export customs clearance in all export processing zones in Shanghai, upon deliberation, the Shanghai Entry-exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau and the Shanghai Customs have decided to replicate and promote the paperless customs clearance policy that had been implemented in China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone as of July 1, 2016, implementing the paperless import and export (entry and exit) customs clearance in all export processing zones in Shanghai and hereby announce the relevant matters as follows:
I. Scope of implementation
The scope includes the goods entering or leaving the export processing zones in Shanghai and involved in the Customs Clearance Form for Goods Entering/Leaving China, except the imported solid wastes.
II. Content of Implementation
After the implementation of the paperless customs clearance, the customs shall handle the customs clearance formalities for enterprises based on the electronic data of the customs clearance forms for goods entering/ leaving China sent by inspection and quarantine departments. Except for emergencies and other special situations, inspection and quarantine departments shall no longer issue paper customs clearance forms and the customs shall no longer accept paper customs clearance forms.
III. Modification of the customs clearance form
Enterprises shall, in strict accordance with the Announcement on Implementing the “Online Customs Clearance Form Check” (No. 68 [2007] of the Joint Announcement), fill with the information about the customs clearance and inspection and quarantine in a standardized manner. Where the electronic data of a customs clearance form needs modification, the customs and the inspection and quarantine department shall undergo the following procedures:
1. Where the corresponding customs declaration form is still in the customs clearance process, the enterprise shall directly apply to the inspection and quarantine department for modification, and after the inspection and quarantine department has made the modification, the customs shall inspect and release the goods based on the electronic data of the customs clearance form.
2. Where the corresponding customs declaration form has cleared the customs, if the part to be modified does not involve any change to the inspection and quarantine work, the enterprise shall apply to the inspection and quarantine department based on the business contact form issued by the customs, and then the inspection and quarantine department shall issue the paper customs clearance form and electronic customs clearance data after accepting the application and making the modification, and the customs shall handle the relevant formalities based on the paper customs clearance form and the electronic data.
IV. Emergency handling
Where there is a malfunction in the online customs clearance form check system, after the customs and the inspection and quarantine department has verified and confirmed the cause of the malfunction and the handling plan, the following emergency measures shall be launched:
1. When the system malfunction has affected the operation of a relatively large scale of business, the enterprise shall apply to the original inspection and quarantine institution for the paper customs clearance form, and the customs shall handle the import and export customs clearance formalities based on the paper customs clearance form issued by the inspection and quarantine department.
2. When the system malfunction has affected the data exchange for only several customs clearance forms, the enterprise may apply to the inspection and quarantine department at the place where the enterprise make the customs declaration for the paper customs clearance form, and the customs shall handle the import and export customs clearance formalities based on the paper customs clearance form issued by the inspection and quarantine department

Shanghai Entry-exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau
Shanghai Customs
May 30, 2016