Customs measures up to make CIIE a success

With 100 days to go before the third China International Import Expo, Shanghai Customs has released 14 measures to help exhibitors.

This year’s CIIE, expected to be held between November 5 and 10 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) in Qingpu District, had nearly 2,100 companies signed up, as of the end of June.

Twelve services implemented at the previous CIIE will continue this year, including specific people providing consulting services in the exhibition hall. The validity period of the ATA Carnet, the document that permits temporary importation of goods, will be extended, customs officials said.

Two new measures have been added.

One is for the tax guarantee. This year, the exhibition center can help exhibitors to apply for the tax guarantee for temporarily imported goods. And a new method of tax guarantee, named customs bonds insurance, was introduced for foreign exhibitors. By this method, customs duties can be paid after cargo passes through customs. The exhibitors can relieve financial pressure and reduce customs clearance time, the customs said.

The other measure is that the exhibits on the list of cross-border e-commerce imports released last year can be put into the Special Customs Supervision Areas or Bonded Logistics Center for online selling after the CIIE ends, it said.

This measure will enhance the overflow effect and offer more modern products for the whole country, Ye Jian, deputy director of the city’s customs, said.

Customs will also provide convenience for customs clearance through electronic health declarations for preventing the cross-infection of the novel coronavirus epidemic. It will make supervision more accurate through advanced technology such as a QR code showing the location of customs officials on the beat.