As of 1 August 2018, Customs Authorities in China will accept electronic documents (eDocs) at the point of Customs declaration, and will not longer require paper documents as a strict prerequisite for clearance.
This was announced by China’s General Administration of Customs, noting that the decision aims to facilitate foreign trade and improve the efficiency of customs clearance at ports.
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Namely, if the documents issued by the relevant competent authorities or agencies at home and abroad are used for online verification or internet access, only the document number or a scanned upload will be required. Thus, customs clearance can take place by referencing data from electronic documents.
The announcement also adds that certain requirements will need to be met in order to legally accept eDocs for clearance. Specifically, “if network verification has not been implemented and the Internet cannot be queried, a scanned copy is required.”
Until now, Chinese Customs required paper output of relevant trade documentation originating from online platforms. This decision is expected to accelerate the eDocs uptake in China and provide major efficiency gains for users involved in trades into and out of China.
