Notice of the General Administration of Customs No. 70 of 2022 (Notice on Matters Relating to the Regulation of the Conversion of Inward and Outward Vessels to Domestic Transport)

　　In order to further deepen the paperless reform of customs supervision and control operations, facilitate and standardize the handling of relevant procedures for the conversion of inbound and outbound ships to domestic transport, the relevant matters are hereby announced as follows:

　　I. This Announcement applies to the customs control over the conversion of inbound and outbound vessels to domestic transport for international sailing vessels and small vessels going to and from Hong Kong and Macao, as well as the re-conversion of inbound and outbound transport.

　　II. During the operation of inbound and outbound transport (including continuing within China), ships shall be subject to supervision in accordance with the Measures of the Customs of the People’s Republic of China for the Supervision of Inbound and Outbound Means of Transport.

　　III. If an inbound or outbound ship needs to be switched to domestic transport, the person in charge of the means of transport shall fill in code 5 (switch to domestic transport) in the data item of “Customs Business Type” when submitting to the Customs the electronic data of “Entry Declaration Form for Vessels of the People’s Republic of China Customs” and “Entry Declaration Form for Vessels of the People’s Republic of China Customs”.

　　After the import goods and articles have been unloaded or all inbound passengers have disembarked, the person in charge of the means of transport shall submit an electronic application for the means of transport clearance to the Customs; After the customs checks and confirms that the relevant regulatory requirements have been completed, it will feedback the electronic notification of customs clearance for the means of transport, and grant the means of transport the release from customs supervision. Meanwhile, the record information of the ship will be updated from “inbound and outbound transport” to “re-operated domestic transport”.

　　IV. If a ship that has been converted to domestic transport needs to be converted to inward and outward transport again, the person in charge of the means of transport shall fill in code 1 (Inward and outward transport to be converted from domestic transport) when submitting to the Customs the electronic data of the Departure Voyage Plan of Inward and Outward Means of Transport by Water. After the examination and verification, the Customs will update the record information of the ship from “conversion to domestic transportation” to “inbound and outbound transportation”.

　　V. When an inbound or outbound ship is re-operated for transport within the territory of China, if the amount of ship’s materials, fuel, cigarettes and liquor retained on board exceeds the reasonable limit for personal use, customs formalities shall be completed in accordance with the relevant provisions on import goods, or the goods shall be transferred to other inbound or outbound ships.

　　Ship’s materials, fuels, cigarettes and liquor used for transportation within the territory shall no longer enjoy the duty-free privileges of ships on international voyages.

　　VI. The supervision and control of the staff of the ship that has been reformed by the Customs shall be carried out in accordance with the relevant regulations on inbound and outbound passengers.

Article source：The General Administration of Customs