Announcement on Matters Related to the Pilot Program for Initiating the Multimodal Transport Business Model of Import and Export Goods (Maritime-Rail and Water-Water Segments)

To support the high-quality development of multimodal transport and enhance the facilitation of customs clearance for international multimodal transport goods, the General Administration of Customs has decided to launch a pilot program for the supervision mode of multimodal transport involving sea-rail intermodal and water-water transshipment of import and export goods on the basis of previous pilot projects. The relevant matters are hereby announced.

I. The multi-modal transport referred to in this announcement means a transport mode where the cargo is carried by containers, and the domestic transportation mode is railway transportation or waterway transportation, and the inbound/outbound transportation mode is waterway transportation. Enterprises can carry out pilot projects of the multi-modal transport supervision model according to their own needs.

II. The scope of goods transported by multi-modal transport should comply with the "Regulations of the People's Republic of China on the Supervision of Transshipment Goods" (announced by the General Administration of Customs under Order No. 89) and relevant regulations. The containers carrying the goods should comply with the "Regulations of the People's Republic of China on the Supervision of Containers and Container-Type Truck Cabins Used for Loading Customs-Regulated Goods" (announced by the General Administration of Customs under Order No. 110). The vessels carrying goods within the territory should comply with the relevant requirements of the General Administration of Customs' Announcement No. 73 of 2022 (Announcement on Clarifying Matters Concerning the Declaration and Management of Transport Enterprises and Vessels for Carrying Domestic Waterway Transshipment Goods).

III. The multimodal transport operator and its agent enterprises (hereinafter referred to as the "multimodal transport operator") and the customs supervision operation site operator enterprises (hereinafter referred to as the "site operator enterprises") can handle the application procedures for multimodal transport data transmission to the customs through the "Single Window for International Trade" or by presenting the "Application Form for Data Transmission of Multimodal Transport Business". The multimodal transport operator and the site operator enterprise should transmit the application form for multimodal transport and related electronic data to the customs through the "Single Window for International Trade". The multimodal transport operator can entrust the agent enterprise to transmit the electronic data related to multimodal transport in the entrusted location. The "Application Form for Data Transmission of Multimodal Transport Business", "Data Items of Import Goods for Multimodal Transport Application Form", "Data Items of Export Goods for Multimodal Transport Application Form", "Data Items of Arrival Information", "Data Items of Departure Information", "Supplementary Data Items of Exit Logistics Information", "Data Items of Domestic Logistics Information Change", "Packing Report Data Items", "Application Data Items of Drop-off Request", "Application Data Items of (Un)loading (Transport) Order Splitting", "Data Items of Agent Enterprise Change", "Fill-in Specifications for Import and Export Multimodal Transport Goods Declaration Form, Multimodal Transport Application Form and Related Electronic Data" are detailed in Annexes 1 - 12.

IV. Work Flow. 

(I) Import Process. 

1. The multimodal transport operator should transmit the import multimodal transport application form to the customs after the original manifest of the multimodal transport goods is transmitted. After the customs accepts the multimodal transport application form, the consignee of the imported goods and the entrusted customs declaration enterprise can handle the declaration procedures for the imported goods.                                                                                                                                                                    2. The place operator should handle the loading and departure procedures after receiving the release information from the customs of the multimodal transport application form, and promptly transmit the departure information to the customs after departure.

   3. If the goods need to be reloaded within the territory, the place operator should transmit the arrival information of the goods to the customs after they arrive at the reloading location, and carry out the reloading operation in accordance with the notice of the customs agreeing to the reloading.

   4. The place operator should handle the reloading departure procedures after the goods complete the reloading and promptly transmit the departure information to the customs.

   5. After the goods arrive at the destination port, the place operator should transmit the arrival information to the customs. Once the customs receives the relevant information, it can handle the inspection and release procedures for the goods.

   6. For the domestic section involving multiple transportation processes, the relevant information should be transmitted segment by segment in accordance with the requirements of items 3 and 4 mentioned above 

   (II) Export Process. 

   1. The multimodal transport operator should transmit the multimodal transport application form to the customs before handling the export goods declaration procedures.

   2. After the goods arrive at the departure location, the site operating enterprise should transmit the arrival information to the customs. Once the customs receives the relevant information, it can handle the inspection and release procedures for the goods. 3. The site operating enterprise should handle the loading and departure procedures after receiving the release information from the customs' multimodal transport application form and promptly transmit the departure information after departure.

   4. If the goods need to be reloaded at a domestic location, the site operating enterprise should transmit the arrival information to the customs after the goods arrive at the reloading location and carry out the reloading operation in accordance with the notification from the customs agreeing to the reloading.

   5. The site operating enterprise should handle the reloading departure procedures after the goods complete the reloading and promptly transmit the departure information after departure.

   6. After the goods arrive at the exit location, the business entity operating the place should transmit the arrival information to the customs.

   7. If the application form for export multimodal transport does not fill in the exit transportation logistics information, the multimodal transport operator should supplement and transmit the exit logistics information before the goods exit.

   8. For the domestic section involving multi-leg transportation, the relevant information should be transmitted segment by segment in accordance with the requirements of items 4 and 5 above.