Detailed explanation of bonded warehouses and management methods in cross-border e-commerce

1. Export supervision warehouse

The export supervision warehouse is a special customs supervision warehouse established with the approval of the customs. It is specially used to store goods that have completed customs export procedures, bonded logistics distribution and provide circulation value-added services. Export supervision warehouses are divided into two types: export distribution warehouses and domestic carry-over warehouses.

• Export distribution warehouse: Mainly used to store export goods for actual departure.
• Domestic carryover warehouse: used to store export goods for domestic carryover.

Export supervision warehouses can store the following types of goods:

1. General trade export goods;
2. Processing trade export goods;
3. Export goods transferred from other special customs supervision areas and places;
4. Export distribution warehouses can store goods imported to assemble export goods, as well as packaging materials imported to change the packaging of goods in export supervision warehouses;
5. Other goods that have completed customs export procedures.

However, export supervision warehouses are not allowed to store the following goods:

1. The country prohibits entry and exit of goods;
2. Unapproved countries restrict entry and exit of goods;
3. Other goods that cannot be stored according to customs regulations.

2. Bonded warehouse

Bonded warehouse refers to a warehouse approved by the customs to store bonded goods and other goods that have not completed customs procedures. It is divided into three types:

• Public type: Contracted by an enterprise mainly engaged in warehousing business to provide storage of bonded goods to other enterprises.
• Self-use type: It is built by the enterprise itself and only stores its own company’s goods.
• Special type: including liquid dangerous goods bonded warehouse, material preparation bonded warehouse, consignment maintenance bonded warehouse and other special bonded warehouses.

Range of goods that can be stored in bonded warehouses:

1. Imported goods for processing trade;
2. Re-export goods;
3. Supply fuel, materials and maintenance parts for international ships and aircraft;
4. Imported retail spare parts needed to repair foreign products;
5. Foreign investors temporarily store goods;
6. General trade goods that have not completed customs procedures;
7. Other goods approved by the customs that have not yet completed customs procedures.

Similarly, bonded warehouses are not allowed to store the following goods:

1. The country prohibits import of goods;
2. Unapproved goods restricted by the country that affect public security, public health or health, public morals or order;
3. Goods prohibited by other countries.

3. “Three Accounts and One Card” and “Two Accounts and One Card” Systems

In order to better manage the goods in the bonded warehouse, the customs requires the bonded warehouse to implement the “three accounts and one card” or “two accounts and one card” system:

• “Three accounts and one card” are applicable to public bonded warehouses. The financial department, business department, and storage department shall establish detailed commodity ledgers, commodity transfer accounts, and commodity storage accounts respectively, and the warehouse custodians will record the goods in and out according to the records. Fill in the library record card.
• “Two accounts and one card” is applicable to special bonded warehouses. The financial department and the custodial department each establish an accounting system, and the custodian is responsible for card records.

4. Use bonded warehouses to reduce costs

For import and export companies, using bonded warehouses can bring many conveniences:

• Goods entering the country and deposited in bonded warehouses can be temporarily exempted from import taxes and fees, thereby reducing the occupation of corporate funds.
• Enterprises can simply process imported goods in bonded warehouses before distributing them.
• Small and medium-sized enterprises can purchase raw materials in multiple or small batches to reduce trade costs.
• The application of remote customs declaration, customs transit, centralized declaration and other methods can increase the speed of cargo flow and save logistics costs.
• Bonded warehouses have a more flexible operating model than other special customs supervision areas, such as export processing zones or bonded port areas.

The bonded warehouse business in Qingdao has performed outstandingly in recent years, not only providing enterprises with efficient logistics solutions, but also promoting the development of the local economy.

The above content is compiled from relevant regulatory documents and industry reports.