Questions and answers about advance declaration and two-step declaration:

1. Advance declaration:

1. What is advance declaration?

A: The consignor and consignee of imported and exported goods and the entrusted customs declaration company can declare to the customs in advance after obtaining the bill of lading or cargo list (manifest) data.

If the name, specification, quantity, etc. of the imported and exported goods have been confirmed, the approved enterprise can go through the customs declaration procedures in advance after the import goods are shipped, before the arrival of the port, or within 3 days after the export goods are transported to the customs supervision operation site, and go through the customs declaration procedures 3 days in advance.

Question: What convenience will the enterprise’s advance declaration bring?

Answer: 1. Improve the efficiency of goods declaration and optimize the port operating environment. Advance customs declaration is an important reform measure promoted by the General Administration of Customs to promote trade facilitation, which is conducive to shortening the customs declaration time and improving the customs clearance efficiency of goods.

2. Shorten the time of goods in port and reduce the customs clearance costs of enterprises. Enterprises declare in advance, and the customs reviews the declaration documents in advance. Enterprises reasonably arrange the time of freight forwarding according to the dynamics of the ship. After the arrival of the goods, the customs declaration form is automatically triggered for release. The goods are loaded and exported to reduce the time the goods stay in the port, reducing the customs clearance costs of enterprises.

Second, secondary declaration:

Question: What is two-step declaration?

Answer: Under the “two-step declaration” mode, enterprises do not need to fill in all the declaration items at one time, and can be divided into two steps: summary declaration and complete declaration.

Divide into two steps:

The first step is summary declaration: For goods that do not involve import restrictions, inspections or quarantines, enterprises only declare 9 items and confirm 2 logistics items; if import restrictions, inspections or quarantines are involved, for every additional 2 or 5 items, the taxable items shall select the guarantee filing number that meets the requirements. If the goods do not need to be inspected, they can be picked up; if the tax guarantee for tax-related goods has been submitted, or the customs inspection of the goods that need to be inspected has been completed, they can also be picked up.

The second step is complete declaration: the enterprise shall make supplementary declarations for other declared items within the specified time after picking up the goods, and handle customs clearance procedures such as taxes.

What conveniences does the second declaration bring to enterprises?

Answer: “Two-step declaration” will further “push forward and move backward” to minimize or even eliminate customs intervention in logistics, with the following main advantages:

First, the delivery speed is faster, which reduces the detention time of goods at the dock and reduces import costs;

Second, there is more time to prepare customs declaration materials and reduce declaration errors;

Third, enterprises can choose between “two-step declaration” and the original mode.