ROCEDURES FOR THE CUSTOMS DECLARATIONS OF ARTICLES IMPORTED AND EXPORTED BY THE DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS AND THEIR MEMBERS IN CHINA

(Promulgated by the General Administration of Customs on 1 December 1986)

1.For the import and export of the articles for official use by the Diplomatic Missions (hereinafter referred to as the Missions ) in China and of the articles for personal use by the diplomatic agents through consignment shipping or by mail, the missions shall fill out in triplicate the Declaration Form of Articles for Official or Private Use Imported or Exported by the Diplomatic and Consular Missions ( hereinafter referred to as the "Declaration Form") and submit it to the Beijing Customs for declaration formalities upon the arrival at the port of entry of the incoming articles or before the dispatch of those outbound. All the items in the Declaration Form shall be duly filled out and accompanied by detailed lists and invoices of the said articles and other relevant papers. The Declaration form shall bear the seal of the mission concerned and the signature of the head of the mission or the diplomatic agent authorized by him/her.
Filling of the Declaration Form may be waived in the case of incoming or outgoing small postal parcels of the missions or diplomatic agents. Related procedures shall be completed on presentation to the Customs of and official letter of the mission or the diplomatic identity card of the recipient or sender issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
2.The import by the Missions and their members of wireless transmitter-receivers, and their parts and firearms and bullets shall be declared to the Customs with a document of approval from the Chinese Foreign Ministry against which clearance shall be granted by the Customs.
3. For the import by the Missions and their members of articles whose export is prohibited or restricted by Chinese laws and regulations, such as treasured cultural relics, gold and silver and articles made thereof, a detailed list shall be submitted to the Customs for completing declaration and registration procedures. They shall be cleared by the Customs for re-export against the original Declaration Form upon entry.
4. Cultural relics taken out of China shall be declared to the Customs. Cultural relics purchased in shops in China shall be cleared by the Customs after being checked against the overseas sale invoices and identification marks affixed by the cultural administration in China. Cultural relics obtained through other channels in China shall be cleared by the Customs against the Export Certificates for Cultural Relics issued and the identification marks affixed by the cultural administration in China.
5. If for special reasons, the missions concerned and their members have to transfer ownership of articles imported duty free, they shall fill out beforehand in triplicate the Application Form for the Transfer of Ownership of Articles for Official or Private use of the Diplomatic and Consular Missions and submit it to the Beijing Customs. The formalities for such transfer may be effected only after approval. Except at the termination of the tenure of office or in other special circumstances, the ownership of cars may not be transferred before they have been used for two years after import.
6. The Missions shall send the following specimens and lists in quintuplicate to the Beijing Customs for re cord:
a. The specimens of the mission seal for use on Customs Declaration Form, the signature of the head of mission or the signatures of the diplomatic agents authorized by him/her.
b. The specimens of the stamp used for sealing a diplomatic bag and the diplomatic courier certificate.
c. A name-list (including position, the time of installation and address) of all the diplomatic agents of the mission, the members of its administrative and technical staff and service staff and their spouses and underage children living with them.
Any alterations in the above items shall be promptly notified to the Beijing Customs in writing.
7. The members of the administrative and technical staff and service staff of the mission, when importing articles intended for their establishment with in six months of the time of installation, shall fill out Declaration Form and submit it to the Beijing Customs for declaration formalities. Articles imported by them for personal use through consignment shipping during their tenure of office shall be cleared by the Customs after checking against their identity cards issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
8. The Missions wishing to ship out of China articles purchased on the Chinese market for organizations at home or for a mission of their country in a third country shall fill out the Declaration Form of Goods for Export and submit it to the Customs for check and clearance.
9. The following missions and their members, when importing or exporting articles, shall go through declaration formalities at the Customs in the places where their missions are stationed in line with the present Procedures:
a. Consular Posts in China and their officers as well as the members of their administrative and technical staff and service staff in China; and
b. Offices of Organizations of the United Nations System and its specialized agencies, offices of the international organizations with which China has concluded agreements, and their representatives and the members of their administrative and technical staff and service staff.
10. The present Procedures shall become effective as from the date of promulgation. The Procedures for the Customs Declaration of Articles Imported and Exported by Foreign Diplomatic Missions and Their Officers in China which came into effect from 1 January 1977 shall cease to be valid on the same date of promulgation.