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| No.8 November, 2009 |
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Swifter wine export from HK to Mainland |
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A new pilot program will streamline customs procedures for imports of wine from Hong Kong into China.
The program will be launched in Shenzhen early next year with the possibility of being extended to other entry points across China if successful.
The changes will further strengthen Hong Kong's status as a leading Asian wine hub primed to exploit the massive anticipated growth in China's wine market.
The agreement was made following talks between Hong Kong's Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mrs Rita Lau, and China’s Vice Minister of the General Administration of Customs, Mr L Bin, in Beijing on 23 November.
Both sides also exchanged views on the restructuring of the processing trade and assisting Hong Kong-owned enterprises to engage in domestic sales on the Mainland.
The Financial Secretary announced in early November that Hong Kong had reached consensus with Chinese Customs officials to provide facilitation measures for wine imported from Hong Kong.
The measures mean the General Administration of Customs will provide two facilitation measures for wine exported from Hong Kong to China.
They include pre-valuation of wine duty 10 working days before a wine shipment is exported from Hong Kong to China and completion of work at the boundary point by the valuation unit of the Mainland Customs normally in one working day.
Alternatively, for registered importers who have not chosen to carry out pre-valuation of wine duty, the Mainland Customs would strive to shorten the clearance time. For wines which have been imported into the Mainland before, and accompanied with all the necessary documents, the clearance procedures will normally be done within three working days. For wines new to the Mainland market, the valuation procedures will usually be completed within seven working days. If the customs clearance cannot be completed in time, the goods can still be released with a guarantee deposit.
Mrs Lau said the agreement would enhance co-operation between the two customs authorities on wine matters.
"The facilitation measures seek to increase transparency and certainty for Hong Kong's wine traders to better tap the business opportunities arising from increasing demand for wine on the Mainland.
"This will also help strengthen Hong Kong's position as the wine trading and distribution hub in the region," Mrs Lau said.
"The measures will also provide incentives for Hong Kong's wine traders (particularly the smaller ones and/or those handling boutique wines) to export a greater variety of wines into the Mainland, thus providing more choice to the consumers there." |
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