PROCEDURES OF THE CUSTOMS OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA FOR THE SUPERVISION OF INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AIRCRAFT

PROCEDURES OF THE CUSTOMS OF THE PEOPLE'S
REPUBLIC OF CHINA FOR THE SUPERVISION OF
INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AIRCRAFT

(Revised and promulgated by the Ministry of
Foreign Trade on September 10, 1974 and put
into effect on October 1, 1974)

SUBJECT: CUSTOMS

ISSUING-DEPT: MINISTRY OF FOREIGN ECONOMIC RELATIONS & TRADE

ISSUE-DATE: 09/10/1974

IMPLEMENT-DATE: 10/01/1974

LENGTH: 1488 words

TEXT:

CHAPTER I GENERAL RULES

[Article 1] These Procedures are formulated for the purposes of ensuring the effective implementation of the state policies and customs decrees in the control of foreign trade and to facilitate international civil air transportation.

[Article 2] The international civil aircraft referred to in these Procedures are all civil aircraft entering and leaving our country, excluding the special planes taken by the heads of states and governments.

[Article 3] Except those specially permitted, international civil aircraft shall be permitted to land or take off only at the international airports provided with Customs houses.

International airports shall notify the Customs two hours before the landing or taking off of civil aircraft.

[Article 4] If an international civil aircraft is to handle passengers, goods, postal items, luggage and other articles, it shall have to be authorised by Customs and do the work under the Customs' supervision.

CHAPTER II DECLARATION, EXAMINATION AND CLEARANCE OF AIRCRAFT

[Article 5] After the landing of an international civil aircraft, the commander or his agent shall submit the following documents to the Customs immediately:

(1) A manifest of entering and transit passengers and luggage;

(2) A manifest of import and transit goods, postal items and other articles and a copy of the airway bill relating to the goods;

(3) A list of the aircrew and their personal effects which include currencies, gold and silver.

[Article 6] Before an international civil aircraft takes off, the commander or his agent shall submit the following documents to the Customs:

(1) A manifest of outgoing passengers and luggage;

(2) A manifest of export goods, postal items and other articles and a copy of the airway bill relating to the goods;

(3) A list of the aircrew and their personal effects which include currencies, gold and silver (which is exempt from submission if there is no change in the aircrew after entering the airport).

[Article 7] When an international civil aircraft lands and takes off at the second and third international airports in our territory on the same flight, the commander or his agent shall submit the declaration documents to the Customs as stipulated in Article 5 and Article 6 of these Procedures.

The commander or the person assigned by him shall be responsible for carrying the customs cover given to him by the Customs intact to the Customs house at the next airport.

[Article 8] If an international civil aircraft incidentally lands at a designated unscheduled airport with the consent of the civil aviation administration department because of the climate and other objective reasons, it shall be exempt from submission of declaration documents if it does not handle passengers and goods. However, the commander shall take necessary measures to keep all the goods and luggage on board intact.

[Article 9] An international civil aircraft shall be examined by the Customs after landing or before taking off.

When the Customs examines the aircraft, the commander or the person assigned by him shall be present. When the Customs considers it necessary to open up the relevant parts of the plane and look into the flight log and other documents, the commander or the person assigned by him shall act upon the request and submit the same for examination.

Upon completion of the Customs' examination of the aircraft, the commander shall sign the examination record compiled by the Customs.

[Article 10] An international civil aircraft shall only be permitted to take off after the Customs has finished examination, and signs and seals the export manifest for clearance.

CHAPTER III SUPERVISION OF PASSENGERS, GOODS POSTAL ITEMS AND LUGGAGE

[Article 11] Incoming or outgoing passengers and their luggage and articles shall go through customs formalities before going out of the airport or boarding the aircraft.

[Article 12] Import or export goods, postal items, luggage and other articles shall go through customs formalities and the Customs shall sign and seal the airway bill or other relevant documents for clearance before the airport delivers or receives them for shipment.

[Article 13] The passengers, goods, postal items, luggage and other articles in transit on the original aircraft shall be examined if the Customs considers it necessary to do so.

[Article 14] The passengers in transit who have to change aircraft shall go through transit formalities in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Customs.

[Article 15] The goods, postal items, luggage and other articles in transit by changing aircraft shall be landed and stored in the storage places approved by the Customs, put under the supervision of the Customs and go through transit formalities in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Customs.

[Article 16] If a military aircraft or a special plane carrying the head of a state or a government entering or leaving our country also carries general goods and/or passengers, the department concerned shall give a notice to the Customs and the Customs shall supervise them in accordance with these Procedures and other relevant provisions.

CHAPTER IV SUPERVISION OF ARTICLES CARRIED BY THE AIRCREW

[Article 17] The articles, currencies, gold and silver carried by the aircrew for their own use shall be examined and cleared by the Customs when they enter or leave our country.

[Article 18] The articles carried by the aircrew for import or export shall be restricted to the necessary or odd articles for their own use in the flight. Imported articles shall be prohibited from sale or transfer.

When the aircrew of a foreign civil aircraft buy reasonable quantities of articles for their own use and carry them abroad, the aircrew shall submit the foreign currency exchange memos and the sales memos of the stores which sold them to Customs for examination.

[Article 19] The aircrew shall be prohibited from carrying articles into or out of our country on behalf of other persons.

CHAPTER V SUPERVISION OF AIRCRAFT'S FUEL, OIL, PARTS AND SUPPLIES AS WELL AS GOLD, SILVER AND CURRENCIES

[Article 20] The fuel, oil, parts, spares, normal equipment, and supplies as well as gold, silver and currencies shall be examined or sealed if the Customs considers it necessary to do so. The commander shall keep the Customs seals intact.

The above articles shall be prohibited from sale or transfer for other purposes during the aircraft's stay at the airport.

[Article 21] The fuel, oil, parts, spares, normal equipment, supplies, etc, obtained from an aircraft for use by other aircraft belonging to the same civil aviation enterprise shall be listed in a separate certificate for clearance without a license, signed by the commander, submitted to the Customs for examination and the articles should be stored in the storage places approved by the Customs under the supervision of the Customs. When they are to be used or transported out, a certificate for clearance without a license shall be made, signed and submitted to the Customs for verification and cancellation.

The above articles are exempt from customs duties, but they shall be prohibited from sale or transfer for other purposes.

[Article 22] An application shall be made to the Customs for supervision when an international civil aircraft is to replenish fuel, oil, parts, spares, normal equipment and supplies.

CHAPTER VI SUPERVISION OF IMPORT AND EXPORT ARTICLES OF INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ENTERPRISES

[Article 23] An international civil aviation enterprise shall make a list of the common articles transported in for its own use and such business materials as publicity materials, souvenirs, documents, forms, tickets, etc. and declare them at the Customs. After approval, the Customs shall tax and clear the public articles and such other articles as publicity materials without taxation, but prohibit them from sale.

[Article 24] "Public postal items" received and sent by international civil aviation enterprises are confined to the letters between civil aviation enterprises listed in the manifest for the Customs examination and clearance when they are imported or exported.

CHAPTER VII SUPPLEMENTARY PROVISIONS

[Article 25] The captain or his agent or the civil aircraft enterprise should give prompt notice to the Customs if an international civil aircraft is forced to drop passengers with parachutes and discard goods within our territory because of engine troubles or other reasons or if the airplane crashes in our country due to accidents.

[Article 26] Those acts in violation of the relevant provisions of these Procedures shall be dealt with by the Customs in accordance with related decrees.