The 2016 Review Meeting between Hong Kong Customs and the General Administration of Customs was held in Hong Kong today (May 24). The Hong Kong Customs delegation was headed by the Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Roy Tang, while the Mainland Customs delegation was headed by the Minister of the General Administration of Customs, Mr Yu Guangzhou.
This was the 15th annual meeting between the Mainland and Hong Kong Customs since the signing of the Customs Co-operative Arrangement in 2000. The meeting reviewed the co-operation between the two Customs administrations on trade facilitation, information technology development, anti-smuggling, anti-narcotics, intellectual property rights protection and staff training over the past two years. The two Customs authorities also recognised the remarkable achievements resulting from close co-operation on various fronts.
To facilitate the implementation of the country's Belt and Road Initiative and to promote economic development, the two administrations also mapped out and endorsed the Co-operation Plan for the coming two years in the following respects:
(1) to enhance exchanges between both administrations;
(2) to increase customs clearance efficiency, including the implementation of expedited customs clearance, electronic customs seals and co-operation in road cargo data sharing;
(3) to enhance collaboration on information technology development, including the exchange on single window development and the study on monitoring of cross-boundary e-commerce;
(4) to strengthen enforcement co-operation, including the reinforcement of intelligence exchange and mounting joint operations to combat cross-boundary drug trafficking and smuggling activities;
(5) to enhance co-operation on control measures over the Rules of Origin under the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement;
(6) to advance the co-operation arrangement on origin of transhipment cargo in Hong Kong under Free Trade Agreements of the Mainland;
(7) to implement the refined facilitation measures for wine entering the Mainland market through Hong Kong;
(8) to actively work out the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Programmes of both places with a view to enhancing trade facilitation;
(9) to promote co-operation on international customs affairs between the two Customs administrations; and
(10) to continue arranging training programmes and visits for each other.
After the meeting, both sides signed a Decision to revise the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) on AEO Programmes of the Mainland and Hong Kong. In view of the changes to the Mainland's AEO Programme, revising the existing MRA would reaffirm both administrations' commitment to maintaining global supply chain security, allow both sides to better promote the AEO Programmes and bring more business opportunities to the import/export and logistics industries.
Ends/Tuesday, May 24, 2016
