The Electronic Custom is a public on-line data center jointly established by 12 state ministries and commissions led by the General Administration of Customs, for the purposes of storing original data in electronic forms on imports and exports information flow, cash flow and logistics flow. It realizes data exchange and sharing among governmental departments, and serves as an electronic portal for state custom administration and service, and facilitates on-line process of imports and exports formalities by enterprises.

Bank-Custom Express –Electronic Custom On-line Duty Settlement Service

Bank-Custom Express – electronic custom on-line duty settlement service system – is an auxiliary service for the electronic custom. The conventional means of duty and charge settlement has been changed through the interconnection of custom system, public data center and the business system at the China Merchants Bank. This is to provide precise, convenient and fast on-line duty and charge settlement services to enterprise in need of custom declaration.
A corporate client may search the electronic custom for duty and fee settlement notices addressed to it, and accordingly send settlement instructions on-line. Upon reception of the instruction, the China Merchants Bank directly withholds the amount due from the corporate client's pre-payment account, and transfers it to the account for duty and fee. After a successful transfer, the client may proceed with custom clearance formalities.

Duty and Fee Items Available for On-line Settlement

Imports and exports duty, anti-dump duty, special duty, imports value-added tax, imports consumption tax, interest for duty offset, and charges for custodian services that are allowed for on-line settlement by pertinent ordnances.

Procedure for Corporate Clients Applying for Electronic Custom On-line Duty Settlement Service

The client qualifies as a user of electronic custom; obtains legal person user IC card and operator IC card; gets network connections ready for operation.
The client has opened an account at the China Merchants Bank for the purpose of duty and charge settlement;
Through electronic custom service, the client requests for user and operator registration and authorization at the custom and the China Merchants Bank; the client is awarded permission after examination and approval from the custom and the CMB.
The client signs service contracts with the custom, electronic custom data center and the China Merchants Bank.

On-line Settlement Service Procedure

1. The corporate client make on-line declaration through the electronic custom;
2. The custom system sends "duty and fee settlement notice" to the data center;
3. The client search for "duty and fee settlement notice";
4. The client sends settlement instruction on-line;
5. The bank withholds in advance the amount due, and transfer it to account of guaranty fund;
6. The bank issue "withholding successful" return receipt;
7. "Withholding successful" return receipt is passed on to the custom system;
8. The client proceeds to the custom for clearance formalities;
9. The custom examines and releases goods, and the system sends "confirm payment" instruction;
10. The bank transfers the proceeds from account for guaranty fund to account for temporary lodging, and further transfer to the state treasury or collection account of the custom after rechecking;
11. The bank sends "successful transfer of duty and fee to treasury" notice to the data center;
12. Upon reception of "successful transfer of duty and fee to treasury" notice, the custom examines and cancels pertinent duty (fee) bills

Advantages for On-line Settlement Service
* Enhanced overall efficiency in state administrative departments to create a market environment for fair play, and realize the "one-stop" government service for enterprises;
* Simple procedure for duty and charge settlement with shorter declaration time, higher trade efficiency at lower trading cost;
* More transparent taxation levying system, real time inquiry made possible on each link of collection process;
* Quicker export tax rebates, more convenient settlement of exchange and cancellation of duty (fee) bills after verification;
* Good system openness, supporting all-weather, all-around duty settlement, anywhere, anytime for corporate clients;
* Low network accession fee with direct-view, easy-to-learn system functions, and simple operation. Multi-level security measures ensure safe and reliable system operations.