The General Administration of Customs ("GAC") has recently issued the Announcement on Promoting the Paperless Customs Documents for Price Reviews (the "Announcement"), immediately effective from the issue date.
The Announcement states that the taxpayers of imported goods may receive the notices of price concerns, notices of price negotiation, records for price negotiation, and other documents regarding price reviews, as well as the electronic data about the accompanying documents, from customs offices through the contact system for customs affairs, respond to these documents via this system as well, and receive and check the valuation notification. Also, the Announcement expressly states that the taxpayers of imported goods may, through the said contact system for customs affairs, file an application to the customs for filing a record for the formula pricing and the preliminary price review, submit the electronic data of the accompanying documents, and receive decisions issued by the customs offices for record-filing, instead of providing these materials in paper form, provided that the taxpayers satisfy administrative rules of the customs. Furthermore, the Announcement provides that when the customs office requests for documents and materials in paper form, as it is necessary for the customs administration purpose, the taxpayers of imported goods shall fully cooperate with it and provide the required documents.