The General Administration of Customs ("GAC") has recently issued the announcement [2018] No.29 to announce that the "Electronic Information Exchange System of the China-Pakistan Country of Origin" will be officially launched on April 30, 2018, through which electronic data regarding country of origin under the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement(FTA) will be transmitted in real time.
The announcement states that, where the consignee of imported goods or its agent applies for enjoying the duty rates under the China-Pakistan FTA at the time of import, it shall complete the customs declaration for imports under the "Mode of None Declaration of Origin", in accordance with applicable rules stated in the Announcement of the General Administration of Customs [2016] No.51. According to the announcement, from April 30, 2018, for imported goods without any electronic data about the country of origin, the system will show a pop-up message that there is no electronic information about the certificate of origin, when the importer makes the declaration. Additionally, the announcement notes that an importer may input electronic information about the certificate of origin in the Declaration System for Elements on Country of Origin under Preferential Trade Agreements, between April 30, 2018 and December 30, 2018. From December 31, 2018, importers shall go through formalities to provide guarantee for tax payments pursuant to existing rules.