Public holidays:

3 times a year, one week public holidays are organized: Chinese New Year (end of Jan or earlier February), May 1st (Labour’s Day), October 1st (National Day). During this time all administrations are closed as well as most of companies. Industrial activities, including Import & Export, reduced at minimum.

Customs formalities:

• Important remarks:
  • Consignee must be a customs registered company to be allowed to import any kind of goods into China.
  • The port of entry should be the port which the consignee domiciles and files customs registration.
  • Import shipments should not be sent to China prior to SDV China offices' green-light confirmation.

• Fumigation:
  The original fumigation of certificate from the country of origin must be attached to the pouch with the cargo for any import shipments with wooden packaging.

• Airport clearance & Customs hours:
  General Cargo: 08:30 - 11:30 and 13:30 - 16:00 hours
  Customs clearance transit time: 1 or 2 days

• Import restrictions (non exhaustive list):
  Any articles, which require import licenses, special approval for import and/or approval by the Sanitary & Health Inspection, or any other authority; restricted articles; medical instruments or medical items; pharmaceuticals...

• Import prohibition (non exhaustive list):
  Live animal or plant and their products with dangerous virus, bacterium and injurious insects; any strong poisons; cargo with CITES; counterfeit money; drugs; sex oriented material; politically sensitive material; arms & ammunitions; imitated weapons...

• Taxes, Duties & VAT:
  17% VAT levied by Chinese customs from all goods imported into China (calculated on C&F basis, duty included). Duty levied on all cargo. Rates/Percentage depending on commodity. Import cargo under "Processing & Assembling Trade" will not be subject to import duty & VAT as they are under bond to China (Processing & Assembling Trade Registration Handbook required from the consignee).

• Export restrictions (non exhaustive list):
  Arms, ammunitions and explosive, live animals, cultural and historical relics...

Currency:
Renminbi

Language:
Chinese Mandarin