The General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC) has issued Announcement No.56 [2017] to adjust the manifest rules of import and export in the country, effective June 1, 2018.  To avoid delays, the following key points require your attention in your future shipping documentation:

1. Manifest submissions must be made 24 hours prior to loading. This includes all import and export shipments moving by air or sea to / from / via China mainland ports.
2. The manifest must accurately and completely reflect all goods under the bills of lading and waybills.
3. The cargo description must be complete, accurate, and cover all the goods.
4. Full contact details of the Shipper and Consignee (or the Notify Party if Consignee is “To Order”) are mandatory, including the Enterprise Codes. For example, for China — USCI (Unified Social Credit Identifier), OC (Organization Code); U.K. – Company Number, VAT (Value Added Tax) Identification Number; USA — CIK (Central Index Key), EIN (Employer Identification Number).

Additional data elements required in your documentation include:

• Shipper’s company code (U.S. – EIN)
• Shipper’s phone number
• Consignee’s company name
• Consignee’s company code (your buyer will need to provide this to you)
• Consignee’s phone number
• Name of contact person for Consignee
• Phone number for contact person for Consignee
• Notify Party’s company name
• Notify Party’s phone number