Zero tariff 'knocking on the door', African goods are accelerating to arrive

On May 3rd, at Dalian Dayaowan Port, a cargo ship named "MSC LYSE V" slowly docked, with 747 tons of cow bones from Nigeria loaded in its hold. This is the first batch of goods eligible for preferential treatment processed by Dalian Customs District since May 1st, when China fully implemented zero customs duty on 53 African countries with diplomatic relations.

If this batch of beef bone pellets is taxed at the most favored nation rate, they will have to pay a 12% tariff, "said Xu Shuang, the general manager of Dalian Hongjia International Freight Forwarding Co., Ltd. Beef bone pellets are an important raw material for processing gelatin. Beef bone pellets from Nigeria are known for their low price and stable quality, with a large domestic demand. However, in the past, tariff costs have always been a burden.

Now, zero tariffs have completely reset this account. The most critical factor for enterprises to explore the domestic market and develop downstream customers is cost, "said Xu Shuang." The client represented by the company imports about 7000 tons of beef bone granules annually, which can save nearly 3 million yuan in taxes annually in the future. This money can be directly converted into market competitiveness

China's zero tariff measures towards African countries with diplomatic relations will be implemented in two steps. Starting from December 1, 2024, China will take the lead in implementing zero tariffs on 33 African least developed countries; Starting from May 1st this year, the policy scope has been further expanded to the remaining 20 African countries with diplomatic relations, achieving full zero tariff coverage for all African countries with diplomatic relations.

In order to help enterprises enjoy dividends in the first time, Dalian Customs has done a lot of research in advance. In April of this year, the customs conducted a survey of more than 50 enterprises in the jurisdiction that have trade relations with African countries, understanding their import plans and product categories one by one, and "point-to-point" preaching the rules of origin and declaration points. For goods such as beef bones that are easily affected by shipping schedules and holidays, Dayaowan Customs has established a "green channel" for the import of African agricultural products, achieving immediate declaration, inspection, and release.

Another cargo ship carrying 319 tons of Kenyan avocado oil recently arrived at Dayaowan Port. This batch of goods also enjoys zero tariffs.

In order to ensure the smooth clearance of these special goods, Dalian Customs has established a project service team in advance. The Customs Tariff Department of Dalian Customs took the lead in organizing multiple departments such as Benxi Customs and Dayaowan Customs to work together. As a customs under local jurisdiction, Benxi Customs provides guidance to enterprises in advance, explains in detail the rules of origin and declaration points based on the product characteristics of avocado oil, and sets up coordinators to provide real-time consultation services on the origin.

The Dayaowan Customs, relying on the "Customs Clearance Easy" service brand officially launched on May 6th, promptly resolved the declaration issues encountered during the import clearance of the first batch of zero tariff avocado oil.

The reporter saw at the Dayaowan Customs Monitoring and Command Center that a large electronic screen displayed real-time information on the operation status of each berth, the inspection of goods, and the progress of port dredging. Zhao Fengqi, Director of the Comprehensive Business Department of Dayaowan Customs, said, "We rely on big data to track the benefits enjoyed by our jurisdiction and dynamically monitor key goods imported from Africa. We can detect which companies have demand and which batches of goods meet the conditions in a timely manner through the system

Digital means accelerate the transfer of policy dividends from paper to the ground. Liu Wei, Deputy Director of the Customs Tariff Department of Dalian Customs, stated that Dalian Customs will continue to guide enterprises in accurately applying rules of origin and customs facilitation measures, and support more enterprises in reducing costs, opening up markets, and linking production capacity. (Sun Yezhou, Sun Bo, Shi Yue, Xu Bo/Wen)