Japan Customs experience in Prearrival examination Customs and

Japan Customs’ experience in Prearrival examination Customs and Tariff Bureau　 Ministry of Finance

1. Pre-arrival Examination system Departure Oversea Port Arrival Japanese Port Store Cargoes or Containers in Customs Area (including container yards) Regular Import Declaration Document examination Import Permission Pre-arrival examination Pre-arrival Declaration Document examination Import permission * Before import permission, some import declarations may undertake cargo inspection.

2. Effects of Customs procedures 1991 : Pre-Arrival Examination ü In principle, import declaration may be filed to Customs only after the arrival of goods to the bonded warehouse. ü Since 1991, Customs accepts import declaration and relevant documents for preliminary examination. Benefit to customs - conduct documentary examination before the arrival of goods Benefit to importers -Notified whether documentary examinations and/or physical inspections are required or not before the arrival of goods ⇒　Facilitated release of goods for those not requiring examinations/inspections upon arrival Revised Kyoto Convention (1999) General Annex Chapter 3 (Clearance and other formalities) Standard 25 National legislation shall make provision for the lodging and registering or checking of the Goods declaration and supporting documents prior to the arrival of the goods.

3. History of pre-arrival examination 　　　Why did we introduce pre-arrival examination? -needs of effectively coping with the increasing volume of trade with limited human and financial resources -request from the private sector to further expedite the movement of goods trial introduced in 1991(gradually improved) Usage rate (in 2010) Sea cargoes Air cargoes 36% 52%

4. Explanation of pre-arrival examination in Japan Customs Type of cargo covered all types of imported cargo Documents to be submitted pre-arrival declaration (same form as general import declaration form ) Timing of submission any time after ①B/L is issued ②foreign exchange rate is 　 announced The pre-arrival declaration will be treated as a formal import declaration under certain conditions Switch to import declaration

5. Implementation cost of pre-arrival examination =merely change the timing of the import declaration Only using the existing facilities and resources of each Member with minimum costs for legislation and training of officials ü No requirement of legal nor organizational change ü IT infrastructure not prerequisite ü

6. Import Lead Time Reduction by Pre-Arrival Examination (sea cargo)

7. Import Lead Time Reduction by Pre-Arrival Examination (air cargo)

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