Airforwarders Association Seeks Help From USTR on Worrisome Chinese Customs Information Requirements
A set of new information requirements for China Customs is of concern to the Airforwarders Association, the group said in an email. The AfA "has contacted the United States Trade Representative to urge engagement with China Customs to determine if…
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there may be an alternative to this requirement in the form of a safer and more suitable identifier other than the one mandated in China Customs Declaration No. 56," it said. China Customs will require the shipper code and contact identifier for all master and house airway bills starting June 1 (see 1805140017). "The Airforwarders Association's Regulatory Compliance Committee recently learned that a number of our members are receiving resistance from shipping clients who export goods to China, and their concerns with sharing tax ID numbers or similar government identifiers with any party in China," AfA Executive Director Brandon Fried said. "We certainly anticipate the exporting community's increasing concern over why the U.S. company's unique identifier must be provided, and what it will (or could) be used for in China. We also assume that various clients' legal, compliance, and security groups will express major concerns over this requirement." USTR didn't comment.