Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref : EIC 230/2

3 June 2009

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 288/2009

European Union (EU)* : Amendments to the Implementation Provisions of the Community Customs Code

Further to Commercial Information Circular No. 267/2009 of 20 May 2009, the European Commission (the Commission) has adopted a Regulation to amend the implementation provisions of the Community Customs Code. Details are set out in Commission Regulation (EC) No. 414/2009 (the Regulation), which can be accessed through the following link:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:125:0006:0051:EN:PDF

DETAILS

2. Regulation (EC) No. 648/2005 introduced the obligation to lodge entry or exit summary declarations by electronic means starting from 1 July 2009^#. The lodgement of paper-based customs declarations is allowed only where the computerised system is not functioning. In this regard, the Regulation introduced the alternative paper procedure for economic operators to lodge export and exit summary declarations, security and safety document, and other required documents and data to the customs authorities during such situation. Specimens of the paper-based documents and explanatory notes with particulars for the accompanying documents can be found in the Annexes of the Regulation.

ENQUIRIES

3. For enquiries concerning the content of this circular, please contact the undersigned at telephone number 2398 5556.

Yours faithfully,

(Miss Peggy LEUNG)
for Director-General of Trade and Industry

* The EU includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

^# A transitional period from 1 July 2009 to 31 December 2010 was subsequently introduced by Commission Regulation (EC) No. 273/2009 during which the lodgement of entry summary declaration shall not be mandatory.