Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

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

Ref : EIC 230/3

18 March 2015

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 206/2015

European Union (EU)* : Union Customs Code

Further to our Commercial Information Circular No. 386/2008 of 28 July 2008, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU have adopted a Regulation to establish the Union customs code, laying down the general rules and procedures applicable to goods brought into or out of the customs territory of the Union. Details are set out in Commission Regulation (EC) No. 952/2013 (the Regulation) and can be accessed through the following link:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32013R0952&rid=1

DETAILS

2.Since certain number of amendments are made to Regulation (EC) No. 450/2008 laying down the Community Customs Code, thus the Regulation (EC) No. 450/2008 should be recast in the interest of clarity and replaced by the new Regulation (EC) No. 952/2013 to establish the Union Customs Code (UCC).

3.The new Regulation (EC) No. 952/2013 entered into force on 30.10.2013 and established the Union Customs Code which is part of the modernisation of customs and will serve as the new framework Regulation on the rules and procedures for customs throughout the EU. The Regulation aims to streamline customs legislation and procedures and complete the shift by Customs to a paperless and fully electronic environment. It also offers greater legal certainty and uniformity to businesses and reinforces swifter customs procedures for compliant and trustworthy economic operators. Its substantive provisions will apply on 1 May 2016, when the UCC-related Commission acts (Delegated and Implementing Acts) are adopted and entered into force no later than 1 May 2016. The use of electronic data-processing techniques and electronic systems will support the application of the UCC. The complete deployment of all of the electronic systems required by the UCC will be carried out not beyond 31 December 2020.

ENQUIRIES

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

Yours faithfully,

(Miss Anita WONG)
for Director-General of Trade and Industry

* The EU includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, 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.