Promulgation Authorities:  General Administration of Customs

Promulgation Date:  2018.04.28

Effective Date:  2018.05.01

Validity Status:  valid

Administrative Measures for the Inspection of Imported Automobiles (Revised in April 2018)

Administrative Measures for the Inspection of Imported Automobiles (Revised in April 2018)

Article 1    These Measures are formulated in accordance with the Law of the People's Republic of China for the Inspection of Imported and Exported Commodities (hereinafter "Law on Import and Export Commodity Inspection") and the corresponding its implementing rules for the purpose of enhancing the administration of the inspection of imported automobiles.

Article 2    The General Administration of Customs ("GAC") is responsible for regulating the inspection of imported automobiles throughout the country, the customs office at the port of entry is in charge of the inspection of imported automobiles, and the customs offices at the places where users are located respectively take charge of the administration of the inspection of imported automobiles within the quality guarantee period for imported automobiles.

Article 3    When imported automobiles arrive the mainland through customs transit, the customs clearance location shall be regarded as the port. Inspection shall be conducted by the Customs office at the port in accordance with these Measures.

Article 4    After imported automobiles have been transported to the port of entry, the consignee or his/its agents must file an inspection application with the customs office at the port for inspection, subject to the submission of contracts, invoices, bills of lading, packing lists and other relevant documents and technical materials.

Article 5    An inspection of imported automobiles conducted by the customs office at the port of entry shall include the inspection of general items, safety performance and quality.

Article 6    Inspection of general items covers verification of safety signs for each imported automobile when it enters the country and check of the specification, model, quantity, appearance, tools, technical documents and spare parts.

Article 7    Inspection of safety performance. The inspection shall be performed in accordance with the national laws and regulations on safety and environmental protection of automobiles, compulsory standards and Procedures for Safety Inspection of Imported and Exported Automobiles (SN/T0792-1999).

Article 8    Quality inspection. The quality inspection as well as the standards and methods shall be explicitly prescribed in the contract or its annexes. If there is no such stipulation in the import contract or the stipulation is not clear, the Procedures for Quality Inspection of Imported and Exported Automobiles (SN/T0791-1999) shall be applied.

When importing more than 300 new model automobiles by batch for the first time (including 300 automobiles, calculated on the basis of the same contract, the same model and the same manufacturer) or the imported value is equal to or more than USD1 million, a quality inspection must be conducted.

When importing fewer than 300 new model automobiles or the imported value is less than USD1 million, or when importing automobiles not for the first time, quality inspection may be conducted randomly by the customs office depending on the conditions of quality.

The quality inspection results shall be reported to the GAC and other competent customs offices.

Article 9    The inspection of imported automobiles can be conducted by the customs office independently, jointly with other agencies concerned or by recognized inspection agencies. Inspection certificates shall be issued by the customs office.

Article 10    For large number of imported automobiles, the foreign trade entity and competent organizations of the consignee or user of imported automobiles shall stipulate the pre-inspection, supervision on manufacturing or shipping before such automobiles are shipped from the exporting country. When necessary, the customs office may send their staff to participate in or organize inspections in the exporting country.

Article 11    The customs office at the port of entry shall issue a Certificate of Inspection and Quarantine of Entry Goods to qualified imported automobiles that have passed inspection and each vehicle shall be issued an Inspection Card Attached to Imported Motor Vehicles;

Where quality inspection is conducted for an imported automobile, the "Certificate of Inspection and Quarantine of Entry Goods" shall be affixed with the "Quality Inspection Report".

In the event that an automobile does not pass the inspection, the customs office shall issue a certificate of inspection and quarantine so that it may be used by the party concerned to make a claim against the foreign party.

Article 12    The sellers of imported automobiles shall complete the formalities of filing with the local industrial and commercial administration for the sale of imported automobiles within the territory on the strength of the "Inspection Card Attached to Imported Motor Vehicles" as issued by the customs office and other relevant documents.

Article 13    When purchasing an imported automobile within the country, the user must obtain the "Inspection Card Attached to Imported Motor Vehicles" as issued by the customs office and invoices for purchase of the automobile. Before applying for a formal vehicle license, the user shall register inspected automobile at the local inspection and quarantine office so as to obtain the "Certificate of Inspection of Imported Motor Vehicle" which can be used as basis for obtaining a formal license from the vehicle administrative agency.

Article 14    Within the quality guarantee period, if the user finds quality problems in the registered imported automobile, he may apply with the local customs office for inspecting the imported automobile and issuing a proof.

Article 15    A customs office directly under the GAC may, when necessary, authorize or appoint a vehicle testing line which is eligible upon examination to conduct safety performance inspections on imported automobiles and file the authorization or designation with the GAC for the record. The GAC will conduct supervision and random check of the testing and management capacities of these testing lines.

Article 16    Customs office shall deal with any imported vehicle without a safe import quality license, or any vehicle having a safe import quality license but without inspection and quarantine safety symbols, or any vehicle that has not been inspected or registered in accordance with these Measures pursuant to the Law on Import and Export Commodity Inspection and its implementing rules.

Article 17    The inspection of imported motorcycles and other imported motor automobiles shall be conducted by the customs office at the locality where the consignee resides with reference to these Measures.

Article 18    Customs offices directly under the GAC shall submit quality analyses regarding imported automobiles to the GAC every six months during the period from July 15 each year to January 15 of the following year.

Article 19    The GAC is responsible for the interpretation of these Measures.

Article 20    These Procedures shall become effective on January 1, 2000, simultaneously repealing the Notice of the State Administration of Inspection and Quarantine Concerning the Implementation of the Guidelines of the National Conference on the Inspection of Automobiles for Export and Import (Guo Jian Yan [1990] No.468) and the Notice of State Administration of Inspection and Quarantine Concerning the Launch of the New Inspection Card Attached to Imported Motor Vehicles and the Uniform Preparation of the Special Seal for Inspection of Imported Automobiles (Guo Jian Yan [1994] No.30) as previously promulgated by the former State Administration of Inspection and Quarantine.