G/PSI/Q/CHN/2  
 
4 July 2022  
(22-5136) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Customs Valuation  Original: English  
 
 
PRESHIPMENT INSPECTION  
NOTIFICATIONS UNDER ARTICLE 5 OF THE AGREEMENT ON PRESHIPMENT INSPECTION  
RESPONSES FROM CHINA TO QUESTIONS POSED BY THE UNITED STATES  
REGARDING DOCUMENT G/VAL/W/369  
CHINA 
The following communication, dated 24 June  2022, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of China . 
 
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China thanks the United States for its questions posed in G/PSI/Q/CHN/1 and provides the following 
responses:  
 
Question 1 : 
 
Noting China's response to Questions 1 & 2 of W/353, please explain how China ensures that the 
preshipment inspection entities it registers comply with the requirements of Article 2 of the 
Agreement on Preshipment Inspection (PSI).  
 
Response : 
 
The General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC) ensures that the 
preshipment inspection entities it registers comply with the requirements of Article 2 of the 
"Agreement on Preshipment Inspection" (PSI) by means of PSI institutions regis tration, supervision 
and management of preshipment inspection, annual audit, document/site audit, etc.  
 
Question 2 : 
 
In accordance with paragraph 10 of Article 2 of the PSI Agreement, please provide information on 
the measures China takes to give effect to paragraph 9 on Protection of Confidential Business 
Information.  
 
Response : 
 
According to Article 10 of "Law of the People's Republic of China on Import and Export Commodity 
Inspection", the functionary of the State Administration for Commodity In spection and the 
commodity inspection authorities have the obligation of keeping the commercial secrets they know 
when performing the duties of inspection of import and export commodities.  
 
Moreover, in accordance with the GACC Announcement No. 127 of 2020 , preshipment inspection 
and registration are implemented via relevant special information system, which gives effect to 
paragraph 9 on Protection of Confidential Business Information.  
 G/PSI/Q/CHN/2  
 
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  Question 3 : 
 
Regarding the response to Question 3, please clarify whet her arrival inspection and quarantine is 
required for every shipment subject to preshipment inspection, or only for some fraction of such 
shipments.  
 
Response : 
 
Arrival inspection is required for every shipment subject to preshipment inspection.  
 
Question 4: 
 
The response to Question 3 states that "Preshipment inspection and arrival inspection and quarantine 
are mandatory, and they cannot replace each other." Please explain the basis for this statement. 
Why can preshipment and arrival inspections not replac e each other?  
 
Response : 
 
The preshipment  inspection measures are aimed at reducing the safety and environmental protection 
risks of imported used mechanical and electrical products from the source, which could effectively 
reduce the shipment of unqualified goods and play the front -line defense r ole. Meanwhile, arrival 
inspection plays the role of the last line of defense to prevent products that do not meet Chinese 
technical requirements from entering China.  
 
Preshipment inspection and arrival inspection focus on different aspects. They cannot re place each 
other. For example, the prohibited imported goods contained in used mechanical and electrical 
products can be found in the preshipment inspection, but the electrical or mechanical safety 
problems need to be uncovered through more detailed arriva l inspection. If the results of the arrival 
inspection are inconsistent with those of the preshipment inspection, the arrival inspection shall 
prevail.  
 
Question 5 : 
 
Regarding the response to Question 4, please provide the web address of the website that l ists 
registered PSI institution s? Are any PSI institutions listed for old mechanical and electrical products? 
What percentage of foreign PSI institutions that apply to the General Administration of Customs 
China are approved?  
 
Response : 
 
The list of regist ered PSI institutions had been released on the website of China International Trade 
Single Window ( http://www.singlewindow.cn/ ). PSI institutions for old mechanical and electrical 
products are included in this li st. All the applications of foreign PSI institutions which meet the 
relevant requirements of China would be approved by GACC.  
 
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