WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/LIC/N/3/CHN/7 
17 October 2008 
 
 (08-5016) 
Committee on Import Licensing Original:   English 
  
 
RESPONSES TO QUESTIONNAIRE ON IMPORT LICENSING PROCEDURES  
 
Notification pursuant to Article 7.3 of the 
 
Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures  
 
CHINA 
 
 
 The following communication, dated 17 October 2008, is being circulated at the request of the delegation of the People’s Republic of China. 
 
_______________ 
 Outline of System
 
 
1. Import licensing in China can be divided into three categories: 
(a) import license administration 
(b) automatic import licensing  
(c) import tariff rate quota administration 
 In addition, China imposes import license admini stration on chemicals that can be made into 
drugs and dual purpose (military and civilian) technology and commoditie s in accordance with 
relative international conventions and obligation th at China undertakes in the related international 
organizations.  
 
Purposes and coverage of licensing
 
 2. Import license administration is applicable to al l the products subject to import restriction, 
currently only including 10 8-di git tariff headings of ozone layer depleting substances:  
29031910
 29033990  29034100  29034200 29034300  29034400 29034510  29034600  
29034910  38247100        
 
Automatic import licensing is applicable to products free from import restriction, but the 
importation of which needs monitoring, including 607 8-digit tariff headings:  
 
02071100  74081100  87032230  84031090 84451220  84863090 87052000  72191319  
02071200  74081900  87032240  84041010 84454010  84864010 87053010  72191322  
02071311  74082100  87032250  84042000 84459010  84864021 87053090  72191329  
02071319  74082200  87032290  84068110 84459020  84864022 87054000  72191412  
02071321  74082900  87032314  84068120 84459090  84864029 87059010  72191419  
02071329  74091110  87032315  84068130 84463020  84864031 87059020  72191422  G/LIC/N/3/CHN/7 
Page 2  
 
  02071411
 74091190  87032316  84068200 84463030  84864039 87059030  72191429  
02071419  74091900  87032319  84079090 84463040  85016100 87059040  72192100  
02071421  74092100  87032334  84081000 84463050  85016200 87059051  72192200  
02071422  74092900  87032335  84089010 84463090  85016300 87059059  72192300  
02071429  74093100  87032336  84089092 84542010  85016410 87059060  72192410  
05040021  74093900  87032339  84089093 84543010  85016420 87059070  72192420  
15071000  74094000  87032430  84099191 84543022  85016430 87059080  72192430  
15079000  74099000  87032440  84099999 84543029  85021200 87059090  72193100  
15111000  74101100  87032450  84109010 84551020  85021310 87060040  72193200  
15119010  74101210  87032490  84109090 84551030  85021320 87089991  72193300  
15119020  74101290  87033130  84118200 84551090  85042100 88021100  72193400  
15119090  74102110  87033140  84122910 84552110  85042200 88021210  72193500  
15141100  74102190  87033150  84122990 84552120  85042311 88022000  72199000  
15141900  74102210  87033190  84123900 84552130  85042312 88052900  72201100  
15149110  74102290  87033230  84137099 84552190  85042313 89019050  72201200  
15149190  74111011  87033240  84171000 84552210  85042329 89040000  72202010  
15149900  74111019  87033250  84178030 84561000  85043110 89051000  72202090  
24011010  74111020  87033290  84178090 84563010  85043190 90148000  72209000  
24011090  74111090  87033330  84194090 84569010  85043290 90181100  72210000  
24012010  74112110  87033340  84195000 84569090  85043300 90181210  72221100  
24012090  74112190  87033350  84196090 84572000  85043400 90181291  72221900  
24013000  74112200  87033390  84198990 84573000  85152190 90181300  72222000  
24021000  74112900  87039000  84212910 84594010  85153190 90221200  72223000  
24022000  84073300  87042100  84223010 84595100  85153900 90221300  72224000  
24029000  84073410  87042230  84223030 84601100  85176221 90221400  72230000  
24031000  84073420  87042240  84261929 84602120  85176222 90229010  72251100  
24039100  84082010  87042300  84261930 84602910  85176229 90229090  72261100  
24039900  84082090  87043100  84261942 84602920  85176232 90304090  73041110  
48131000  84431922  87043230  84262000 84621010  85176234 26011110  73041120  
48132000  84452031  87043240  84263000 84621090  85176239 26011120  73041130  
48139000  84452041  87049000  84264110 84622190  85176299 26011190  73041190  
56012210  84571010  87060021  84264190 84622990  85176910 26011200  73042210  
55020010  84571020  87060022  84264910 84623110  85177020 26012000  73042290  
26030000  84571030  87060030  84271010 84623120  85177030 26060000  73042400  
27011100  84571090  87060090  84271090 84623190  85177090 27090000  73044110  
27011210  84581100  87071000  84281010 84624119  85256090 27101110  73044190  
27011290  84589100  87079010  84284000 84629110  85258013 27101120  73044910  
27011900  84592100  87079090  84291110 84629910  85261010 27101911  73044990  
40011000  84593100  87083099  84291190 84714110  85261090 27101912  73061100  
40012100  84596110  87084091  84292090 84714120  85269190 27101921  73062100  
40012200  84596190  87084099  84294011 84714190  85269200 27101922  73064000  
40012900  84602110  87085072  84294019 84714910  85285110 27101929   
47071000  84602190  87085074  84294090 84714920  85287221 27111100   
47072000  84614010  87085075  84295211 84714991  85287222 27112100   
47073000  84771010  87085076  84295212 84715020  85287229 28182000    G/LIC/N/3/CHN/7 
 Page 3 
 
 
  47079000  84781000  87085079  84295219 84717030  85287231 28342110   
72041000  84789000  87085089  84295290 84719000  85287232 31022100   
72042100  84798990  88023000  84295900 84791021  85287239 31022900   
72042900  84807100  88024010  84303100 84791029  85287291 31024000   
72043000  85171210  88024020  84314100 84798200  85287292 31025000   
72044100  85171290  89011010  84314990 84798961  85287299 31026000   
72044900  85176110  89012011  84391000 84861010  85291010 31028000   
72045000  85176190  89012021  84392000 84861020  85299050 31029010   
76020000  85176212  89012031  84393000 84861030  85301000 31029090   
74020000  85176292  89012090  84414000 84861040  85308000 31031010   
74031111  85176293  89019021  84418090 84861090  85311000 31031090   
74031119  85219090  89019031  84431100 84862010  85352900 31039000   
74031190  85255000  89019041  84431311 84862021  85371011 31042010   
74031200  85256010  89019080  84431312 84862022  85371019 31042090   
74031300  85287110  89019090  84431313 84862029  85371090 31043000   
74031900  85291090  89020010  84431319 84862031  85372010 31049010   
74032100  85299010  89052000  84431390 84862039  85437092 31049090   
74032200  85299090  89059010  84431921 84862041  86011020 31051000   
74032900  85437099  89059090  84431929 84862049  86011090 31054000   
74040000  87012000  90314990  84431980 84862050  86031000 31055100   
74061010  87021020  95041000  84439110 84862090  86040019 31055900   
74061020  87021091  95043010  84439190 84863010  87041030 31056000   
74061090  87021092  95043090  84439910 84863021  87041090 31059000   
74062010  87021093  95049010  84451111 84863022  87051021 72181000   
74062020  87029010  84021190  84451112 84863029  87051022 72189100   
74062090  87029020  84021200  84451113 84863031  87051023 72189900   
74071000  87029030  84021900  84451119 84863039  87051091 72191100   
74072100  87032130  84022000  84451120 84863041  87051092 72191200   
74072900  87032190  84031010  84451210 84863049  87051093 72191312   
 
Import tariff rate quota administration is appli cable to 45 8-digit tariff headings of grain, 
cotton, sugar, wool, wool top and chemical fertilizer:  
 
10011000  10019010 10019090  11010000 11031100 11032010  10051000  10059000
11022000  11031300 11042300  10061019 10061099 10062090  10063090  10064090
11023090  11031929 10061011  10061091 10062010 10063010  10064010  11023010
11031921  17011100 17011200  17019100 17019910 17019920  17019990  51011100
51011900  51012100 51012900  51013000 51031010 52010000  52030000  31053000
31021000  31052000 51052000  51052100 51052900    
 
 
3. The three licensing system applies to goods coming from all countries. 
4. China does not maintain any import quantitative rest rictions in consistent with WTO rules or 
China’s accession commitment.   G/LIC/N/3/CHN/7 
Page 4  
 
  Import license administration is an administ rative measure over products, including ozone 
depleting materials, on which import rest rictions must be applied according to the Montreal Protocol on 
Substances that Deplete Ozone Layer.  
Automatic import licensing is an  administrative measure over cert ain products which are free of 
import restrictions but monitori ng on importation and statistics collection of which are deemed 
necessary. It is implemented in a way fully consistent with the Agreement on Import Licensing 
Procedures , and there is no restriction in te rms of import quantity or value.  
 Import tariff rate quota admi nistration is confirmed by other WTO members within the 
framework of WTO Agreements and the negotiations  on China’s accession. It is an administrative 
measure over certain products subj ect to import restrictions. The primary categories of products under 
administration of import tariff rate quota are in the agriculture sector.  
 
5. On April 7, 2008, the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), the General Administration of Customs 
(GAC) and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) 
published MOFCOM, GAC and AQSI Q joint decree No. 7 of 2008, the Measures on Administration of 
Mechanical and Electrical Products , which came into force on May 1, 2008. On the same day, MOFCOM 
and CAC published MOFCOM and GAC joint decree No. 6 of 2008, the Implementing Rules on Automatic 
Import Licensing on Mechanical and Electrical Products , which came into effect on May 1, 2008. China will 
notify these two legal documents to the Committee on Im port Licensing Procedures after the translation is 
finalized.  
There have been no major changes to the legal fra mework of import licensing regime since the last 
submission of reply to questionnaire. Only the catalogue s of products subject to licensing procedures were 
revised.   
Procedures  
 
6. No product is subject to import quota license administration any more.  
In 2007, products under import tari ff rate quota administration includ e grain, cotton, sugar, wool, 
wool tops and chemical fertilizer, the TRQ of which is applied globally.  
 
I. NDRC promulgate d on 29 September 2007 the Quantities, Application Conditions and 
Allocation Methods of Tariff Rate Quota for Importation of Grain and Cotton of 2008  in its 
Announcement No. 62 of 2007. MOFCOM promulgated on 29 September 2007 the Application and 
Allocation Methods of Tariff Rate Q uota for Importation of Sugar of 2008  in its Announcement No.78 
of 2007,  and Implementing Rules on the Administration of Tariff Rate Quota for Importation of Wool 
and Wool Tops of 2008  in its Announcement No. 79 of 2007.  MOFCOM also promulgated on 
19 September 2007  the Quantities, Allocation Principles and Application Procedures of Tariff Rate 
Quota for Importation of Fertilizers of 2008 in its Announcement No. 76 of 2007.  
 
II. There have been no changes since the submission.  
 
III. There have been no changes since the submission.  IV. There have been no changes since the submission.  V. There have been no changes since the submission. 
 
VI. There have been no changes since the submission.   G/LIC/N/3/CHN/7 
 Page 5 
 
 
  VII. There have been no changes since the submission. 
 VIII. There have been no changes since the submission.  IX. There have been no changes since the submission. 
 
X. There have been no changes since the submission  XI. There have been no changes since the submission.  
7. There have been no changes since the submission;  
(a) There have been no changes since the submission,   
(b) There have been no changes since the submission, 
(c) There have been no changes since the submission,   
(d) There have been no changes since the submission, 
8. There have been no changes since the submission. 
Eligibility of importers to apply for licence
 
 
9. There have been no changes since the submission 
Documentation and other requirements for application for licence  
 10. For information required to be provided in the application for import license, there have been 
no changes since the submission. 
 For information required to be provided in th e application for automatic import license, there 
have been no changes since the submission.   
 For information required to be provided in the application for ta riff rate quota for importation of 
agricultural products, please refer to the Quantities, Application Cond itions and Allocation Methods of 
Tariff Rate Quota for Importati on of Grain and Cotton of 2008 published on 29 September 2007 in 
NDRC’s Announcement No. 62 of 2007, the Application and Allocation Me thods of Tariff Rate Quota 
for Importation of Sugar of 2008 was published on 29 September 2007 in MOFCOM’s Announcement 
No. 78 of 2007 and the Implementing Rules on the Administration of Tariff Rate Quota for 
Importation of Wool and Wool Tops of 2008 published on 29 September 2007 in MOFCOM’s 
Announcement No. 79 of 2007. 
 
For information required to be provided in the application for tariff rate quota for importation 
of fertilizers, please refer to the  Quantities, Allocation Principles and Application Procedures of 
Tariff Rate Quota for Importation of Fertilizers of 2008 published on 19 September  2007 in 
MOFCOM’s Announcement No. 76 of 2007.  
 11. There have been no changes since the submission.  
12. There have been no changes since the submission. 
13. There have been no changes since the submission. G/LIC/N/3/CHN/7 
Page 6  
 
  Conditions of Licensing
 
 
14. There have been no changes since the submission. 
15. There have been no changes since the submission. 
16. There have been no changes since the submission.  
17. There have been no changes since the submission. 
Other Procedural Requirements  
 
18. There have been no changes since the submission.  
19. There have been no changes since the submission. 
__________