| TOP |
| 6th Report of Market Access Ombudsman Council (March 16, 2000) |
1. Complainant: Korean Embassy
2. Ministry concerned: Ministry of Finance
3. Complaint:
Based on the agreement at Cabinet-level meetings between Japan and Korea in 1967 allowing temporary imports and exports of vehicles by ship, the Korean government in 1970 adopted a Notice on Customs Clearance of Vehicles for Temporary Import/Export of Vehicles by Ship (Customs Agency Notice No. 98-56), allowing temporary import customs clearance of vehicles used by Japanese travellers and trucks transporting live fish, trucks equipped with refrigerating or freezing units and other special vehicles. Japan, on the other hand, although allowing the temporary import and customs clearance of Korean travellers' vehicles in to Japan, does not allow temporary import and customs clearance of trucks transporting live fish, trucks equipped with refrigerating or freezing units and other special vehicles. Because of this, it is impossible to transport exports of live fish or refrigerated/frozen agricultural produce or marine or livestock products to Japan in Korean vehicles. This is not only inconvenient for Korean exporters, it also leads to higher costs.
To lower transport and distribution costs and shorten time needed for transportation, the Japanese government should permit temporary import and customs clearance of the above-mentioned special vehicles from Korea, in accordance with the above-mentioned Cabinet-level meeting agreement and based on the principle of bilateral reciprocity.
4. Corresponding Policy of the Ministries concerned:
(1) In 1970, the Japanese and Korean customs authorities agreed to simplify customs procedures for temporary import of private vehicles brought into Japan by travellers from Korea using the Kampu [Shimonoseki-Pusan] ferry. In 1971, customs import/export declarations and other procedures were amalgamated and simplified, for private vehicles covered under Article 17, Paragraph 1-10 (tax-exempt for re-export) of the Customs Tariff Law.
Note: Under Article 17, Paragraph 1-10 of the Customs Tariff Law, vehicles for private use accompanied by the individual or shipped unaccompanied by persons entering Japan for purposes other than transferring their place of residence to Japan, are exempt from customs duties provided they are re-exported within one year of the day that import permission was granted. Vehicles are currently non-dutiable and under Article 13, Paragraph 1-4 of the Law Concerning Levying of Domestic Consumption Tax on Imports, goods covered under Article 17, Paragraph 1-10 of the Customs Tariff Law are exempt from consumption tax.
(2) Although trucks transporting live fish, trucks equipped with refrigerating or freezing units and other special vehicles are not covered under Article 17, Paragraph 1-10 of the Customs Tariff Law, the ministry is studying applying similar provisions and simplify procedures for import and export.
5. Remarks
The complainant accepted this policy.