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| 7th Report of Market Access Ombudsman Council (March 18, 2002) |
1. Complainant: Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry
2. Ministry concerned: Ministry of Finance
3. Complaint:
When we import chips, we make preliminary declaration and finish import inspection before entering the port by utilizing the preliminary inspection system.
In the case where a chip ship enters a port outside of regular hours of the customs office and the chips are unloaded at the harbor yard, it should make it possible for the importer to go through import declaration procedures during the working hours of the customs office the next day, instead of requiring import declaration during the outside of regular hours on the same day.
Since a chip ship is often kept in a state of demurrage, the customs-clearance procedures after the ship is anchored at the wharf start after the regular working hours of the customs office. Therefore, it should make it possible for the importer to take customs-clearance procedures after the completion of port-entry procedures even for ships in demurrage in an open port.
4. Corresponding Policy of the Ministries concerned:
(1) In the case where the preliminary inspection system is utilized for importing wood chips, the importer does not need to make regular declaration (import declaration) immediately after the chips in question are brought in to the bonded area. If the importer so desires, the import declaration can be made during the working hours of the customs office the next day.
(2) In the case of making import declaration while wood chips are still on board the ship, if the chief customs inspector gives prior approval, the importer can make import declaration without bringing in the wood chips to the bonded area.
In this case, a "freight list" has to be submitted to the customs office prior to the import declaration.
5. Remarks
The complainant accepted this policy.