Measures of the Customs Administration of the People’s Republic of China for the Supervision of Baggage and Articles Crossing the Customs Border

(Promulgated by Order No. 276 of the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China on February 17, 2025, and effective as of April 1, 2025)

Chapter I. General Provisions

Article 1. These Measures are formulated for the purposes of regulating customs supervision over baggage and articles crossing the customs border, safeguarding national security, and facilitating customs clearance at ports of entry and exit, in accordance with the Customs Law of the People’s Republic of China, the Customs Tariff Law of the People’s Republic of China, the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine, the Frontier Health and Quarantine Law of the People’s Republic of China, and other relevant laws and administrative regulations.

Article 2. These Measures shall apply to customs supervision over baggage and articles crossing the customs border.

Article 3. Baggage and articles crossing the customs border shall enter or leave the country through locations where customs authorities have been established.

Under exceptional circumstances, where baggage and articles need to be temporarily imported or exported through locations where no customs authorities have been established, customs formalities shall be completed in accordance with these Measures after approval has been obtained from the State Council or an authority authorized by it.

Article 4. Persons crossing the customs border may complete customs formalities for their baggage and articles upon entry or exit themselves or entrust another person to do so on their behalf.

Article 5. Baggage and articles crossing the customs border shall meet the requirements of reasonable personal use. Where the quantity exceeds that required for reasonable personal use, customs formalities shall be completed in accordance with the provisions applicable to goods.

Article 6. Baggage and articles crossing the customs border shall comply with laws, administrative regulations, provisions of the State Council, or provisions formulated by relevant departments of the State Council under authority delegated by laws and administrative regulations.

Persons crossing the customs border are prohibited from carrying baggage and articles that violate state prohibitions.

Persons crossing the customs border with baggage and articles subject to state restrictions shall comply with applicable limits and quantitative restrictions and shall, in accordance with law, provide permits and other supporting documentation.

Article 7. Customs authorities shall strengthen the application of innovations in modern science and technology and enhance the informatization, digitalization, intelligent operation, standardization, and convenience of supervision over baggage and articles crossing the customs border.

Chapter II. Declaration

Article 8. Persons carrying baggage and articles across the customs border shall truthfully declare them to the customs authorities.

Customs authorities shall accept written declarations from persons crossing the customs border at designated locations, such as declaration counters.

Article 9. Persons entering the country shall submit a written declaration to the customs authorities under any of the following circumstances:

1. carrying articles prohibited from importation;
2. carrying articles subject to import restrictions in excess of prescribed limits or quantitative restrictions, or where permits or other supporting documentation are required;
3. carrying animals, plants, animal or plant products, or other objects subject to quarantine;
4. carrying human tissues (including blood), pathogenic microorganisms, biological products, or other articles related to public health security;
5. carrying articles contaminated by quarantinable infectious diseases or articles posing a risk of spreading such diseases;
6. carrying cash currency exceeding prescribed amounts;
7. carrying articles exceeding prescribed duty-free allowances or quantitative limits;
8. carrying goods, commercial samples, or advertising materials;
9. importing baggage and articles by means of separate transportation;
10. carrying other baggage and articles that are required by law to be declared in writing.

Article 10. Persons leaving the country shall submit a written declaration to the customs authorities under any of the following circumstances:

1. carrying articles prohibited from exportation;
2. carrying articles subject to export restrictions in excess of prescribed limits or quantitative restrictions, or where permits or other supporting documentation are required;
3. carrying goods, commercial samples, or advertising materials;
4. carrying human tissues (including blood), pathogenic microorganisms, biological products, or other articles related to public health security;
5. carrying articles contaminated by quarantinable infectious diseases or articles posing a risk of spreading such diseases;
6. carrying cash currency exceeding prescribed amounts;
7. carrying other baggage and articles that are required by law to be declared in writing.

Article 11. Persons crossing the customs border who submit a written declaration shall complete either a paper declaration form or an electronic declaration.

Such persons shall present valid border-crossing identification documents to the customs authorities at designated locations, submit the paper declaration form or confirm the electronic declaration data, provide permits and other supporting documentation, and undergo customs inspection.

Where any of the circumstances specified in Articles 9 and 10 apply, failure to complete the written declaration procedures in accordance with the above provisions before the customs authorities initiate inspection measures shall be deemed a failure to declare to customs.

Article 12. When crossing the customs border at locations where a “red and green channel” declaration system is implemented, persons carrying baggage and articles that are required under these Measures to be declared in writing, as well as persons who are unfamiliar with customs regulations or are unable to determine which channel to select, shall use the “red channel.” Other persons may use the “green channel.”

Article 13. Baggage and articles temporarily crossing the customs border may be declared in writing upon entry or exit, with security provided as required. Upon approval by the customs authorities, they shall be released with an appropriate endorsement. Upon subsequent re-exportation or re-importation of the relevant baggage and articles, the customs authorities shall release them on the basis of such endorsement.

Chapter III. Inspection

Article 14. Customs authorities shall inspect baggage and articles crossing the customs border in accordance with law.

The time and place of inspection shall be determined by the customs authorities according to the actual circumstances.

Article 15. With respect to articles that may be easily damaged or may cause harm to human health during inspection, the person carrying the baggage and articles, or their representative, shall notify the customs authorities before the inspection begins.

Article 16. Customs authorities may use equipment, instruments, service dogs, and other means to inspect baggage and articles and may take samples in accordance with law.

Article 17. During a customs inspection, persons crossing the border or their representatives shall be present and shall move, open, and repack baggage and articles as required by the customs authorities and truthfully answer questions asked by customs officers. Where necessary, customs authorities may, in the presence of witnesses, conduct an inspection in the absence of the owner (compulsory inspection).

Article 18. No person may, without authorization, open or damage customs seals or other seals affixed by the customs authorities to baggage and articles.

Chapter IV. Disposal

Article 19. Customs authorities shall levy duties on baggage and articles permitted to be imported in accordance with the Customs Tariff Law of the People’s Republic of China, the Measures for the Collection of Customs Duties, Value-Added Tax and Consumption Tax on Imported Articles, and other relevant laws and administrative regulations.

Article 20. After duties have been lawfully paid or security has been provided, and permits and other supporting documentation have been submitted, customs authorities shall release the baggage and articles. However, where quarantine is required by law, such baggage and articles shall be released only after successfully passing quarantine.

Article 21. Where imported baggage and articles fall under the circumstances specified in Article 43 of the Regulations for the Implementation of the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine, the customs authorities shall detain them and issue an appropriate receipt. The detention period shall not exceed seven days. However, where laboratory or isolation quarantine is required, the relevant procedures shall be carried out in accordance with applicable laws, administrative regulations, and provisions of the General Administration of Customs.

Article 22. Imported baggage and articles shall be subject to quarantine treatment and customs supervision under any of the following circumstances:

1. they are contaminated by quarantinable infectious diseases;
2. disease vectors posing a risk to human health are detected;
3. other circumstances exist that pose a risk of spreading quarantinable infectious diseases;
4. live harmful organisms posing an animal or plant quarantine risk and capable of causing their spread are detected;
5. quarantine treatment is otherwise required by law.

Article 23. Under any of the following circumstances, where customs formalities cannot be completed on the spot, persons crossing the customs border shall complete such formalities within three months:

1. customs duties are payable on imported baggage and articles;
2. permits and other supporting documentation are required;
3. customs formalities must be completed in accordance with the procedures applicable to goods;
4. doubts exist regarding the characteristics, contents, value, or other aspects of the articles, requiring testing, appraisal, or other processing;
5. return or other processing is required and cannot be carried out immediately.

The time required for the procedures specified in item (4) of the preceding paragraph shall not be included in the above period.

Article 24. With respect to the following baggage and articles falling within Article 23, the persons concerned shall complete customs formalities within seven days:

1. hazardous chemicals;
2. live, perishable, rapidly deteriorating, or other articles unsuitable for long-term storage;
3. human tissues, pathogenic microorganisms, biological products, and other articles related to public health security;
4. other articles specified by the General Administration of Customs.

Article 25. Imported baggage and articles may, with the consent of customs authorities and after being lawfully processed by customs, be returned under any of the following circumstances:

1. customs duties on imported articles have not been paid;
2. customs formalities applicable to goods have not been completed;
3. permits or other supporting documentation have not been provided;
4. the articles are prohibited from importation;
5. the articles have failed quarantine and no effective treatment method is available;
6. return is otherwise permitted by law.

Article 26. Where persons declare that they are abandoning their baggage and articles, abandonment procedures may be carried out with the consent of the customs authorities, except where abandonment is prohibited by law.

Where imported articles have been detained by customs authorities and have successfully passed quarantine but are not collected within the prescribed period, they shall be deemed automatically abandoned.

Article 27. Imported baggage and articles shall be lawfully auctioned, otherwise disposed of, or destroyed by customs authorities under any of the following circumstances:

1. they have been abandoned with customs consent or deemed automatically abandoned;
2. they are prohibited from importation and cannot be returned;
3. they have failed quarantine, no effective treatment method is available, and they cannot be returned;
4. customs formalities have not been completed within the prescribed period;
5. they remain unclaimed in the customs control area for more than three months.

Where the above articles are unsuitable for long-term storage, customs authorities may arrange for their early disposal according to the actual circumstances.

Chapter V. Separately Transported Baggage and Articles and Transit

Article 28. Persons importing baggage and articles by means of separate transportation shall declare them to the customs authorities upon entering the country. With the consent of the customs authorities, the relevant formalities shall be completed within six months from the date of the person’s entry.

Persons exporting baggage and articles by means of separate transportation shall complete customs formalities before leaving the country.

Article 29. When declaring separately transported baggage and articles, persons shall provide the customs authorities with valid border-crossing identification documents, an inventory of the separately transported baggage and articles, and other relevant materials.

Article 30. Transit passengers who do not leave the customs control area are exempt from completing a baggage and articles declaration form. Without the consent of the customs authorities, they may not leave their baggage and articles within the territory of the country. Where necessary, customs authorities may inspect their baggage and articles.

Persons referred to in the preceding paragraph are prohibited from carrying articles prohibited from importation, except where approved or authorized by the competent authorities.

Article 31. Where transit passengers are permitted to leave the customs control area, the customs authorities shall supervise them in accordance with the rules applicable to persons entering the country.

Chapter VI. Supplementary Provisions

Article 32. No person may disrupt order at customs supervision facilities. Without authorization from the customs authorities, audio recording, video recording, and photography are prohibited at customs supervision facilities.

Persons who are not crossing the customs border but enter or leave customs supervision facilities through staff passages upon presentation of valid documents may not carry goods crossing the customs border or duty-free goods and shall be subject to customs inspection.

Article 33. Where these Measures are violated, the customs authorities shall take action in accordance with law.

Article 34. Where laws, administrative regulations, decisions of the State Council, or provisions formulated by relevant departments of the State Council under delegated authority establish different rules concerning the following baggage and articles, such rules shall apply:

1. baggage and articles carried by persons enjoying diplomatic and consular privileges and immunities;
2. baggage and articles carried by certain categories of persons, including foreign nationals permanently residing in the country (including residents), overseas mountaineering groups and individuals, highly qualified students returning to the country, overseas scientific and technical experts working in China, and others;
3. baggage and articles crossing the Hainan Free Trade Port and other special zones subject to joint supervision by customs and relevant authorities;
4. other circumstances provided for by laws, administrative regulations, or competent authorities acting under delegated authority.

Persons enjoying diplomatic and consular privileges and immunities referred to in item (1) of the preceding paragraph shall voluntarily present their passports, visas, or relevant supporting documents. After verification, customs authorities shall grant them the corresponding privileges.

Article 35. For the purposes of these Measures, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:

“Baggage and articles” means articles carried by persons crossing the customs border, including articles carried in hand baggage and articles transported separately.

“Separately transported baggage and articles” means the personal baggage and articles of a person crossing the customs border that are transported separately by means of freight shipment.

Article 36. The term “exceeding” as used in these Measures does not include the stated number itself.

Article 37. The General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China shall be responsible for the interpretation of these Measures.

Article 38. These Measures shall enter into force on April 1, 2025. At the same time, the following shall be repealed:

the Measures of the Customs Administration of the People’s Republic of China for the Supervision of Baggage and Articles Carried by Passengers Crossing the Customs Border (promulgated by Order No. 9 of November 1, 1989, and amended by Orders No. 198 of November 26, 2010, and No. 235 of December 20, 2017);

the Provisions of the Customs Administration of the People’s Republic of China on the Supervision of Baggage and Articles of Transit Passengers (promulgated by Order No. 25 of September 2, 1991, and amended by Order No. 198 of November 26, 2010);

the Provisions of the Customs Administration of the People’s Republic of China on the Supervision of Articles for Personal Use Carried by Passengers Crossing the Customs Border (promulgated by Order No. 35 of September 10, 1992, and amended by Order No. 198 of November 26, 2010);

the Provisions of the Customs Administration of the People’s Republic of China on Customs Clearance for Passengers Crossing the Customs Border (promulgated by Order No. 55 of December 25, 1995, and amended by Order No. 198 of November 26, 2010);

the Provisions of the Customs Administration of the People’s Republic of China on the Supervision of Baggage and Articles Carried by Citizens of the People’s Republic of China Crossing the Customs Border (promulgated by Order No. 58 of August 10, 1996, and amended by Orders No. 198 of November 26, 2010, and No. 235 of December 20, 2017);

and the Measures for the Quarantine Administration of Articles Carried by Persons Crossing the State Border (promulgated by Order No. 146 of the former General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China on August 2, 2012, and amended by Orders No. 238 of April 28, 2018, No. 240 of May 29, 2018, and No. 243 of November 23, 2018, of the General Administration of Customs).