· Document Number：No. 27 [2016] of the State Council

· Area of Law： Foreign Economy and Trade

· Level of Authority： Regulatory Documents of the State Council

· Date issued：05-05-2016

· Effective Date：05-05-2016

· Issuing Authority： State Council

· Status： Effective

Several Opinions of the State Council on Promoting Foreign Trade in Stabilizing for the Better
(No. 27 [2016] of the State Council)
The people's governments of all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government; all ministries and commissions of the State Council; and all institutions directly under the State Council:
Foreign trade is an important part of the national economy and a significant driving force. Currently, the situation of foreign trade is complicated and severe with increasing uncertain and instable factors and increasing stress of downturn. The promotion of stabilizing foreign trade for the better is significant to the steady operation, upgrade and development of the economy. Therefore, the following opinions are hereby offered:
I. Fully underscoring the role of export credit insurance
The short-term rates of export credit insurance premium shall be further decreased. The financing insurance for the export of large equipment in complete sets shall be provided as much as possible, and on the premise of controllable risks, a group of medium and long-term insurance projects shall be assessed and supported without delay.
II. Vigorously supporting foreign trade enterprises in financing
Financial institutions shall be guided in enhancing support to micro and small-sized enterprises through differentiated reserve funds, interest rates, re-lending, re-discounts and other policies. Financial institutions shall be encouraged and supported in granting loans to profitable foreign trade enterprises with orders. The cooperation between banks and foreign trade enterprises shall be strengthened, and financial institutions shall be encouraged and supported in further expanding the size of export credit insurance policy financing and export tax refund account pledge loan.
III. Further enhancing trade facilitation
The technology conditions to facilitate clearance shall be vigorously improved, the ratio of machine inspection shall be raised, average export customs inspection rates shall be further decreased, and direction by classification shall be strengthened to decrease inspection rates of export enterprises with good credit and enhance inspection on export enterprises with poor credit. The development of international trade "single window" shall be promoted from coastal areas to central and western China with good conditions prior to the end of 2016, a standard system shall be established and the primary responsibility shall be implemented. Clearance operation without paper shall be comprehensively promoted.
IV. Adjusting and improving export tax refund policies
The structure of export tax refund rates shall be optimized, and, in respect of cameras, internal combustion engine and some electromechanical products, tax shall be refunded according to the actual amount of tax levied, to ensure timely tax refund in full amount and strictly crack down upon tax refund obtaining by fraud. The measures for the classification of export tax refund shall be improved to gradually raise the ratio of enterprises in export tax refund class A, and make full use of the motivation and exemplary role of class A enterprises.
V. Reducing, canceling and regulating some charges involving enterprises
Rules for the catalog of import and export-related charges and the Harbor Charges and Charging Measures shall be implemented to accelerate the advancement of market-oriented reform, give priority to breaking the monopoly, strengthen and innovate supervision of charges, and establish a mechanism to crack down on charges in violation of regulations. The investigation and handling of charges of e-politics platforms shall be strengthened, and thorough examination of e-politics platforms of customs, entry-exit inspection and quarantine, tax, commerce and other agencies shall be conducted. Harbor, insurance, transport, banking and other charges shall be reasonably regulated to support the development of real economy. The incorporation of harbor dues for cargos into harbor toll shall be accelerated. Where the export of electrical and electronic products conforms to policy conditions, it may be exempt from the funds for the disposal of waste electrical appliances and electronic products as provided.
VI. Further improving processing trade policy
Finance, land and financial policies shall be comprehensively used to support processing trade in relocating to central and western China. Central and western China shall provide more guarantee to the land use of processing trade industry, and prioritize the inclusion of it into land use plan and the supply, and the land evacuated and returned resulting from gradient transfer of processing trade in east China may be used for business, tourism, senior citizen care and other purposes upon approval. Any processing trade enterprise shall pay land-transferring fees for the industrial land it obtained in accordance with the law in installments as agreed upon in contract, and in respect of land-efficient industrial projects in sectors with development priority as determined by all provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities), a floor price for land transfer may be determined at no less than 70 percent of relevant standards. Any processing trade enterprises relocating to central and western China shall be encouraged to participate in direct electric power transactions. The effective implementation of the policy of reducing social insurance premium rates by stages shall be ensured. Fiscal expenditure shall be optimized to support the development of processing trade in central and western China. Financial institutions shall be encouraged to provide financial support to the gradient transfer project of processing trade.
The examination and approval of processing trade businesses shall be scrapped across China, and an interim and ex-post supervision mechanism shall be established and improved. The pilot program of the classification supervision of goods status shall be vigorously researched in eligible areas under special customs supervision, and on the premise of equal tax burden and controllable risks, qualified enterprises shall be granted the qualification of general value-added tax taxpayers. The pilot programs of the policy of selective levy of tariffs will be conducted first in the areas under special customs supervision in pilot free-trade zones, which shall be summarized and assessed in a timely manner, and in the principle of tax burden equality, the pilot programs shall be expanded in good time.
VII Supporting the development of border trade
Border trade, poverty alleviation policy and ethnic policy shall be combined. The transfer payment of the central treasury to border areas shall be enhanced, continuous support shall be given to petty trade enterprises in border areas to develop their ability building, and local authorities shall be urged to regulate the use of the funds, to ensure that funds are used in the fist line and grassroots areas and vigorously promote the development of petty trade enterprises.
VIII. Implementing proactive import policies
Import interest subsidization policies shall be improved, the Catalogue of Technologies and Products Encouraged for Import shall be adjusted, the import of advanced equipment and advanced technology shall be prioritized and supported, and enterprises shall be encouraged in terms of introduction, digestion, absorption and re-innovation. Existing measures for the administration of the sale of automobile brands shall be improved, and parallel import of automobiles shall be effectively advanced. Eligible crude oil processors shall be granted crude oil using and import qualifications. The tariff on some daily consumer goods shall be reduced to guide overseas consumption in returning to China.
IX. Giving more support to new business types of foreign trade
Cross-border e-commerce, trade mode of market procurement and the pilot program of foreign trade comprehensive service enterprises shall be conducted and expanded. Enterprises shall be supported in building a group of export products "overseas warehouses" and overseas operation centers. The experiences of the China (Hangzhou) Cross-Border E-Commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zones and trade mode of market procurement shall be summarized, the scope of the pilot program shall be expanded, and where any export enterprise conforming to supervision conditions in pilot areas is unable to provide input tax invoices, value-added tax exemption and no-refund policy shall be implemented and gradually regulated and improved in the development. The development of management mode suitable for the development of foreign trade comprehensive service enterprises shall be accelerated, and the measures for the tax (exemption) refund classification administration of foreign trade comprehensive service enterprises shall be improved without delay.
X. Accelerating the construction of an international marketing service system
Enterprises shall be supported in building an international marketing service system and building a group of overseas exhibition centers, distribution centers, wholesale markets and retail outlets, among others. Enterprises shall be encouraged to establish overseas service guarantee systems, and key enterprises shall be supported in building overseas automobiles, machine tools, engineering machinery, communication, rail transit, aviation, vessels and oceanographic engineering, among others, after-sales maintenance service centers and spare part manufacture bases and training centers. China Export and Credit Insurance Corporation, the Export-Import Bank of China and China Development Bank shall be encouraged to provide credit insurance and financing support to emprises to build international marketing and after-sales service network. All types of financial institutions shall be encouraged to cooperate with enterprises, and provide support in financing and loan for consumption for the building of international marketing service systems in key markets.
XI. Accelerating the fostering of foreign trade independent brands
Foreign trade enterprises shall be encouraged to create independent brands and improve export quality. An export statistics system of brand commodities shall be established. The quality of holding overseas non-commercial exhibitions shall be improved, and a group of professional overseas brand exhibition in key industries shall be fostered. The international publicity of independent brands shall be strengthened, and the promotion of Chinese brands shall be enhanced through high-level visits, international conferences, Canton Fair and other multiple channels. The foreign trade and economic development and other special funds shall be made use of to support overseas merger and acquisition and the development of international marketing system in terms of brands, patents and other aspects. More credit support shall be given to foreign trade enterprises in the acquisition of overseas brands and marketing systems on the premise of controllable risks.
XII. Making two-way investment promote trade
The development level of the national economic and technological development zone and all types of parks shall be raised, foreign businesses and investment shall be attracted, the foreign investment scale and speed shall be stabilized and the quality of attracted foreign investment shall be improved. Foreign investment shall be vigorously guided into emerging industries, new high technologies, energy conservation, environmental protection and other fields. The investment environment shall be further improved, international talents shall be introduced and the nationwide replication and promotion of relevant talent policies of the Zhongguancun Science Park shall be advanced. The attraction of investment and talents shall be combined and new foreign trade operation entities shall be fostered. The combination of outward investment cooperation and trade shall be propelled. The "one belt, one road" construction and international production capacity cooperation shall be vigorously advanced to motivate the export of China's products, technology, standards and services. More negotiation and coordination shall be conducted to promote the resolution of the difficulties in visa application and universal problems confronting enterprises "heading overseas."
XIII. Strengthening foreign trade intellectual property protection
The special campaign to crack down upon infringements and counterfeits in the field of foreign trade shall be continuously conducted and relevant acts in violation of law shall be cracked down upon in accordance with the law. Enterprises shall be supported in the conduct of trademark and patent registration protection, and the construction of a mechanism for the resolution of overseas intellectual property disputes and assistance in rights protection shall be strengthened. The multilateral, bilateral intellectual property exchange and law enforcement cooperation mechanism shall be improved, and import/export enterprises shall be effectively supported in tackling overseas intellectual property disputes, to effectively contain overseas malicious registration, malicious lawsuit and other acts. More guidance and help shall be given to improve the ability and level of foreign trade enterprises in preventing and tackling international technical trade barriers. The development of integrity system in the field of foreign trade shall be strengthened and the development of a foreign trade enterprise credit appraisal system shall be researched.
XIV. Strengthening organization and implementation
All local authorities and all departments shall further raise consciousness, attach more importance to the work on foreign trade, strengthen coordination and form joint forces. The implementation of policies shall be strengthened, early arrangements and early implementation shall be conducted, and urgency and examination shall be strengthened. All local authorities shall improve policy precision, use helpful experiences and practices for reference and issue targeted supporting measures based on situations and actual local circumstances. All departments shall define responsibilities and division of work, and formulate implementation rules without delay. Multiple measures shall be taken to promote the innovative development of foreign trade, by all manner of means stabilize growth, unswervingly adjust structure, and make efforts to realize the stabilization of foreign trade for the better.
State Council
May 05, 2016