Page 21 - Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)

any other charges or penalties provided for in its laws and pallets. “Demountable bodies” shall be regarded as
regulations. containers.

5. Each Party shall permit a good temporarily admitted under this (b) For the purposes of this paragraph, “pallet” means a device
Article to be re-exported through a customs port other than that on the deck of which a quantity of goods can be assembled
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through which it was admitted. to form a unit load for the purpose of transporting it, or of
handling or stacking it with the assistance of mechanical
appliances. This device is made up of two decks separated
Article 2.11: Temporary Admission for Containers and Pallets by bearers, or of a single deck supported by feet; its overall
height is reduced to the minimum compatible with handling
1. Each Party, as provided for in its laws and regulations, or the by fork lift trucks or pallet trucks; it may or may not have a
provisions of the related international agreements to which it is superstructure.
party, shall grant duty-free temporary admission for containers
and pallets, regardless of their origin, in use or to be used in the 2. Subject to Chapter 8 (Trade in Services) and Chapter 10
shipment of goods in international traffic. (Investment), in respect of containers granted temporary
admission pursuant to paragraph 1:
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(a) For the purposes of this Article, “container” means an
article of transport equipment (lift-van, movable tank, or (a) each Party shall allow a container used in international
other similar structure): traffic that enters its territory from the territory of another
Party to exit its territory on any route that is reasonably
(i) fully or partially enclosed to constitute a related to the economic and prompt departure of such
compartment intended for containing goods; container;
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(ii) of a permanent character and accordingly strong (b) no Party shall require any security or impose any penalty
enough to be suitable for repeated use; or charge solely by reason of any difference between the
port of entry and the port of departure of a container;
(iii) specially designed to facilitate the carriage of goods,
by one or more modes of transport, without (c) no Party shall condition the release of any security that it
intermediate reloading; imposes in respect of the entry of a container into its
territory on the container’s exit through any particular port
(iv) designed for ready handling, particularly when being of departure; and
transferred from one mode of transport to another;
(d) no Party shall require that the carrier bringing a container
(v) designed to be easy to fill and to empty; and from the territory of another Party into its territory be the
same carrier that takes the container to the territory of
(vi) having an internal volume of one cubic metre or another Party.
more.

“Container” shall include the accessories and equipment of 7 For greater certainty, nothing in this paragraph shall affect the right of a Party to adopt
the container, appropriate for the type concerned, provided or maintain measures in accordance with Article 17.12 (General Exceptions) or Article
17.13 (Security Exceptions).
that such accessories and equipment are carried with the
container. “Container” shall not include vehicles, 8 For greater certainty, nothing in this subparagraph shall be construed to prevent a
accessories or spare parts of vehicles, or packaging or Party from adopting or maintaining highway and railway safety or security measures of
general application, or from preventing a container from entering or exiting its territory
in a location where the Party does not maintain a customs port. A Party may provide
the other Parties with a list of ports available for exit of containers in accordance with
6 For Lao PDR, “customs port” means an international customs port. its laws and regulations.

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