Page 227 - Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)

8. Each Party shall either arrange or allow an importer to arrange for Article 4.13: Trade Facilitation Measures for Authorised Operators
the proper storage of perishable goods pending their release.
Each Party may require that any storage facilities arranged by the 1. Each Party shall provide additional trade facilitation measures
importer have been approved or designated by its relevant related to import, export, or transit formalities and procedures,
authorities. The movement of the goods to those storage pursuant to paragraph 3, to operators who meet specified criteria,
facilities, including authorisations for the operator moving the (hereinafter referred to as “authorised operators” in this Chapter).
goods, may be subject to the approval, where required, of the Alternatively, a Party may offer such trade facilitation measures
relevant authorities. Each Party shall, where practicable and through customs procedures generally available to all operators
consistent with domestic legislation, on the request of the and is not required to establish a separate scheme.
importer, provide for any procedures necessary for release to take
place at those storage facilities. 2. The specified criteria to qualify as an authorised operator shall be
related to compliance, or the risk of non-compliance, with
requirements specified in a Party’s laws, regulations, or
Article 4.12: Application of Information Technology procedures.

1. Each Party shall, to the extent possible, apply information (a) Such criteria, which shall be published, may include:
technology to support customs operations based on
internationally accepted standards for expeditious customs (i) an appropriate record of compliance with customs
clearance and release of goods. and other related laws and regulations;

2. Each Party shall, to the extent possible, use information (ii) a system of managing records to allow for
technology that expedites customs procedures for the release of necessary internal controls;
goods, including the submission of data before the arrival of the
shipment of those goods, as well as electronic or automated (iii) financial solvency, including, where appropriate,
systems for risk management targeting. provision of a sufficient security or guarantee; and

3. Each Party shall endeavour to make its trade administration (iv) supply chain security.
documents available to the public in electronic versions.
(b) Such criteria shall not:
4. Each Party shall endeavour to accept trade administration
documents submitted electronically as the legal equivalent of the (i) be designed or applied so as to afford or create
paper version of these documents. arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination between
operators where the same conditions prevail; and
5. In developing initiatives that provide for the use of paperless trade
administration, each Party is encouraged to take into account (ii) to the extent possible, restrict the participation of
international standards or methods made under the auspices of small and medium enterprises.
international organisations.
3. The trade facilitation measures provided pursuant to paragraph 1
6. Each Party shall cooperate with other Parties and in international shall include at least three of the following measures:
4
fora to enhance the acceptance of trade administration
documents submitted electronically. (a) low documentary and data requirements, as appropriate;

4 Measures listed in subparagraphs (a) through (g) will be deemed to be provided to
authorised operators if it is generally available to all operators.

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