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"Provisional Rules for issue of Exemption Certificates for Import-Duty-paid Foreign Goods
carried on the Hu-Ning Railway between Open Ports.
(Translation.)
"1. The Commissioners of Customs at Shanghae, Soochow, Chinkiang, and Nanking will issue, on application of merchants, exemption certificates, freeing from renewed collection of duty import-duty-paid foreign goods declared for re-export by rail to another specified open port on the Hu-Ning Railway line.
2. Applications for these certificates must be presented in duplicate, one copy to be retained by the Maritime Customs and the other to be transmitted by them to the Li-kin Office at the place where the lading occurs. The applications must be accompanied by certificates of the Railway Company, also in duplicate, giving the denomination of the goods in question, their weight and number of packages, and stating that the goods are already stored in the railway station godown awaiting despatch.
"3. Goods thus awaiting despatch in the railway station godown may not be removed to the waggons until the Customs exemption certificate has been presented to the Railway Company. Exemption certificates will only be issued after they have been verified by the Maritime Customs Examiner at the station, and the Li-kin Deputy there with the goods themselves and with the particulars given in the Railway Company's certificates, and must be first signed by the Examiner and stamped by the Deputy.
"4. Exemption certificates must accompany the goods they cover, either in the hands of the merchant or his agent or the train conductor.
“5. On arrival of such goods at the open port of destination the exemption certificates must be submitted with the goods to the Customs Examiner at the station and the Li-kin Deputy there for joint verification. If found to be in agreement, the goods may be taken delivery of, and the document will be marked 'cancelled' by the Customs officer, stamped by the Li-kin Deputy, and returned to the merchant or his agent to be sent through the Railway Company to the custom- house of issue for transmission to the Li-kin Office at the place where the goods were loaded on the train.
6. Exemption certificates must be presented for cancellation within two weeks from date of issue.
7. The Railway Company will lodge with the Maritime Customs a guarantee undertaking to pay twice the transit dues leviable on any consignment of foreign goods thus dispatched under exemption certificate which has not arrived by direct route at the port of destination within two weeks. The sums thus paid are to be transmitted by the Maritime Customs to the Li-kin Administration.
8. If after the arrival at the open port of destination it is desired to again re-export, either in whole or in part, any consignment of such goods to another open port by rail, the merchant concerned must apply to the Maritime Customs, clearly stating the circumstances of this intended second re-export, and giving the date and number of the original exemption certificate together with the denomination of goods contained therein. The Custoins will then inform the Li-kin Office, and with it jointly examine the goods. These being found in order and no substitution or other irregularity being detected, a new exemption certificate will be issued and re-export by rail permitted. The new exemption certificates thus issued must, as in the previous case, be signed by the Customs Examiner and stamped by the Li-kin Office. If a second re-export of such goods take place by waterway, the ordinary Maritime Customs Rules will be applicable.
9. In the event of discrepancies being detected by the Customs Examiner and the Li-kin Deputy between such exemption certificates and the denomination, weight, or number of packages of goods carried under them by rail from one open port to another, the certificates immediately become void and the goods subject to confiscation.
"10. With regard to foreign import-duty-paid goods carried by rail to stations at places which are not open ports, the merchant has the option of either taking out transit passes or paying li-kin.”
2. Notifications are to be issued in English and Chinese embodying the above Rules," in accordance with instructions received through the Inspector-General," and setting forth that they are provisional for one year and liable to amendment from time to time as may be required. The Statistical Secretary will supply you with a number
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of printed copies of the English notiñcation for issue to the public as well as for official use.
3. The guarantee to be provided by the Hu-Ning Railway Company had better be made to cover all four custom-houses along the line and handed to the Shanghae Commissioner for safe keeping.
4. As regards the new service forms necessary in this connection, the Statistical Secretary is to devise them in consultation with the Shanghae Commissioner. It would also be well for the latter to recommend to the Superintendent the adoption of a uniform special Hu-Ning Railway exemption certificate at the four open ports concerned.
5. Special statistics of foreign goods moving under exemption certificates on the Hu-Ning Railway line are to be kept at the ports concerned and embodied in special Tables in the Annual Returns.
I am, &c.
(Signed)
ROBT. E. BREDON,
Acting Inspector-General.
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