Ministry of Commerce: Cancel the registration of foreign trade operators

According to the news of the Ministry of Commerce on January 3, 2022, on December 30, 2022, the 38th meeting of the 13th the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) passed the decision on amending the foreign trade law, deleting the provisions of Article 9 of the Foreign Trade Law of People's Republic of China (PRC) on the filing and registration of foreign trade operators.

According to the decision, since December 30, 2022, local competent commercial departments will stop handling the registration of foreign trade operators. For market entities applying for import and export link licenses, technology import and export contract registration certificates, quotas, state-owned trade qualifications and other relevant certificates and qualifications, the relevant departments no longer require them to provide the registration materials for foreign trade operators.

Since then, enterprises engaged in import and export business will no longer go through the registration formalities for foreign trade operators, and enterprises will automatically obtain import and export rights! (Customs registration is still required to obtain customs declaration authority)

Article 9 of the deleted Foreign Trade Law stipulates:

Foreign trade operators engaged in the import and export of goods or technology shall register with the foreign trade department of the State Council or its entrusted agency; However, laws, administrative regulations and the regulations of the State Council foreign trade department do not require registration. The specific measures for registration shall be stipulated by the foreign trade department of the State Council. If a foreign trade operator fails to register in accordance with the regulations, the customs will not go through the formalities of customs declaration, inspection and release of import and export goods.

When the person in charge of the Foreign Trade Department of the Ministry of Commerce introduced the cancellation of the registration of foreign trade operators, he said that it was a major reform measure in the field of foreign trade management and an important institutional innovation of China government to firmly promote trade liberalization and facilitation.

Cancellation of registration means that China's decentralization of trade has been further promoted, and it is also in line with the need that China is seeking the implementation of the' double circulation' strategy and high-quality development through institutional opening up.