China Looking Into US Exporter Complaints of Customs Delays, Official Says

China is investigating complaints from U.S. exporters about Chinese customs clearances, including accusations of slower processing, increased inspections and inexplicable delays in licensing approval, China’s Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen said during a June 2 press conference. Wang said he did not know if the complaints were about “a real or specific situation,” according to an unofficial translation of his comments, but some U.S. exporters allege the moves are another step in China’s 2018 threat to take retaliatory measures against the U.S. that extend beyond tariff hikes (see 1905290041).

Wang said China has “taken many measures” to reduce customs requirements for exporters to China and will continue to “cut back.” He also said the country is “accelerating the processing time of these documents and reducing customs clearance times,” contradicting accusations from U.S. exporters. Wang said some of the problems may be attributed to the “local business sector,” where “companies may encounter specific problems.” Wang said U.S. exporters should “report to the local business department and even seek help from the complaints mechanism,” adding that China established a “foreign complaints system” under its recently passed “Foreign Investment Law.”

A May 22 study from the American Chamber of Commerce in China and Shanghai said one in five member companies has recently experienced increased inspections and slower customs clearance. About 14 percent said they have been experiencing slower approval for licenses “and other complications from increased bureaucratic oversight or regulatory scrutiny,” the study said.