About Shanghai Customs

    Customs Administration is responsible for the surveillance and control over all the imports and exports. In accordance with the Customs Law of the People's Republic of China and other relevant rules and regulations, Customs administration is responsible for:-
- Exercising control over all the means of transport, goods, luggage, postal items and other articles entering or leaving the territory;
- -Collecting Customs duties and other taxes and fees;
- -Preventing and combating smuggling;
- -Compiling Customs statistics; and
- -Dealing with other Customs affairs.
    Shanghai Customs has a long-standing history. It was established 319 years ago in 1685 during the 24th year of the Kangxi period of Qing Dynasty when it was known as Imperial Maritime Customs. It was officially renamed the Shanghai Customs of the People's Republic of China on February 16,1950.
    At present, Shanghai Customs has subordinate offices including 12 local Customs Houses (such as Pudong, Pudong International Airport, Pujiang and Waigaoqiao Port etc.); 8 offices of Shanghai Customs (e.g.Customs office in Post Office and Customs Office in Railway Station etc.); 16 divisions (e.g. General Office, Division of Legal Affairs and Division of Supervision and Control etc.) and other 5 offices of Central Administration (e.g. National Center for Classification of Merchandise Shanghai Branch, Price Information Office of General Administration of PRC and China E-port Data Center Shanghai Office etc.) Shanghai Customs employed 2838 officials.
There are three main features of Shanghai Custom Operations.

    First, Comprehensive Surveillance
    Shanghai Customs supervises sea, land, air and postal transportation. The means of transport subject to the Customs supervision and control include maritime traffic, airborne freighters, trains, and motor vehicles. The general terms of trade under Customs supervision contain over 20, ranging from general trade, processing trade to transit trade. The type of Customs supervision and control fall into two categories: trade and non-trade surveillance.
Second, Long Coastline with Dense Checkpoints
There are field operation sites covering sea, land and air transportation. The area which starts from Changjiang port area,along the Hangpu River to Yangshan are under Customs surveillance.
    Third, Large Business Volume
    Shanghai Customs has consecutively been China's top Customs in terms of total import and export value, container throughput, duty revenue and the amount of Customs Declaration form.
    Fourth, advanced and scientific equipments and facilities
    Shanghai Customs is implementing its working guideline of"exercising law-based administration, safeguarding the national gateway, serving the national economic interests and promoting social development" and undertaking its principles of "politically staunch,professionally capable and reliable" to meet the management requirements. Shanghai Customs is strengthening its surveillance in logistics and tries to establish a new system to combat smuggling. Shanghai Customs has adopted the advanced computer technology and risk management in order to improve the customs administration. It aims to help to build Shanghai into a economical, financial, trade and transportation center and achieve its goal to be a "great port with large business" In addition, Shanghai Customs emphasizes the human resources development and places a great on the quality of its working staff, strict-disciplined and military- trained so that the personnel can meet the high standards of management.