Shipping

June 2002

The Ministry of finance will cut back the time for import customs checks for ship cargo from the arrival at a port to the delivery of its cargo to domestic facilities by introducing a new customs clearance system by the end of March 2004. The MOF plans to adopt the "customs clearance highway" system, in which no customs checks are necessary for imports whose documents have been examined in advance. The new system will allow pre-examined cargo to be shipped immediately after arriving at port, from the current average of three days. The same method is to be introduced for exports as well. Cargo is now kept in bonded areas of ports for examination by the customs office after being unloaded. Some importers claim that the current process makes domestic ports less competitive than overseas facilities. (June 20, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun)