OBM Newsletter - December 2008
OBM's John McNally presented with Quarantine Award
Mr John McNally (of OBM International Trade Services), President Queensland, Customs Brokers and Forwarders Council of Australia Inc. (CBFCA), was announced as the winner of the 2008 Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) South Queensland Regional Quarantine Award. The award was presented at Brisbane's historical quarantine station at Fort Lytton on 28 October 2008.
In the preamble to the Award Mr Rick Hawe, Regional Manager, South Queensland commented that the CBFCA had worked closely with AQIS in promoting and adopting changed business practices which resulted in significant enhancement in the delivery and performance of quarantine outcomes. The CBFCA in Queensland had enthusiastically facilitated a trial system of electronic lodgement of documentation designed to deliver greater efficiency and accuracy in lodging and processing import documentation.
He also stated that John had worked consistently with AQIS to embrace change and improve the focus of local consultative forums in order to deliver mutually beneficial and productive outcomes for government and industry.
John was selected from South Queensland recipients of the 2008 Quarantine Certificates of Commendation and will now go forward to the National Quarantine Award to be announced by Minister Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the Hon Tony Burke on 2 December 2008.
The OBM Team offers heartfelt congratulations on a job well done John.
Source: Customs Brokers & Forwarders Council of Australia Inc. - CBFCA, National News Flash November 2008.
China Customs Advance Manifest (CCAM) Regulation
With effect from 1st January 2009, China Customs will implement a new manifest regulation that requires submission of complete and correct cargo manifest electronically to China Customs 24 hours prior to loading of cargoes onto vessels out of and into Mainland China ports. This means that the regulation is applicable to all export, import and trans-shipment cargoes via any of the Mainland China ports.
The purpose of this regulation is to standardize Customs administration of manifest of inbound and outbound means of transportation, facilitate and safeguard international trade and also to align with global practices.
China Customs will analyse container content information before a container is loaded and thereby in advance decide on its loading/no loading status. In case of non-compliance with the regulation, China Customs may impose fines or other penalties on the carriers and other parties responsible for the submission of cargo declaration.
Direct port load cargo will be affected only. The loading port refers to all ports at which there are cargoes shipped to Mainland China via the direct vessel call. If there are cargoes loaded at an Australian port, without transhipment at any ports, and the vessel has a direct call at a Mainland China port, the CCAM 24 rule applies to the Australian port. If the shipment is transhipped (eg at Tanjung Pelepas) onto another vessel and then shipped to Mainland China, the CCAM 24 hour rule applies to Tanjung Pelepas.
For more information on how this change may affect your business please contact your local OBM office.
Source: Maersk Line (http://www.maerskline.com/link/?page=lhp&path=/asia/china/customs_regulations/CCAM&lang=en_GB)
Route Development for OBM
OBM is pleased to announce the addition of Matt Ward to our team. Matt joins us from the UK and has undertaken the new position of Route Development Manager. This means some exciting changes for OBM.
Matt was formerly the Director of a UK freight forwarding company and brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge of the European, Asia & USA trade lanes.
The new role that Matt has undertaken with OBM will promote extensive growth in both the European and American markets. His knowledge and skills have already given us the opportunity to establish our own direct airfreight consolidations from the main US ports. We are proud to say that we now offer the best in market rates and services and are able to pass these cost savings and guaranteed space commitments on to our clients.
Our next step in the route development phase is to commence new sea freight services from the USA and Asia, complementing our existing consolidations to Australia.
In addition to this we have increased our value-added services to include a web-based purchase order trace and trace facility, buyer's consolidations for multiple supplier shipments and sea/air or air/sea routings that offer flexibility and savings when cost and transit times are paramount.
For more information relating to anything mentioned in this article, please do not hesitate to contact Matt on +617 3854-1227 or 1300 139 454 or via email on mattw@obmpl.com.au.
Tax rebates raised for Chinese exporters
China, worried by slowing growth and widespread reports of factory closures, is to step up support for manufacturers by raising the export tax rebates paid on more than 3,700 types of goods. The initiative, which will take effect from December 1, is the third such move since July.
China also plans to remove unreasonable administrative fees and charges on industry players, and offer more, said a statement released after the executive meeting of the State Council presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao. Through the foreign trade development fund, set up by the central government, active assistance will be made to boost exports and help companies' promotion and acquisition efforts in the international market, members said at the meeting.
The tax rebate rate has been raised three times this year in China. The most recent increase came Monday. It covered a list of 3,770 items which account for 27.9 percent of the country's total exports. Items include labour-intensive, mechanical and electrical products. The rebate takes effect December 1.
Official data showed that China's October export growth slowed to 19.2 percent from 21.5 percent in September. "Light industry is China's strong point and its stable and healthy development would be of prime importance," members said while explaining the reason behind the move. The industry is suffering severely from changes in the domestic and international economic environment in recent months. Concrete measures should be taken to support the industry to weather the difficulties.
China levies value-added tax on most products, but refunds varying amounts of that tax on goods that are exported. The government usually adjusts the size of export tax rebates for different types of goods when it is trying to encourage or discourage growth in particular industries.
A few of the commodities impacted by this new rebate include:-
- various types of shoes/ furniture/ bags (11% to 13%)
- various types of garments/ textiles/ toys (11% to 14%)
For more information on how this may affect your business please contact our Asian Route Development Executive, Ivey Ho, on +617 3854-1227 or 1300 139 454 or via email on iveyh@obmpl.com.au.
Source: China Daily Website (http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2008-11/20/content_7224456.htm) | 
