News
The Japanese Ministry of Finance (MOF) recently has worked out a daft for having a system similar to the U.S.’s 24-Hour Rule implemented in Japan as part of a reform of the customs law for fiscal 2012.
The decision was made during a meeting on Nov. 17, 2011 of the customs tariff sub-committee, which is an organization under the ministry’s Council on Customs, Tariff, Foreign Exchange and Other Transaction. The MOF intends to send the bill to the Diet around February 2012 so that it will be approved hopefully in late March.
When a 24-hour rule is introduced in Japan, it would be necessary for consigners to submit information on containerized shipments they send to Japan.
More specifically, shipping companies would be required to file data on containers that is described on master bills of lading (B/Ls) with the customs offices at ports of destination in Japan at lease 24 hours in advance to when they left ports of origin.
Similarly, non-vessel-operating common carriers (NVOCCs) would have to submit cargo information on house B/Ls.
When containers are imported to Japan by sea from nearby countries, security of global standards would have to be ensured, according to the MOF, but the ministry added that it would be very important to take reality into consideration as much as possible.
Shipping lines, NVOCCs and other parties would need to submit information on containers electrically?through the Sea-NACCS. However, if service providers conclude contracts with the Sea-NACCS, they would be authorized to send data on behalf of senders.
When the new system is implemented in Japan, customs directors would be allowed to prohibit (stop) ships from discharging containers at ports of destination when necessary.
The system would be launched two years after a new law is promulgated. For example, if the Diet approves the bill and officially announces the approval in March 2012, the Japanese version of the 24-Hour Rule would take effect as early as the middle of 2014.
