December 2023 / China

December 22 2023

China to Adjust Import and Export Tariffs on Certain Goods from January 1

The Ministry of Finance released on December 20, 2023 the Announcement of the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council on Adjusting Tariffs for 2024, stating that the country will adjust the import and export tariffs on certain goods starting January 1, 2024.

According to the Announcement, China will implement provisional import tariff rates lower than the most-favored-nation rates on 1,010 items starting January 1, 2024. First, import tariffs on key resources, equipment and components that are domestically scarce, like lithium chloride, low arsenic fluorite, and gas diffusion layers for fuel cells will be lowered. Second, certain anti-cancer medications and drugs for rare diseases, as well as relevant raw materials, will be subject to zero import tariffs, and import tariffs on foods for special medical purposes and other related products will be reduced. Third, import tariffs on sweet corn, coriander and burdock seeds will be cut. The Announcement also outlines other major changes, such as adding new tax items like decorative papers, high-end iron and steel products and others. There will be a total of 8,957 tax items after the adjustment.

December 21 2023

Shanghai: Urban land use tax implementation regulations continue to be implemented until the end of 2028

According to the website of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government on December 20, the Shanghai Municipal Government issued Notice No. 63 (2023) to clarify that after evaluation, the validity period of the Implementation Regulations of Shanghai Urban Land Use Tax (2019) No. 6) has been extended to December 31, 2028.

The Regulations on the Implementation of the Urban Land Use Tax in Shanghai make it clear that the urban land use tax in Shanghai is divided into five tax brackets according to different regions: (1) Regions within the inner ring road: one to three levels; (2) Areas outside the inner ring line and within the outer Ring line: Level 2 to Level 4; (3) Areas outside the Outer Ring Line: Level 3 to 5. The tax standard of each tax grade area is as follows: the annual tax of the first-level area is 15 yuan per square meter; Secondary area, annual tax of 10 yuan per square meter; Third level area, annual tax of 6 yuan per square meter; Level 4 area, annual tax of 3 yuan per square meter; The annual tax of the five-level area is 1.5 yuan per square meter.

December 21 2023

Shanghai: Continue to implement the adjusted property tax deduction ratio of the original value of the property in 2024

On December 20, the website of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government published the Notice of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government on the continued implementation of the Adjusted Real Estate Tax Deduction Ratio of the original Value of Real Estate.

According to the "Notice", Shanghai Government Regulation (2019) No. 5 specifies that since January 1, 2019, the city will calculate the taxpayers who pay the property tax according to the remaining value of the property, and the proportion of the original value of the property deduction will be adjusted to 30%. After assessment, the city continues to implement the adjusted real estate tax deduction ratio of the original value of the real estate, which will be implemented from January 1, 2024.

December 21 2023

China to Suspend Tariff Concessions for Some Taiwanese Products Granted under the ECFA

The Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council released on December 20, 2023 the Announcement on Suspending Tariff Concessions for Some Taiwanese Products Granted under the Cross-Straits Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), according to a statement made on the website of the Ministry of Finance on December 21, 2023. The Announcement will take effect on January 1, 2024.

As Taiwan's discriminatory measures of prohibiting and restricting Chinese mainland's exports have violated the provisions of the ECFA, the Customs Tariff Commission decides to suspend the tariff concessions for some Taiwanese products granted under the Agreement. Starting from January 1, 2024, 12 taxable products including propylene and paraxylene originating in Taiwan, as listed in the Annex, will not be applicable to the agreed tax rates, but are subject to the existing rules instead, said the Announcement.