Hengqin’s Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone is set to become an autonomous customs territory from 1 March, to ease the movement of people, goods, capital and information between Macao and Hengqin.
The autonomous customs territory will operate on a two-tier system. Customs arrangements between the SAR and the cooperation zone will occupy the first tier, while the second will handle trade with other areas within mainland China.
Trade via the first tier will mainly be tax-free, with simplified customs declaration procedures. However, most goods moving through the second tier will be treated as exports facing tariff and import duties.
[See more: More than 11,000 people from Macao live and work in the Hengqin area now]
In terms of the flow of people, border controls will remain in effect between Macao and the cooperation zone (the first tier). There continue to be no restrictions on people moving between the zone and other parts of mainland China (the second tier).
These will be six second-tier customs locations operating between Hengqin and surrounding Zhuhai from 1 March.
The Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone was inaugurated in September 2021, to promote Macao’s integration with mainland China under the “One country, Two systems” principle.
Under the Macao Basic Law, the SAR is a separate customs territory known as ‘Macao, China’ when engaging in international trade.
