COURIER AND PACKAGING SERVICES

Commercial Presence in China
  • Foreign service suppliers may provide courier services (except for those which had been specifically reserved by law for the Chinese postal services) through joint ventures, with a maximum foreign investment of 49 percent. By December 11, 2002, foreign majority ownership will be permitted. By December 11, 2005, foreign service suppliers may establish wholly foreign-owned subsidiaries. 
  • Foreign service suppliers may provide packaging services through joint ventures. By December 11, 2002, foreign majority ownership will be permitted. By December 11, 2004, wholly foreign-owned subsidiaries may be established. 
  • These services must otherwise be accorded  national treatment.
Presence of Natural Persons in China
  • Managers, executives, and specialists of a representative office, branch, or subsidiary in China, temporarily moving as intra-corporate transferees, will be permitted an initial stay of three years.
  • Managers, executives, and specialists of foreign-invested enterprises in China will be granted a long-term stay permit as stipulated in the terms of contracts concerned or an initial stay of three years, whichever is shorter.
  • Service salespersons who are not based in China, and who meet certain other conditions set out in China’s services schedule, are limited to a 90-day stay.
Cross-Border Supply of Services
  • The cross-border supply of courier and packaging services is not subject to market access restrictions and is accorded national treatment.
Consumption of Services Abroad
  • The provision of courier and packaging services outside of China is not subject to market access restrictions and is accorded national treatment. 
Acquired Rights of Foreign Service Suppliers
  • The conditions of ownership, operation, and scope of activities for an existing foreign service supplier, as set out in the supplier’s contract or shareholders’ agreement or in a  license establishing or authorizing the supplier’s operation or supply of services, will not be made more restrictive than they were on December 11, 2001.
Other Commitments

December 2001
Department of Commerce
International Trade Administration
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