What Changed
- Defined personal postal printed, audio, and video products and enumerated covered physical and digital storage formats.
- Prohibited postal items exceeding personal-use quantities that spread religious products, as well as IP-infringing or illegally published materials.
- Mandated provincial or state-level import licensing papers for domestic units importing management materials or large amounts of religious printed products.
### Background
The General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC) sets regulatory guidelines governing the customs clearance of personal postal printed, audio, and video products. Individuals, domestic entities, postal operators, and international senders mailing items into or out of mainland China must comply with statutory definitions, personal-use quantity limits, and administrative licensing requirements enforced by mainland Chinese customs authorities. These rules establish clear regulatory standards for physical publications, media recordings, and digital storage media moving across mainland China's borders via postal channels.
### Definitions and Scope of Covered Postal Products
Under official GACC regulatory guidance, "personal postal printed, audio and video products" are explicitly defined as inward or outward printed, audio, and video products delivered by mail. Customs authorities divide these covered items into specific categories based on format and production method:
1. **Printed Products**: Defined as replicas reproduced with identical contents on paper or other commonly used materials. Approved reproduction methods include zinc plates, matrices, or negatives used through machinery or illumination techniques. The category also covers photographic plates, paper moulds, paintings, clip-and-paste items, hand-written copies, and duplicate copies.
2. **Audio and Video Products**: Defined to include gramophone records, magnetic tapes, videotapes, video compact discs (VCDs), compact discs (CDs), cinematographic films, slides, and a variety of storage media for computers.
### Restrictions, Prohibitions, and Licensing Requirements
Mainland China customs rules impose strict content restrictions and licensing obligations on items moving through postal channels:
* **Religious Products and Personal Use Quantity Limits**: Postal items that exceed a reasonable quantity for personal use and spread printed, audio, and video religious products by any means are restricted or prohibited under customs clearance standards.
* **Illegally Published and IP-Infringing Items**: Domestic printed, audio, and video products published illegally are strictly barred from customs clearance. Furthermore, items violating intellectual property rights or pirated from foreign publishing agencies are prohibited from importation or exportation.
* **Import Licensing for Domestic Units**: When a domestic unit posts prohibited articles for importation for management needs—excluding obscene contents or materials prohibited by the central information department or state culture and news agency—the unit must present valid import licensing papers. These papers must be issued by the relevant departments or bureaus and competent authorities at the provincial, autonomous regional, or municipal level.
* **Large-Scale Religious Imports**: For the importation of a large amount of religious printed products, domestic units or importers must produce import licensing papers issued specifically by the Bureau of Religious Affairs of the State Council.
### Practical Implications for Individuals and Organizations
For individual senders and recipients, cross-border postal items sent to or from mainland China must remain within reasonable, personal-use limits. Individuals must ensure that postal items do not contain pirated works, illegally published items, or materials violating intellectual property rights recognized under mainland Chinese law.
For domestic units importing restricted media products for organizational or management purposes, advance administrative approval is mandatory. Organizations cannot clear restricted postal items without presenting official licensing documentation from competent provincial, autonomous regional, or municipal authorities. Where large volumes of religious printed products are involved, authorization must be secured directly from the Bureau of Religious Affairs of the State Council.
### Frequently Asked Questions
**Question 1: What is the official definition of personal postal printed, audio, and video products?**
Answer: They are inward or outward printed, audio, and video products delivered by mail. Printed products include replicas on paper or common materials produced by machinery, illumination, plates, paper moulds, hand-written copies, or duplicates. Audio and video products include gramophone records, magnetic tapes, videotapes, VCDs, CDs, cinematographic films, slides, and computer storage media.
**Question 2: Are religious printed or audio-video products permitted in cross-border mail?**
Answer: Spreading religious printed, audio, and video products by any means or exceeding reasonable personal-use quantities is restricted or prohibited. Importing a large amount of religious printed products requires official import licensing papers issued by the Bureau of Religious Affairs of the State Council.
**Question 3: What rules apply to postal materials infringing on intellectual property rights?**
Answer: Domestic printed, audio, and video products published illegally, or items that violate intellectual property rights and pirate materials from foreign publishing agencies, are prohibited from customs entry or clearance.
**Question 4: What licensing documentation must a domestic unit present to import restricted postal items for management needs?**
Answer: The domestic unit must produce import licensing papers issued by relevant departments/bureaus and competent authorities at the provincial, autonomous regional, and municipal levels, except for obscene materials or those strictly prohibited by central agencies.
Who May Be Affected
Individual postal senders and recipients, domestic institutions, publishers, express courier operators, and religious or cultural entities.
Cross-Border Context
Applies to cross-border mailings of books, media discs, films, and computer storage media into and out of mainland China.
What to check next
- Check specific GACC implementation rules for individual postal quantity allowances
- Review provincial administrative procedures for obtaining import licensing papers for printed and audio-video products
This article provides general information and does not constitute legal advice. Consult the official text and obtain advice appropriate to your circumstances where needed.