About China Customs Seized Property

According to the Laws and regulations, China Customs has the right to dispose 3 types of property.

1. Seized property. (Smuggling goods or any other illegal goods, articles, or vehicles of transportation that were confiscated by the customs, and after the court's judgment to be disposed by the customs.)
2. Overdue property. (includes overdue import goods that have not been declared, mis-transferred, misplaced or overflowed goods.)
3. Abandoned or unclaimed property. (Includes, in particular, merchandise declared to be abandoned by the import owner. And merchandise that have not passed customs procedures or unclaimed merchandise within the time limit set by the customs. And inbound postal articles that cannot be delivered and cannot be returned.)

Five Ways to Dispose the Confiscated Property by Customs

1. Targeted resale. Merchandise monopolized by the state, such as smuggling of refined oil, smuggling of cigarettes, etc.
2. Transfer to the relevant authority departments. Such like to transfer the seized cultural relics, drugs, endangered animals and plants, firearms and ammunition to the relevant administrative department for handling.
3. Some will be transferred to the Red Cross Society of China and other public welfare organizations.
4. For seized obscene articles, illegally-published audio-visual products, imported and exported goods that are unqualified to pass inspection or that cannot obtain a health permit, and dangerous goods, etc., these will be destroyed.
5. Most important way is public auctions. By the country’s laws and regulations, all seized property must be public-auctioned except the goods like the four listed types before.

Here is some other information you may find helpful.

General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC)

GACC official website: http://www.customs.gov.cn/ English version http://english.customs.gov.cn/

Similar regulations are commonly used in US too.

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) under the US department of homeland security is similar to GACC, has the right to dispose seized property.

CBP official website. https://www.cbp.gov/