Easing of Multinational Companies Foreign Currency Payments

Starting from 1 August 2004, multinational companies and their group companies ("MNCs") may reimburse, in accordance with the relevant rules of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE), expenses and management fees to their overseas .

All MNCs and their group companies operating in the Mainland are require to submit the written applications and details of their overseas affiliates to the local SAFE office for the abovementioned non-trade payments. Upon receipt of the approval, MNCs and their group companies could complete the foreign currency payment procedures with the designated bankers by presenting the approval document together with other supporting documents and commercial invoices.

For convenient sake, both the foreign enterprises and designated bankers could download the relevant contract, agreement and payment notice from the SAFE's website. MNCs could then use these forms to complete the non-trade foreign currency purchase and payment procedures.
The above SAFE's policy is applicable to those MNCs with group companies established within and outside China, of which one of the affiliate companies operating in China performs investment management functions. Foreign-invested enterprises without any affiliates (but with minimum 25% foreign shareholding) that meet the relevant criteria may also enjoy the same treatment as MNCs.

2004年8月1日開始，根據國家外匯管理局（外管局）巳簡化的相關規章，跨國企業及其集團公司可支付費用及管理費予其海外的分支機搆。
所有在大陸合法的跨國公司分支機搆如欲支付以上兩項非貿易款項，應提交書面申請和其海外分支機搆的詳細資料到當地外管局。被批准後，中國境內的跨國公司及其分支機搆在出示批准文件，其他相關文件和商業票據的情況下，能夠在指定外匯銀行完成購買及支付程式。
為了方便有關企業及指定銀行，相關合同，協議書及支付通知單可以從外管局的網站下載。跨國公司及其分支操作機構可以通過填寫這些表格完成非貿易的購買和支付外匯程式。

符合外管局新政策的跨國公司是指在中國境內外設有分支機搆的聯合大企業，而其中一個分支機搆在中國進行投資管理功能；這樣聯合大企業包括大陸和外資控股公司。沒有達到相關的標準的任何分支機搆(但是有最小量25%的外國股權)的外國投資企業也可享受與跨國公司相同的待遇。

通知的附件並列明有關申請所需之材料，如申請書、內地企業營業執照等。此外，通知亦列明哪些申請由商務部及省級商務部門負責，讓申請者更清楚其申請由哪個部門負責。