Are the import and export procedures so complicated that you want to give up? 3 tips to help you clear customs easily

Mr. Zhang stared blankly at the mountain of customs declaration forms on his desk, the contract revised for the 5th time, and the all - English letter of credit. This was the first overseas order received by his start - up foreign trade enterprise, but the complicated import and export procedures left him at a dead end. In fact, 90% of enterprises encounter similar difficulties when handling import and export business for the first time. This article will use practical cases + flowchart illustrations to guide you through the fog.

Ms. Li, a senior consultant at Zhongshitong, emphasized: "For an enterprise to handle import and export procedures for the first time is like laying the foundation for building a house." The following basic documents need to be prepared 30 days in advance:

• Record of Foreign Trade Operator: Submit materials such as business license to the commercial department, and it can be completed within 3 working days
• Registration of Customs Declaration Unit: Submit an electronic application on the website of the Chinese Customs, and a scanned copy of the legal person's ID card is required
• Electronic Port IC Card: The legal person card and operator card need to be handled separately and are used for cross - border data exchange

Taking the export of a certain mechanical equipment to Germany as an example, the specific process can be divided into:

• STEP1 Commodity Classification: Determine the tariff rate according to the HS code (for example, mechanical parts are classified into the 8431.39 category)
• STEP2 Document Preparation: The commercial invoice must indicate the trade term (such as CIF Hamburg), and the packing list should be accurate to the gross and net weight
• STEP3 Customs Clearance Declaration: Submit through the "single window" system for international trade, and 95% of customs declaration forms can be audited and completed within 1 hour

According to the 2023 customs data, 23% of the returned documents are due to the following errors:

• The difference between the declared price and the payment voucher exceeds 10% (a price explanation letter is required)
• The certificate of origin is not filled in according to the FORM E format (a common problem in trade with ASEAN countries)
• Dangerous goods are not labeled with the UN mark (chemical products need to handle a dangerous package certificate additionally)

The AI Customs Declaration System developed by Zhongshitong can automatically complete: HS code matching (with an accuracy rate of 98.7%), document logic verification, tax calculation, etc. After a certain customer used it, the single - ticket customs declaration time was shortened from 4 hours to 18 minutes.

After reading this guide, you might as well do a self - assessment: Can the existing team of your company independently complete the entire import and export process? Perhaps it's time to re - evaluate whether professional agency services are needed. Welcome to share your customs clearance stories in the comment section, and we will select 3 readers to provide free consulting services.