How Horrible Are the Hidden Costs of Importing Food Equipment?

"Mr. Zhang recently imported an Italian ice cream production line and got stuck at the customs clearance stage for a full two months. Just the port congestion fees burned through over a hundred thousand yuan..." Such stories are common in the food industry. With the upgrading of domestic consumption, the demand for imported food equipment has surged, but the complicated customs clearance process has caused many enterprises to fall into pitfalls. Today, we will this "customs clearance code" to help you efficiently complete the introduction of equipment.

Unlike ordinary machinery, the customs clearance of food equipment has the "Three Highs" characteristics:

• High Hygiene Standards: The materials in contact with food must comply with the GB 4806 food safety standards. German stainless steel equipment is often returned due to excessive chromium and nickel content.
• High Quarantine Requirements: Second-hand baking equipment from the United States needs to provide FDA deregistration certificates, and Japanese sake fermentation tanks require fumigation certificates.
• Large Tariff Fluctuations: After the HS code change in 2023, the tariffs on some food machinery increased from 5% to 8%.

Experts from Zhongshitong have summarized the Four-Step Customs Clearance Method:

• Preliminary Review Stage: Prepare materials such as equipment schematic diagrams and hygiene certifications in advance. A French chocolate production line was delayed in customs clearance due to the lack of CE certification.
• Quarantine Declaration: Pay special attention to the detection of equipment residues. The Swedish dairy filling machine imported by Ms. Li was required to be professionally cleaned due to residual whey protein.
• On-Site Inspection: The customs will focus on verifying the equipment nameplate, the degree of newness and oldness, and the consistency with the declaration.
• Tax Optimization: By using the Certificate of Origin under the Free Trade Agreement, Canadian ice wine equipment can enjoy tariff reductions.

According to the data of the customs in 2023, in the cases of return shipment of food equipment:

• 48% due to incomplete hygiene certificates
• 32% due to inconsistent declared item names (such as declaring "sterilizer" as "heating equipment")
• 20% due to the failure to file for old mechanical and electrical equipment for second-hand equipment

Now it can be completed online through the "Single Window" system:

• Automatically identify HS codes
• Intelligently calculate taxes and fees
• Electronically submit hygiene certificates

Importing food equipment is like assembling a precision instrument, where every part must fit perfectly. You may wish to share your customs clearance experiences in the comment section, or send a private message to obtain the Latest Customs Valuation Standards for Food Equipment. In the next issue, we will reveal: How to Increase the Customs Clearance Speed by 200% through AEO Certification?