Is the import of metals always getting stuck? The "pitfall avoidance guide" for agents in Changzhou is here!

Mr. Zhang has been looking worried recently - 2 million yuan worth of German precision alloy steel has been stuck at the customs for half a month, with nearly 10,000 yuan of storage fees burned every day. This is not an isolated case. In 2023, the average customs clearance time for the import of metal products in the Yangtze River Delta region was extended by 1.8 working days. How can your metal raw materials and equipment accessories enter the country safely and quickly? Today we will reveal the industry rules for agents of metal product imports in Changzhou.

As an important industrial town in the Yangtze River Delta, Changzhou imports more than 5 billion US dollars worth of metal products every year, but 90% of the delays are due to these common problems:

• Trap in Classification: Are stainless steel flanges declared as "iron and steel products"? Actually, they need to be subdivided to the tariff number 7326.19. A slight difference may lead to a 20% tariff difference.
• Maze of Certificates: When a Ms. Li imported aluminum alloy sheets, they were returned due to the lack of a RoHS compliance statement, resulting in a loss of 170,000 yuan in freight.
• Controversy in Valuation: If the transaction price of special alloys is lower than the reference price in the customs database, it may trigger a price query procedure that lasts up to 30 days.

The solutions summarized from 15 years of agency experience by Zhongshitong:

• Pre-classification Service: Submit the technical parameters of the goods 3 working days in advance to obtain a pre-classification opinion letter recognized by the customs.
• Document Matrix: Establish a library of 61 certificate templates for different metal types (sheets/tubes/scrap), and complete the declaration in as fast as 2 hours.
• Price Negotiation: Through 8 methods such as apportioning royalty fees and accounting for transportation and insurance costs, help an auto parts supplier save 28% of the import cost.
• Emergency Channel: Establish a "green channel" for metal products with Pudong/Hongqiao Customs, and achieve release within 6 hours in emergency situations.

In March 2024, the die steel imported by an enterprise was detained due to excessive cobalt content. The agency team of Zhongshitong:

• Hour 1: Activate the emergency plan and simultaneously contact the testing agency and the customs.
• Hour 6: Issue a third-party test report to prove that the actual content complies with the national standard.
• Hour 24: Complete the application for tariff adjustment, with the tariff dropping from 12% to 8%.
• Hour 39: The goods are successfully picked up and removed from the port area.

You might as well do a quick self-test:

• Are you clear about the content of all alloy elements and the corresponding regulatory requirements?
• Does the recent adjustment of customs policies (such as the new regulations on recycled metals) affect your goods?
• Can the value-added tax in the import link be recovered through the "levy first and refund later" policy?