Is the process of import customs declaration too complicated? Veteran agents in Beijing will teach you how to avoid pitfalls

"These goods have been stuck at the customs for three days. If it drags on any longer, the penalty for breach of contract will exceed the payment for the goods!" When I received Mr. Zhang's call for help late at night, anxiety was evident in his voice. Such scenes are not uncommon at major ports in Beijing. And professional import customs declaration agents are often the "customs clearance password" to break the deadlock. Today, let's unveil how these professional service providers shuttling between the customs and enterprises safeguard international trade.

According to the data of the General Administration of Customs, in 2022, the number of import goods declarations in the Beijing Customs District exceeded 1.2 million, and 87% of them were completed through agents. The core value of professional customs declaration agents lies in:

• Keeping abreast of changes in customs policies in real time (such as the quarantine requirements for 15 new types of commodities added in 2023)
• Being familiar with the rules of commodity classification (there are more than 2,000 HS code subdivisions for mechanical and electrical products alone)
• Anticipating customs clearance risks (An importer of medical devices was once required to pay back 3.8 million yuan in taxes due to incorrect classification)

As the city with the largest volume of air imports in the country, the customs declaration agent industry in Beijing presents distinct features:

• Specialized Airport Services: Dozens of agents specializing in air freight are gathered around the Capital Airport. Some institutions like Zhongshitong even provide 7×24-hour emergency customs clearance services.
• Rich Experience in Special Commodities: From cold-chain reagents in the Yizhuang Biomedical Park to cultural relic exhibits in the 798 Art District, a service chain in vertical fields has been formed.
• Leading Digitalization Degree: The electronic entrustment rate has reached 92%, and some enterprises can push the status of customs declaration in real time.

Ms. Li's cosmetics import business once suffered heavy losses due to choosing the wrong agent. She has summed up the following experiences:

• Ability to Handle Inspections (Check the inspection rate and the time taken to solve problems in the past six months)
• Fee Transparency (Be vigilant against the "tax-inclusive" trap and ask for detailed quotations)
• Customs Compliance System (Whether there is AEO certification, ISO9001 certification)
• Emergency Response Speed (Test the communication efficiency during non-working hours)
• Accumulation of Industry Cases (Experience in handling the same type of commodities)

With the progress of the construction of smart customs, the customs declaration agent industry is facing service upgrades:

• The AI pre-audit system will shorten the preparation time for declarations by 90%.
• Blockchain technology enables full-process traceability (A certain milk powder brand has already piloted the "scan the code to view the customs clearance process").
• Agreements such as RCEP have given rise to new demands for origin certification services.