Was the customs clearance of imported cosmetics rejected? 90% of people don't know these 5 minefields

Ms. Li recently daigou a batch of popular facial masks from South Korea, but was required to submit an ingredient test report when going through customs clearance; the Japanese niche skincare brand represented by Mr. Zhang was returned in whole containers due to non-standard Chinese labels... With the booming of cross-border e-commerce, cosmetics import declaration is becoming a "knowledge blind spot" for more and more people. Today, let's dissect the customs clearance passwords that you must know behind this billion-dollar market.

I. The Three "Death Traps" of Cosmetics Import

According to the data of the General Administration of Customs, from January to June 2023, the value of returned cosmetics in the whole country reached 1.27 billion yuan, mainly falling in three links:

• Excessive Ingredients: Whitening products containing hydroquinone, sunscreens containing banned ultraviolet absorbers
• Missing Labels: No Chinese label or the production license number of cosmetics not marked
• Incomplete Qualifications: Special-purpose cosmetics without obtaining the approval number

The customs declaration experts of Zhongshitong remind: The record-filing period for ordinary cosmetics is 3 months, and the approval for special-purpose cosmetics takes up to 1 year. Only by planning in advance can the sky-high storage fees caused by the detention of containers in the port be avoided.

II. The Five Key Steps of the Customs Clearance Process

Taking the cross-border e-commerce B2B model as an example, the complete process is like going through levels in a game:

• Level 1: Overseas producers register for record-filing in China (GMP certificate is required to be provided)
• Level 2: Pre-audit of the full ingredients of the product formula (note that the alcohol content should be ≤ 10%)
• Level 3: Chinese label record-filing (the height of the font should not be less than 1.8mm)
• Level 4: Port quarantine (the unqualified rate of microbial testing can be as high as 23%)
• Level 5: Pay the comprehensive tax rate (13% value-added tax + 15% consumption tax for ordinary cosmetics)

In a certain random inspection, a batch of French perfumes was completely destroyed because the "flammable" sign was not marked on the bottle body, with a loss of more than 2 million yuan. The saying that details determine success or failure is vividly reflected here.

III. The "Three Checks and Three Looks" Principle for Agent Selection

Facing the various customs declaration agents in the market, remember this screening formula:

• Check Qualifications: Whether having the qualification of cosmetics record-filing agent
• Look at Cases: Whether there are successful customs clearance records of the same category
• Check Channels: Whether being familiar with the special requirements of each port (such as the Guangzhou port conducting additional tests on toothpaste products)
• Look at Systems: Whether being equipped with a real-time query platform for customs declaration progress
• Check Teams: Whether having full-time cosmetics classification specialists (an incorrect HS code will lead to tax rate differences)
• Look at Services: Whether providing pre-classification and pre-testing value-added services

Zhongshitong helped a Swiss brand last year to shorten the time for new product launch by 47 days through the "sample fast track". The value of professional agents is often reflected in these invisible details.

IV. The Wind Vane of New Regulations in 2024

With the implementation details of the Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Cosmetics coming into effect, these changes are worth paying attention to:

• Children's cosmetics will be compulsorily marked with the "Little Golden Shield" sign
• The annual transaction limit of cross-border e-commerce will be raised from 26,000 yuan to 32,000 yuan
• 17 new banned components will be added (including the popular ingredient retinol palmitate)
• The record-filing of imported ordinary cosmetics will be fully electronized

Just like the problem Mr. Zhang recently encountered: The Korean cushion foundation he represented was suddenly classified as special cosmetics management because its SPF value exceeded 30. During the policy adjustment period, professional escort is more needed.

Customs Clearance Is Not the End, but the Beginning

When the batch of cosmetics with complete Chinese labels were finally placed on the shelves, Ms. Li finally understood: Customs declaration is not simply the exchange of documents, but the first step in making the product compliant. What pitfalls have you encountered in the customs clearance process? Or do you have any unique customs clearance secrets? Welcome to share your practical experience in the comment area.