100 Pitfalls in Importing Cosmetics on Behalf of Others, 90% Fail at the First Step

At 11 o'clock at night, Ms. Li sighed as she stared at a pile of English customs declaration forms on the computer screen. This was already the third time she had been rejected by the customs due to non-compliant labels. There are 137 new entrepreneurs like her who want to seize the dividends of imported cosmetics but get stuck in the process every day - and less than 20% can actually complete the whole process. Today, we will use a flow chart that even veteran agents won't tell you to dissect those crucial details hidden behind the documents.

Stage One: Three Life-and-Death Lines in Qualification Preparation

Mr. Zhang from the Customs Data Department of Zhongshitong revealed: "90% of the order rejections fail at the starting line." Importing cosmetics on behalf of others must have the following in place:

• The business scope of the business license must include "import and export of goods" or "cosmetics sales"
• Record-filing Certificate for Imported Cosmetics (Non-special-purpose cosmetics need to be filed, while special-purpose ones need to be registered)
• Notarized and authenticated copy of the Authorization Letter of the Overseas Manufacturing Enterprise's Responsible Unit in China

According to the new regulations in 2023, sunscreen products are also required to provide a SPF Value Human Test Report. A certain brand was once fined and confiscated 820,000 yuan for using machine testing instead of human testing.

Stage Two: Devilish Details in Customs Clearance Documents

When a certain niche essence from South Korea was detained at Pudong Airport for 17 days, the owner of the goods finally found out that the problems lay in:

• The ingredient list did not specify the exact names of all fragrances
• The Chinese label covered the expiration date marking on the original packaging
• The test report did not reflect the special test for methanol content

It is recommended to make a bilingual checklist and focus on checking: the consistency of ingredient translations, the location of net content markings, and the font size of the country of origin (must be ≥ 2mm).

Stage Three: Hidden Costs in Warehousing and Distribution

A certain Japanese brand had its 2,000 bottles of lotion separated after transportation in summer because it did not consider the requirements of a constant temperature warehouse. It must be noted that:

• The bonded warehouse needs to report in advance the qualifications for storing cosmetics
• The cross-border direct mail model requires the completion of e-commerce platform filing
• At least 3 pieces per batch should be retained for two years for each batch of samples.

The cost of cold chain transportation is often underestimated and may actually account for 15% - 20% of the gross profit.

The Ultimate Test: A Disruptive Impact on Market Access

Starting from 2024, the National Medical Products Administration will use a new template for the Cosmetics Safety Assessment Report. A certain French brand had its market launch postponed by 4 months because it continued to use the old format. It is recommended that:

• Prepare the Product Safety Assessment File three months in advance
• Prohibited words such as "medical effects" should not be used in advertising and publicity
• Establish a Adverse Reaction Monitoring System

Now click on the link in the comment section to receive our compiled 2024 Edition Self-Check List for Importing Cosmetics through Customs. What was the most unexpected reason for your order rejection? Welcome to share your "tragic experience".