Temporary Import and Export = Duty-Free Pass? Don't be naive!

Mr. Zhang recently encountered a headache: his company borrowed a batch of precision instruments worth millions from abroad to participate in an exhibition, and the equipment needed to be returned in its original state after the exhibition ended. When making the customs declaration, the staff's words "Handle it as temporary import and export" left him confused - how many details are hidden behind this word "temporary"?

Unlike ordinary import and export, temporarily imported and exported goods are like "temporary actors" on the international stage: no tax is paid upon entry, and no tax refund is available upon exit, but it must be promised to be re-imported and re-exported in their original state within the specified period. Common scenarios include:

• Exhibits for international exhibitions (such as the intelligent robot exhibits of Ms. Li's company)
• Special equipment for film and television shooting (a 4K camera imported by a film crew)
• Samples for scientific research and testing (biological samples with a three-month observation period imported by a laboratory)

1. The Guarantee Mechanism is the Core
The customs will require a deposit or a bank guarantee equivalent to the payable tax. For example, if an enterprise imports exhibits worth 2 million US dollars, it needs to calculate a guarantee of about 460,000 US dollars based on 13% value-added tax + 10% customs duty.

2. Precise Term Management is Required
Generally, the longest period for goods is 6 months (can be extended once), and the period for goods under the ATA Carnet is 1 year. A car manufacturer was finally chased for a tax payment of 370,000 yuan due to the failure to declare the extension of the test.

3. Status Monitoring is Indispensable
The goods must remain in their "original state", and even the serial numbers cannot be changed. Last year, an exhibition company was regarded as having made a substantial change by the customs because it replaced the shell parts of the equipment.

• Misunderstanding 1: Using temporarily imported equipment for production (a certain electronics factory was thus fined and its deposit was confiscated)
• Misunderstanding 2: Failing to declare the extension after the expiration date (a certain medical equipment supermarket was levied the full amount of tax for being 3 days overdue)
• Misunderstanding 3: Ignoring minor losses (a certain musical instrument merchant was required to pay supplementary tax due to the natural aging of the strings)

It is recommended that enterprises establish a full-cycle tracking ledger, recording the time of goods entering and leaving the country, usage logs, maintenance records, etc. The customs declaration experts of Zhongshitong remind that in special cases, an application for "transfer to general trade" can be made, but the materials need to be submitted 30 days in advance.

When these international "temporary workers" shuttle across the national border, have you also encountered unexpected customs declaration problems? Welcome to share your experiences in the comment area, or send a private message to obtain a customized customs clearance plan. After all, the knowledge of making goods "come and go freely" is far more worthy of in-depth study than imagined.