Customs Clearance

Our in-house customs clearance team holds a Class-A customs brokerage license issued by the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC), with authorized declarant cards and direct EDI electronic declaration access at 22 of the busiest sea, air and land customs districts — Shanghai, Shenzhen (Huanggang, Yantian, Shekou, Dachan Bay), Guangzhou (Nansha, Huangpu, Baiyun Airport), Qingdao, Tianjin, Ningbo, Xiamen, Fuzhou, Zhuhai, Dongguan, Yiwu, Hangzhou, Suzhou and the China-Europe rail gates of Khorgos and Alataw Pass. This direct EDI link, combined with 12+ years of HS classification experience, close relationships with port customs officers and an automated duty calculator, allows us to clear over 96% of export declarations within 4 working hours of document receipt, minimizing missed vessel closing dates, airline cutoff times and RMB VAT export refund deadlines.

Every customs clearance booking is handled by an assigned licensed senior declarant (not a call center) and includes: (1) HS CODE CLASSIFICATION — we verify your commodity against the 2024 China Customs Tariff with 8-digit HS plus 2-digit CIQ code and provide a formal memo with 3 alternative HS codes, applicable VAT export refund rebate percentages, required regulatory certificates, and corresponding destination FTA duty rates if FORM A / E / F / RCEP are used — this alone often saves importers 3 to 15 percent in landed duty cost. (2) DOCUMENT PREPARATION — we draft and review every declaration document (commercial invoice, packing list, BL / AWB, CIFFA standard declaration form, customs POA) to ensure full consistency between units, values, weights, origin, brands and model numbers, which is the single biggest cause of China customs inspections and holds. (3) PRE-MANIFEST FILINGS — we submit ISF-10 (10+2) to CBP minimum 48 hours before departure for USA ocean shipments, AMS for US air cargo, ENS 24 hours before load to EU ports, ACI for Canada sea and air, and UK CDS declarations — ensuring zero USD 5,000 per violation ISF late-filing penalties. (4) CERTIFICATES OF ORIGIN — we issue CCPIT-attested General CO, GSP FORM A, FORM E (ASEAN ACFTA), FORM F (Chile), FORM RCEP (15 member countries), FORM P (Pakistan) and FORM N (New Zealand), all delivered as PDF within 2 working days via the e-CO electronic system.

What our clients value most is our specialist expertise in sensitive, restricted and regulated products that generic forwarders often refuse. Categories we clear regularly include lithium-ion batteries and battery-powered electronics (MSDS, UN38.3, IATA PI965-PI970 compliance), FDA / CFDA regulated medical devices, cosmetics, food and beverage (CIQ inspection, health certificates), textile quota items, EU EPR (WEEE, REACH, battery directive) products, branded trademark goods with authorization letters, dangerous goods classes 2 through 9 with correct UN packaging and DGD declarations, used machinery and molds (CCIC pre-shipment inspection coordination), and second-hand consumer electronics. When a GACC physical inspection or laboratory sampling is triggered, our on-site customs liaison officer attends in person at the port bonded area, liaises with the officer to resolve queries quickly the same day, and provides you with a written inspection report and resolution plan to minimize demurrage and detention charges. Our legal consulting desk also provides VAT export drawback guidance, temporary import / re-export (ATA Carnet) handling, duty drawback re-claim support, and customs penalty appeal assistance — ensuring your clearance process is fast, compliant and optimized for overall tax position on every shipment.