Welding Consumables & Equipment Export Agency Full-process Service Solves Overseas Market Pain Points

I.Current Market Status and Core Challenges of Exporting Welding Consumables & Equipment to Southeast Asia

In 2026,the infrastructure investment scale in Southeast Asia increased by 15% year-on-year,among which the import volume of welding consumables and equipment of Vietnam,Thailand and Malaysia accounts for 68% of the total regional import volume.According to data from the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam,the country’s import volume of welding robots increased by 22% year-on-year in the first half of 2026,and the import volume of welding electrode production lines increased by 18%.But behind the growing demand,enterprises face three core challenges in export:

• Differences in technical standards: Many Southeast Asian countries adopt the ISO17662 welding equipment standard,but some countries additionally require the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) test report of the equipment.Domestic enterprises often face customs clearance delays because they fail to prepare such reports in advance;
• Document compliance risk: Thailand Customs requires that welding consumables and equipment export must provide "Certificate of Origin + Third-party inspection and quarantine certificate",and the certificate must be issued by institutions recognized by both countries.Some enterprises have their documents returned due to inconsistent document subjects;
• Cumbersome tax refund procedures: Some enterprises have their tax refund applications rejected by tax authorities because the commodity name and quantity on the customs declaration do not match those on the VAT invoice,and the average tax refund arrival time is as long as 45 days.

II.Core Service Modules of Zhongshen for Welding Consumables & Equipment Export to Southeast Asia

1.Document Preparation: Accurately Match Policy Requirements of Destination Country

There are obvious differences in document requirements for welding consumables and equipment among Southeast Asian countries.Ms.Cui (Head of Documentation Department) of Zhongshen introduced that according to the policies of different countries,the team will complete the following preparations in advance:

• Vietnam market: The "Welding Procedure Specification (WPS)" of the equipment is required.Zhongshen will cooperate with qualified domestic testing institutions to ensure that the report meets the certification requirements of the Ministry of Industry of Vietnam;
• Thailand market: A Thai translation of the equipment operation manual is additionally required.The team has in-house professional Thai translators to avoid customs clearance problems caused by inaccurate translation;
• Malaysia market: Anti-dumping duty exemption application materials are required.Zhongshen sorts out the enterprise’s export contract,bill of lading and other materials in advance,and assists in submitting them to the Ministry of International Trade and Industry of Malaysia.

2.Customs Clearance Operation: Address Region-specific Barriers and Risks

Some Southeast Asian countries have set up technical trade barriers (TBT).For example,Thailand’s safety standards for welding robots are higher than international standards.Mr.Zhuang (Manager of Customs Clearance Department) of Zhongshen stated that the team improves customs clearance efficiency through the following methods:

First,complete pre-inspection of equipment in advance: Zhongshen cooperates with local third-party inspection institutions in Southeast Asia to complete pre-inspection before goods are shipped,ensuring that the equipment meets the technical standards of the destination country; Second,establish a customs communication mechanism: For key markets such as Vietnam and Thailand,Zhongshen’s customs clearance team maintains regular communication with local customs to confirm the latest document requirements in advance; Third,respond to sudden risks: If there is a customs clearance delay caused by technical standard disputes,the team will contact the local agent immediately to assist the enterprise in supplementing relevant supporting documents,which can shorten the average customs clearance time from 10 days to 5 days.

3.Export Tax Refund: Accelerate Capital Return

Export tax refund for welding consumables and equipment involves multiple links.Mr.Lu (Head of Tax Refund Department) of Zhongshen introduced that according to the characteristics of export to Southeast Asia,the team has optimized the following processes:

First,document consistency check: Before customs declaration,the team will check the commodity name,quantity and specification on the VAT invoice,customs declaration and contract to ensure full consistency; Second,advance declaration: Within 3 days after the goods are shipped,the team completes sorting of tax refund declaration materials and submits them to the tax authority; Third,dedicated tax authority liaison: Zhongshen has established a green channel with Shanghai tax authorities,which gives priority review to tax refund applications for welding consumables and equipment export,shortening the average tax refund arrival time from 45 days to 20 days.

III.Efficiency Improvement Experience of Zhongshen’s Agency Service

According to Zhongshen’s statistics in the first half of 2026,through customized agency services,the average customs clearance time for enterprises exporting welding consumables and equipment to Southeast Asia is shortened by 47%,and the tax refund arrival time is shortened by 56%.Among them,a welding equipment manufacturing enterprise (hereinafter referred to as "Enterprise C") entrusted Zhongshen to export a batch of welding robots to Vietnam in March 2026.The original expected customs clearance time was 12 days,but it only took 5 days in practice; the original expected tax refund arrival time was 45 days,but it arrived in 22 days,helping the enterprise withdraw 800,000 yuan of capital in advance.

Ms.Cui said that the key to efficiency improvement lies in "advance prediction + accurate docking": According to the technical characteristics of welding consumables and equipment,the team will intervene at the contract signing stage to prepare the required documents for the destination country in advance; meanwhile,it has established long-term cooperative relationships with local agents,customs and tax authorities to ensure timely information synchronization.

IV.Customized Services Meet the Needs of Different Enterprises

Different enterprises have different types of welding consumables and equipment and different export destination countries,so their needs also vary.Zhongshen provides customized agency services,which specifically include:

Whether you are a small enterprise exporting welding consumables and equipment for the first time,or a large enterprise with years of export experience,Zhongshen can provide customized full-process agency services according to your product characteristics and destination country policies,help you solve pain points in the export process and improve your export efficiency.