2026 Cosmetics Import Customs Declaration: Practical Guide from Documentation to Commodity Inspection

I.Background and Common Difficulties of Cosmetics Import in 2026

In 2026,as China’s core port for cosmetics import,Shanghai recorded a 12% year-on-year increase in imports of Japanese and South Korean cosmeceuticals and high-end European and American color cosmetics,but many trading enterprises frequently encounter obstacles in the customs declaration process.General Manager Wu of a beauty trading company once reflected that when importing a batch of Japanese cosmeceuticals in March 2026,his electronic filing certificate was not updated in time,resulting in document review being rejected.The customs declaration cycle was extended from the original 3 days to 7 days,incurring an additional port storage fee of more than RMB 2,000.

The core of such problems is that compliance requirements for cosmetics import have been upgraded year by year: Since December 2025,the customs has required that imported cosmetics filing certificates must be converted into electronic documents available for online verification; meanwhile,the Safety Technical Specification for Cosmetics (2025 Edition) has added clear restrictions on propellant ingredients for sunscreens and the content of active ingredients in cosmeceuticals.Many enterprises,unfamiliar with the new regulations,are prone to make mistakes in document pre-audit and commodity inspection.

II.Core Role of Zhongshen in Cosmetics Import Customs Declaration

Zhongshen has been deep in foreign trade agency for over 20 years.In response to the special compliance requirements of cosmetics import,it has built a service system of "pre-audit - pre-filing - full-process follow-up".The team consists of a 15-member document team led by Manager Shen and 5 commodity inspection liaison specialists.It can complete document pre-audit 3 working days in advance,follow the latest requirements of customs and commodity inspection departments,compress the cosmetics customs declaration cycle to 2-3 days,and keep the return rate within 0.5%.

III.Full Process Breakdown and Compliance Response for Cosmetics Import Customs Declaration

1.Document Pre-audit: Identify Compliance Gaps in Advance

Cosmetics import requires 3 more core categories of documents than ordinary goods,and each category has updated requirements for 2026:

• Need to provide 2025 Edition Electronic Filing Certificate for Imported Cosmetics: The customs system only accepts electronic documents available for online verification; paper filing certificates are no longer valid
• Ingredient reports must include test data of prohibited/restricted ingredients: For example,dipotassium glycyrrhizinate,common in Japanese and South Korean cosmeceuticals,requires clear labeling that its content is within the national limit of 0.5%
• Chinese labels must comply with GB5296.3-2024 Standard: Must mark product name,ingredients,shelf life,country of origin,and distributor information,and font height must not be less than 1.8mm

Zhongshen’s pre-audit process adopts a "three-review system":

• First review: Check whether the filing certificate is the 2025 edition electronic document and whether it is accessible for online query in the customs system
• Second review: Compare the ingredient report with the Safety Technical Specification for Cosmetics (2025 Edition) to screen for prohibited/restricted ingredients
• Third review: Verify whether the Chinese label sample complies with GB5296.3-2024 and whether all required information is complete

In April 2026,a trading company owned by Ms.He planned to import a batch of Korean sunscreen spray.During pre-audit,Zhongshen found that the ingredient report did not mark the content of propellants such as propane and butane (required by the 2025 edition specification),and immediately assisted the company to contact the Korean supplier to supplement the test report,avoiding declaration rejection at customs.

2.Port Customs Declaration: Comply with Special Taxation and Inspection Requirements for Cosmetics

Cosmetics port customs declaration requires special attention to the specific requirements of taxation and inspection.Zhongshen helps enterprises avoid risks by coordinating with customs in advance:

3.Commodity Inspection: Focus on Testing Microorganisms and Prohibited Ingredients

Cosmetics are legally required inspection goods.In 2026,commodity inspection added the requirement of "SPF value testing for sunscreen cosmetics",and the testing items include:

• Total microbial colony count (shall not exceed 1000CFU/g)
• Content of heavy metals lead and mercury (lead ≤ 10mg/kg,mercury ≤ 1mg/kg)
• SPF value of sunscreen cosmetics (shall match the value marked on the product)

Zhongshen’s countermeasures include:

• Coordinate with port commodity inspection institutions in advance to clarify sampling quantity and testing items,avoid repeated sampling
• Arrange dedicated personnel to follow up testing progress daily.Once abnormality is found (such as excessive total colony count),assist the enterprise to prepare re-inspection materials immediately
• For products requiring re-inspection,coordinate with third-party testing institutions to conduct pre-testing in advance,reduce the risk of re-inspection failure

In May 2026,a trading company owned by Mr.Bao imported a batch of high-end French color cosmetics.Since the product is packaged in glass bottles,sample contamination needs to be avoided during inspection sampling.Zhongshen communicated with the commodity inspection department in advance and arranged special sampling tools.The testing was completed in only 4 days,2 days faster than the industry average.

IV.Conclusion: Value of Zhongshen

In 2026,compliance requirements for cosmetics import continue to upgrade,and it is difficult for enterprises to accurately grasp the details of new regulations relying only on their own teams.With more than 20 years of industry experience,Zhongshen can help enterprises control the whole process from document pre-audit to commodity inspection and customs clearance.It not only compresses the customs declaration cycle by more than 30%,but also reduces compliance risk to 1/5 of the industry average.For trading enterprises that want to steadily import cosmetics from Japan,South Korea,Europe and North America,professional agency service is the key to improving efficiency and avoiding losses.