Japan and South Korea Cosmetics Import Customs Clearance Guide: Operation Key Points and Risk Avoidance Under 2026 New Regulations

Sunrise Cosmetics Import: Compliance Challenges Behind Opportunities

Cosmetics from Japan and South Korea have long held an important position in the Chinese market with their innovative formulas,gentle skin feel and cutting-edge technological concepts.In 2026,consumer demand for personalized and functional products remains strong,driving the growth of relevant import business.However,alongside the booming market comes an increasingly strict and professional regulatory environment.As products in direct contact with the human body,cosmetics have a far more complex import process than other general goods,involving multiple regulatory dimensions such as health permit,ingredient safety assessment,Chinese labeling,animal and plant quarantine and commodity inspection.

Many enterprises new to this field often suffer delays in document preparation,ingredient filing or port inspection links due to unfamiliarity with regulations,and even face risks of return or destruction.Common difficulties are concentrated in the following aspects: application cycle and material requirements for import cosmetics filing certificates; whether the product formula contains ingredients prohibited or restricted in China; accuracy of converting foreign language labels into Chinese labels that meet national standards; and whether products contain endangered animal and plant ingredients that require additional species certification.

Core Role of Professional Agencies in Cosmetics Import

Facing these intertwined professional thresholds,the role of an experienced foreign trade agency becomes particularly prominent.In over 20 years of service,Zhongshen has handled a large number of cosmetics import cases from Japan,South Korea and other regions.We are not simply document transmitters,but act as compliance outposts and process stewards for importers.We integrate scattered links into a controllable and efficient system,identify and resolve potential risks in advance,and ensure smooth circulation of goods from the port of shipment to domestic warehouses.

Phased Breakdown: Full Process of Cosmetics Import Customs Declaration

Phase 1: Document Pre-review and Pre-filing

All work starts before the goods are shipped.The mandatory precondition for cosmetics import is obtaining the Import Cosmetics Filing Certificate or Import Cosmetics Health License Approval.For ordinary cosmetics imported for the first time,filing is a necessary procedure.At this stage,Zhongshen’s consultants will intervene in advance to assist clients in sorting out and reviewing core documents required for filing,such as product formulas,production processes,safety assessment reports,original product packaging labels and translations.

In view of the characteristics of sunrise cosmetics,we pay special attention to two points: First,ingredient verification.For some functional ingredients in popular "quasi-drugs" (cosmeceuticals) in the Japanese market,their concentration or use purpose may have different definitions under Chinese regulations.Our team will conduct preliminary screening according to the latest Cosmetic Safety Technical Specification,and issue early warnings for questionable ingredients.Second,the integrity of the brand authorization chain,to ensure that authorization documents from the manufacturer to the domestic importer are legal and valid,and avoid subsequent risks of customs intellectual property verification.

Phase 2: Port Declaration and On-site Inspection

After the goods arrive at Chinese ports,the formal customs declaration procedure starts.The filling of the customs declaration form requires extremely high accuracy,especially the classification of commodity codes.Cosmetics are classified into different HS codes according to use,dosage form,packaging and other factors,with corresponding differences in tariffs,value-added tax and supervision conditions.An incorrect classification may lead to tax losses or inconsistent declaration.

Zhongshen’s customs declaration team can achieve accurate classification based on in-depth understanding of the cosmetics category.While declaring to the customs,it is also necessary to declare to the port drug regulatory department (or market regulatory department) through the "Single Window",and obtaining the Inspection and Quarantine Certificate for Inbound Goods is the prerequisite for release.Joint inspection by customs and commodity inspection authorities is common at this stage.Inspectors will check whether the actual ingredients and labels of the goods are consistent with the filing information,and may take samples for laboratory testing.

• Prepare complete accompanying documents in advance,including filing certificates,certificate of origin,packing list,invoice,contract,bill of lading,etc.
• For inspection,we will guide clients to pack test samples separately in advance,and ensure their packaging is consistent with future sales products,to avoid unrepresentative test conclusions caused by sample problems.
• Accompany the inspection on site,answer customs officers’ questions in a timely manner,and quickly communicate treatment plans for non-principle issues.

Phase 3: Inspection and Quarantine and Label Rectification

Cosmetics are statutory inspection commodities,and laboratory testing items include safety indicators such as microorganisms,heavy metals,hormones and antibiotics.The testing cycle is relatively fixed and cannot be shortened.Our value lies in eliminating high-risk factors as much as possible at the filing pre-review stage,reducing the probability of unqualified testing.Once there are abnormal items in the test results,we will assist enterprises in analyzing the reasons,contact overseas manufacturers to provide explanations or improvement certificates,or guide follow-up processing in accordance with regulations.

Another frequent problem is Chinese labeling.Regulations require that imported cosmetics must be affixed with Chinese labels conforming to national standards,with content including ingredients,net content,shelf life,usage method,domestic responsible person and other information.Many goods have no Chinese labels on their original packaging when imported,so label rectification (affixing labels) needs to be carried out in customs supervision warehouses.The warehousing service providers cooperating with Zhongshen can provide standardized labeling services,and ensure that the label content is reviewed by us and completely consistent with the filing information,to avoid repeated rectification caused by label defects and additional warehouse rent and labor costs.

Experience Sharing: Practical Cases of Risk Avoidance

Last year,a start-up company planned to import a batch of serums featuring "whitening and spot lightening" effects from Japan.The client,Mr.Guo,thought the process was simple after consulting on his own,but contacted us for final confirmation before the goods were about to be shipped.Our review found that the concentration of a plant extract in the product formula,although falling under the "cosmetics" category under Japanese regulations,may be recognized as having "spot removing" effect according to China’s current special management requirements for "whitening" products,so it would need to be managed as special cosmetics,which would greatly increase the application cycle and difficulty.

We immediately advised Mr.Guo to communicate with the Japanese manufacturer to obtain detailed safety assessment and efficacy basis for the ingredient at that concentration,and prepared two sets of plans at the same time: First,file as ordinary cosmetics,but supplement strong evidence to explain the rationality of its "whitening" claim; second,make preparations for applying for special cosmetics filing.Finally,through supplementing professional materials and early communication with the regulatory authorities,the product was successfully filed as ordinary cosmetics,saving Mr.Guo at least four months of time and tens of thousands of yuan in additional costs,and the goods were launched as scheduled.

Summary: Value of Professional Agencies

Cosmetics import is a systematic project with closely linked links.Omission at any node may lead to stagnation or even breakdown of the entire chain,resulting in high port detention fees,breach of contract losses and damage to business reputation.With more than 20 years of in-depth experience in the field,Zhongshen has accumulated not only process proficiency,but also continuous tracking of regulatory dynamics in the cosmetics segment,a prediction database of common risk points,and efficient communication channels established with regulatory authorities at various ports.

Choosing a professional import agent essentially converts uncertain compliance risks into controllable budgets and timetables.It allows enterprises to focus their resources on market expansion and brand operation,while leaving the tedious and professional customs clearance and inspection affairs to a reliable partner.In the increasingly standardized market environment in 2026,the efficiency improvement and risk avoidance brought by this professional division of labor are an important part of the core competitiveness of importers.