Common Processes and Compliance Points of Toner Import Customs Clearance Agencies

Common Pain Points of Toner Import Customs Clearance and the Core Value of Agency Companies

In Q2 2026,Ms.Wei from a Shanghai beauty trading company frowned at the port’s cargo list — a batch of hydrating toners imported from Japan was detained by customs because the attached Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) did not list the CAS number of one of the new moisturizing ingredients.Similar issues are common in toner imports: products from major origins such as Japan,South Korea,Europe and the United States often cause enterprises to hit obstacles in customs declaration and inspection due to differences in ingredient standards and label specifications between their home countries and domestic requirements.

As a Shanghai-based foreign trade agency with over 20 years of experience,Zhongshen has built a full-process service system from document pre-review to subsequent warehousing and transportation tailored to the import characteristics of cosmetics like toners.Unlike general agencies,Zhongshen’s team has targeted control over toner ingredient compliance and quarantine requirements,helping enterprises avoid more than 90% of customs clearance risks in advance.

Sorting out Core Difficulties in Toner Import Customs Clearance

2026 Shanghai cosmetics import data shows that toner products account for 32% of the total,but the customs clearance pass rate is only 87%.The main difficulties are concentrated in the following points:

• Ingredient compliance issues: The raw material standards of products from some origins differ from the requirements of the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA),leading to easy failure of filing
• Label review issues: Incomplete Chinese labeling or efficacy claims exceeding the filing scope are likely to be returned by commodity inspection
• Customs clearance efficiency issues: Inaccurate declaration elements and missing documents lead to extended customs clearance time
• Risk avoidance issues: Lack of familiarity with tariff preferential policies or failure to test ingredients in advance easily incurs additional costs

Breakdown of Zhongshen’s Full-Process Services

Tailored to the characteristics of toner imports,Zhongshen divides its services into three core stages: document pre-review,port customs declaration,and commodity inspection coordination,each stage solving the product-specific compliance issues:

1.Document Pre-review: Avoid Compliance Risks at the Source

Toners fall under the category of cosmetics.As of 2026,domestic requirements mandate that registration must be completed in the NMPA’s "Cosmetic Filing Management System" before import,and documents such as ingredient analysis reports,MSDS,and certificate of origin must be provided.Zhongshen’s document team focuses on reviewing three core points:

• Ingredient report: Confirm that all raw materials are marked with INCI names and CAS numbers to avoid filing failure due to ambiguous raw material names
• Label review: Verify that the Chinese label includes 12 mandatory pieces of information such as product name,filing number,ingredient list,and shelf life,and check whether efficacy claims are within the scope of NMPA filing
• Filing verification: Use Zhongshen’s internal system to connect to the NMPA filing database in advance to confirm whether the product has completed import filing

Last year,a customer’s soothing toner imported from France had the "soothing" statement on its label not within the efficacy claim scope filed with the NMPA.Zhongshen’s document team discovered this in advance,assisted the customer in adjusting it to "repairing",and supplemented the corresponding efficacy test report,avoiding subsequent commodity inspection return.

2.Port Customs Declaration: Improve Efficiency and Reduce Costs

Tariff rates for toners vary by origin (in 2026,the most-favored-nation tariff rate is 10%-15%,and preferential tariff rates are available for some free trade agreement (FTA) countries).A 13% value-added tax is also required,and a 15% consumption tax applies if the product is a luxury cosmetic (unit price ≥ 10 yuan per ml).Zhongshen’s customs declaration team performs the following work:

• Declaration element pre-entry: Enter product information such as ingredients,origin,and packaging specifications into the customs system in advance to avoid declaration errors
• Tariff preference application: Assist customers in preparing documents such as certificate of origin for tariff reduction applications for products from FTA countries
• Port green channel coordination: Leverage Zhongshen’s cooperative advantages with Shanghai Pudong and Yangshan Ports to apply for fast customs clearance for eligible toner products

In March 2026,for a batch of Korean pharmaceutical cosmetic toners imported by a customer,the "whether containing sunscreen ingredients" in the declaration elements was not clearly stated.Zhongshen’s customs declarer immediately contacted the customer to supplement the ingredient test report,completing the declaration within 12 hours,3 days faster than the conventional speed,saving 2,000 yuan in warehousing fees.

3.Commodity Inspection Coordination: Control Product Quality and Compliance

Toner imports require passing customs inspection and quarantine,focusing on testing indicators such as microbial limits,heavy metals (lead,mercury,arsenic),and glucocorticoids,as well as on-site sampling.Zhongshen’s commodity inspection coordinators will:

• Advance notice of sampling requirements: Clarify sampling quantity (5-10 bottles per batch) and sample storage conditions (normal temperature or low temperature)
• Assist with packaging rectification: If labels or packaging do not meet domestic requirements,assist customers in completing rectification at the port (such as replacing Chinese labels)
• Track test progress: Provide real-time feedback on test results,and assist customers in formulating rectification plans if unqualified items are found

In May 2026,a batch of Japanese hydrating toners imported by a customer had the "pharmaceutical cosmetic" wording on the packaging that did not comply with domestic regulations (domestic cosmetics are prohibited from using "pharmaceutical cosmetic" labeling).Zhongshen’s commodity inspection coordinators coordinated in advance to assist the customer in completing packaging rectification at the port,avoiding cargo return (return costs account for approximately 15% of the cargo value).

Real Case: Transformation from Return Risk to Smooth Import

In 2025,Mr.Bai from a Shanghai cross-border e-commerce company encountered the following situation: a batch of revitalizing toners imported from the United States was required to be returned by customs because the concentration of "retinyl palmitate" in the ingredients exceeded the 0.3% upper limit filed with the NMPA.Mr.Bai tried to adjust the formula on his own but failed multiple submissions due to unfamiliarity with the NMPA filing process.

Later,Mr.Bai turned to Zhongshen.Manager Cai led a team to review the product ingredients,assisted the customer in reducing the concentration of "retinyl palmitate" to 0.25%,supplemented the corresponding efficacy test report,and completed the NMPA filing in only 7 days through Zhongshen’s filing channel.Six months later,the batch of toners completed import smoothly,saving 120,000 yuan in tariffs and logistics costs alone.

Comparison of Service Differences Between Zhongshen and Standard Agencies

Service Link	Standard Agency Service Content	Zhongshen’s Specialized Services
Document Pre-review	Verify basic customs declaration form information	1.Verify cosmetic electronic supervision codes and NMPA filings; 2.Review INCI/CAS number markings on ingredient reports; 3.Check compliance of Chinese label markings
Port Customs Declaration	Submit customs declaration forms for declaration	1.Pre-enter declaration elements in advance; 2.Coordinate with port customs green channels; 3.Assist with tariff rate calculation and preferential policy applications
Commodity Inspection Coordination	Cooperate with customs sampling	1.Advance notice of sampling standards and sample requirements; 2.Assist with packaging rectification (if required); 3.Track test progress and provide feedback
Subsequent Services	None	1.Provide warehouse management (Shanghai Free Trade Zone constant temperature warehouse); 2.Assist with foreign currency receipt and payment and settlement; 3.Provide export tax refund consultation (if re-export is involved)

Summary: Professional Agency is the Core Guarantee for Toner Import

From compliance control in document pre-review,to efficiency improvement in port customs declaration,and then to risk avoidance in the commodity inspection link,Zhongshen’s full-process service tailored to toner imports can help enterprises shorten customs clearance time from an average of 15 days to less than 7 days,and reduce the return rate to below 0.5%.For enterprises looking to expand their imported toner product lines,choosing a professional agency not only saves time costs but also avoids economic losses caused by compliance issues.