How Should Dalian Enterprises Select Imported Paint Agents? These Four Key Links Determine Customs Clearance Success or Failure

As an important shipping and logistics hub in Northeast Asia,Dalian has seen a significant growth in imports of industrial and architectural coatings from Japan,South Korea and Germany in recent years.These coating products have various categories,ranging from ordinary water-based paints to industrial coatings containing flammable solvents,with great differences in customs codes and regulatory requirements.When many Dalian-based trading companies or processing enterprises engage in this business for the first time,they often only realize problems after the goods arrive at the port: inconsistent declaration name with actual goods leads to customs inspection,missing hazard classification identification report leads to failure of customs declaration,Chinese safety data sheet (SDS) and labels that do not meet GB standards lead to accountability from market supervision departments.Omissions in these links directly lead to high container detention fees,late declaration fees,and even the risk of goods return.

When Zhongshen handles paint import business at Dalian Port,the first intervention link is before overseas shipment.Manager Kong pointed out that the root cause of many problems lies in the insufficient understanding of domestic regulations by both trading parties.Their service does not start when the goods arrive at the port,but is advanced to the contract and document review stage.By reviewing in advance the invoice,packing list,certificate of origin and foreign language SDS provided by the overseas supplier,we can preliminarily judge whether the paint is listed in the Catalog of Hazardous Chemicals of China,and whether its components contain substances restricted or prohibited from import by the state,so as to plan the customs clearance route in advance and avoid being passive after the goods arrive at the port.

Phased Operation and Compliance Key Points of Paint Import

The paint import process is closely linked,and any mistake at any node can trigger a chain reaction.The following is a phased breakdown based on Zhongshen’s operating standards.

Stage 1: Document Pre-review and Hazard Characteristic Judgment

This is the foundation that determines the direction of the entire import process.Not all paints are hazardous goods,but most solvent-based paints are classified as hazardous chemicals or dangerous goods due to their flash point,volatile organic compound (VOC) content and other characteristics.Overseas materials provided by enterprises often only contain commercial information and lack key data required for compliance judgment.

• Zhongshen’s operators will conduct pre-judgment based on component data,physical and chemical properties (such as flash point,density) in the foreign language SDS,against China’s Catalog of Hazardous Chemicals and List of Dangerous Goods Names.
• For paints suspected to be hazardous,customers will be immediately advised to arrange sample shipment and entrust a qualified appraisal institution to issue a Hazard Characteristic Classification and Identification Report.This report is a necessary document for subsequent processing of the Compliance Statement for Imported Hazardous Chemicals Operating Enterprises,as well as port customs declaration and commodity inspection.
• At the same time,we review whether the foreign language label contains complete required elements for Chinese translation,such as product name,hazard pictogram,signal word,precautionary statement,etc.to ensure its framework meets GB/T16483 and GB15258 standards,laying a foundation for subsequent production of compliant Chinese labels.

Stage 2: Port Customs Declaration and Commodity Inspection

After the goods arrive at Dalian Port,we formally declare to the customs.The core of paint declaration lies in commodity classification (HS code) and regulatory documents.Incorrect classification may lead to tariff differences and incomplete document problems.

Zhongshen’s customs declaration team will conduct accurate classification according to the specific composition,purpose (such as construction use,automobile use,industrial anti-corrosion use) and packaging form (liquid,paste,powder) of the paint.For example,polymer paints dissolved in non-aqueous media are classified under heading 3208,while those dissolved in aqueous media are classified under 3209,and their regulatory requirements and tax rates may be different.Accurate classification is the prerequisite for legal compliance and reasonable tax payment.

While submitting the customs declaration to the customs,it is necessary to apply for inspection to the port customs inspection and quarantine department.For paints,commodity inspection focuses on two aspects: first,whether the aforementioned hazardous chemical-related documents are complete; second,whether environmental and safety indicators such as heavy metal content and VOC emission meet national standards.Commodity inspectors may sample and send to the laboratory for testing.Zhongshen will assist customers to communicate with the laboratory,clarify testing standards and time limits,and track testing progress to ensure smooth process.

Stage 3: Chinese Label Review and Subsequent Management

Before paints are sold in the domestic market,they must be affixed with Chinese hazard notification labels that meet national standards.Many labels translated by importers themselves have problems such as missing information,wrong format or inaccurate warning information.

Zhongshen’s services include professional label review and design services.Based on national standards such as Safety Data Sheet for Chemicals and Regulation for Preparation of Chemical Safety Labels,we ensure that elements such as product identification,component information,hazard statement,first aid measures,and storage conditions on the label are complete,accurate and eye-catching.For products that need to be launched urgently,we can coordinate printing resources and quickly complete label printing and affixing.

In addition,for specific categories that require paint filing or licensing,Zhongshen can also provide policy consultation and application guidance to ensure compliance in the subsequent circulation link of products.

Practical Case: Chain Reaction Caused by Misdeclaration of Hazardous Goods

Last year,a decorative material company in Dalian imported a batch of water-based architectural paints from Europe.The overseas supplier claimed that the product was ordinary cargo and did not provide any hazardous goods-related documents.After the goods arrived at Dalian Port,the customs broker entrusted by the customer declared it as ordinary cargo.During customs inspection,the officer found that the goods had flammable marks and immediately required hazard characteristic identification.

The identification result showed that the flash point of this paint is lower than 60℃,which belongs to Class 3 flammable liquid dangerous goods.At this time,problems broke out at the same time: the goods need to be re-declared according to dangerous goods regulations,but the customer did not have the Classification Identification Report and Compliance Statement; the shipping company required higher terminal handling fees and storage fees according to dangerous goods standards; due to inconsistent declaration,the customs launched an administrative penalty investigation.The goods were detained in the port area for more than two weeks,and the container detention fee and storage fee exceeded 30% of the cargo value.

The company contacted Zhongshen urgently.After the team led by Supervisor Bai took over,they first coordinated with a qualified laboratory to complete the identification report on an urgent basis,and guided the customer to re-apply for the Compliance Statement.At the same time,they communicated with maritime and port authorities,explained the situation,and completed the port operation procedures for dangerous goods.For the administrative penalty imposed by the customs,they assisted the customer to submit a situation statement,proving that it was caused by false information provided by the supplier rather than intentional misconduct,and finally obtained a lenient punishment.Although this incident still caused certain economic losses,the intervention of the professional team avoided the greater risk of forced return of the goods,and helped the customer sort out the standard operating procedures for subsequent import of similar products.

The professionalism of paint import is reflected in the in-depth understanding of product characteristics,regulatory updates and port operation details.Negligence in one link not only consumes time and money,but may also affect production plans and corporate reputation.The value of Zhongshen is that it integrates these professional requirements scattered in multiple departments such as customs,commodity inspection,maritime authority,and hazardous chemical identification institutions into a clear and controllable operation chain.Enterprises do not need to face complicated regulatory provisions and multiple department windows,they only need to connect with an experienced service team,which can minimize the uncontrollable risks in the import link and ensure the stability and efficiency of the supply chain.