Overview of Export Procedures and Key Notes for International Freight Forwarding in Shantou

Market Status and Core Challenges of Shantou Export FreightIn the first half of 2026,Shantou’s export volume to ASEAN reached 18.2 billion USD and 12.7 billion USD to the EU,increasing by 15% and 9% year-on-year respectively.Electronic accessories,textile and apparel,and plastic toys are the three core product categories.However,many Shantou enterprises report two prominent problems in export freight: First,the trade policies of destination countries are updated frequently — for example,Indonesia introduced new import certification requirements for electronic accessories in 2026,and Germany updated the standard for recycled material certification of plastic toys; Second,document non-compliance leads to a customs clearance delay rate of over 12%,and the tax refund cycle for some enterprises is as long as more than 45 days.

Core Service Value of Zhongshen for Shantou Export Freight

Zhongshen has been deeply engaged in foreign trade agency for more than 20 years.Based on the product characteristics of Shantou export enterprises and destination country policies,we have formed a full-process service logic of "pre-judgment,in-process control and post-follow-up".For example,we completed the renewal of EU RoHS 1.0 certification for Shantou toy enterprises in advance,optimized the payment and collection process according to changes in ASEAN foreign exchange controls,and helped enterprises avoid exchange rate risks.

Core Service Module Breakdown and Destination Country Policy Response

1.Documentation Preparation: Accurately Meet Special Requirements of Destination Countries

Shantou export enterprises often get their documents rejected due to non-compliance with destination country policies.For example,Malaysia requires textile and apparel to provide sustainable fabric certification,and Germany requires the updated version of CE certification for electronic accessories.Zhongshen’s documentation team intervenes in advance to ensure all documents meet policy requirements:

• Basic documents: Bill of lading must be marked with the port code specified by the destination country,and invoice must match the tax rate corresponding to the HS code
• Certification documents: Coordinate with third-party institutions in advance to complete EU RoHS testing and Malaysian sustainable fabric certification
• Special documents: Handle ASEAN FORM E certificate of origin on behalf of clients,enabling tariff reduction (for example,5% tariff reduction in Malaysia)

Mr.Lin is the head of a Shantou-based electronic accessories enterprise.In March last year,his goods exported to Indonesia were detained due to the lack of local agent authorization letter.After contacting Zhongshen,we completed the filing and customs clearance within 3 days,avoiding a daily storage loss of 12,000 RMB.

2.Customs Clearance Service: Break Through Destination Country Barriers and Improve Efficiency

In 2026,the average customs clearance cycle for Shantou exports is 7 days,and 20% of shipments are delayed due to policy barriers.Zhongshen develops targeted response solutions for different destination countries:

General Manager Yan mentioned that Zhongshen pushes monthly destination country policy briefings,and notified the enterprise 10 days in advance of the change of Indonesia’s electronic accessories certification in May 2026,so that the enterprise could prepare materials and avoided customs clearance delay.

3.Export Tax Refund: Optimize Process and Shorten Payment Cycle

The average tax refund cycle for Shantou enterprises is 35 days,and some are extended to 45 days due to untimely document delivery.Zhongshen optimizes the process targeting tax refund risk points:

• Synchronized document delivery: Submit declaration forms and other documents to the tax authority on the same day of customs clearance
• Pre-data review: Developed tools to check product name,quantity and amount in advance to reduce document rejection
• Dedicated contact person: Each enterprise is assigned a dedicated contact supervisor to follow up the progress and coordinate problems on the same day

Manager Zhan’s textile enterprise exported to Malaysia in April last year,and the tax refund was received within only 15 days through Zhongshen,which solved the capital turnover pressure.Ms.Bao,the finance manager of a toy enterprise,mentioned that the pre-review system helped them avoid three delays caused by document non-compliance.

Core Experience of Zhongshen in Efficiency Improvement

Zhongshen’s ability to improve customs clearance and tax refund efficiency benefits from two points: First,we have established a destination country policy database,and update ASEAN and EU policies every month; Second,we integrate local and overseas resources — cooperative customs brokers in Indonesia and Germany,and green channels with Shantou tax authorities,which reduces intermediate links.

Suggestions on Customized Service Selection

Shantou enterprises can choose services according to their own conditions:

• Electronic accessories exported to the EU: Choose the all-in-one certification,customs clearance and tax refund service
• Textile and apparel exported to ASEAN: Choose certificate of origin + customs clearance green channel
• Enterprises with foreign exchange payment and collection demand: Choose foreign exchange and tax refund linkage service to avoid exchange rate risks

Zhongshen’s service team will develop exclusive solutions.For example,we reviewed the recycled material certification in advance for a Shantou-based plastic toy enterprise exporting to Germany,saving 2 days of customs clearance time.