---
title: "Plastic Import Agency: 2026 Compliance Procedures and Analysis of Common Difficulties - Zhongshen Trading China"
description: "In 2026，the demand for imported plastic raw materials in the plastic processing industry in Shanghai and its surrounding areas continues to grow. Plastic pellets from Southeast Asia，the Middle East and other regions have become the main import sources due to their cost-performance advantages. However，plastic imports involve complex compliance requirements and quarantine standards，and many enterprises suffer from customs clearance delays or penalties due to unfamiliarity with the procedures. Mana..."
url: "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/import-agent-services/plastic-import-agency-2026-compliance-process-common-difficulties.html"
language: "en"
type: "Article"
category: "Import agent"
datePublished: "2026-05-16"
dateModified: "2026-05-16"
brand: "Zhongshen Trading China"
image: "https://cndpic.sh-zhongshen.com/uploads/tradepics/4KXVA3alhjxbm.webp"
---

# Plastic Import Agency: 2026 Compliance Procedures and Analysis of Common Difficulties

## I.Market Background and Common Pain Points of Plastic Imports in 2026

In 2026,the demand for imported plastic raw materials by plastic processing industrial clusters in Shanghai and its surrounding areas will increase by about 12% year-on-year compared with 2025.Among them,PP (polypropylene) pellets from Thailand and Malaysia in Southeast Asia,and PE (polyethylene) pellets from Saudi Arabia in the Middle East have become the first choice for many downstream enterprises due to their price advantages and stable supply.However,such plastic imports are not just "buy and ship",and many enterprises have encountered many pitfalls in actual operations.

![Common Compliance Pitfalls in Plastic Imports: How Agencies Can Help Avoid Them](https://cndpic.sh-zhongshen.com/uploads/tradepics/4KXVA3alhjxbm.webp)

- Missing or non-compliant documents: Some suppliers’ certificates of origin do not indicate "non-GMO" (some plastic raw materials involve bio-based components),resulting in return by commodity inspection;
- Incorrect HS code classification: For example,misclassifying modified plastics as ordinary plastics,with a tax rate difference of 3.5 percentage points,which directly increases costs;
- Failed commodity inspection and quarantine: In 2026,China’s requirements for heavy metal content (such as lead and cadmium) of imported plastics have been upgraded,and some recycled plastics have been judged unqualified due to unclear labels;
- Customs clearance delay: Due to document issues or long sampling and testing cycles for commodity inspection,goods are detained at the port,resulting in hundreds of yuan in storage fees per day.

## II.Core Value of Zhongshen in Plastic Imports

In response to these pain points of plastic imports,Zhongshen,relying on more than 20 years of industry experience,can accurately meet the compliance requirements for plastic imports and provide full-process support from front-end consultation to back-end foreign exchange settlement and tax refund.Last year,a Shanghai plastic processing enterprise (a client coordinated by Manager Shi) almost had its goods detained by commodity inspection because it was the first time importing recycled plastic pellets from Malaysia and did not know that a "recycled plastic traceability report" was required.Zhongshen discovered the problem during the pre-review of documents and assisted the client in contacting the supplier to supplement the report.Finally,the goods were cleared only 3 days late,avoiding storage delay losses.

## III.Full Process Breakdown of Plastic Imports and Zhongshen’s Assistance Plan

### 1.Document Pre-review Stage: Pass the First Compliance Barrier

The document requirements for plastic imports are more detailed than ordinary goods.In 2026,"bio-based plastic component test report" (for plastics containing bio-based components) and "recycled plastic traceability report" (for recycled plastics) have been added.Zhongshen will review all documents in advance before the client signs the contract with the supplier:

- Check whether the certificate of origin complies with "Generalized System of Preferences Certificate of Origin FORME" (tariff preferences are available for imports from Southeast Asia);
- Confirm whether the component test report includes indicators required by the 2026 new standards,such as heavy metal content and volatile organic compounds (VOC);
- For recycled plastics,review whether the traceability report covers information such as recycling sources and treatment processes.

Last year,when a Suzhou enterprise (coordinated by President Shi) imported PE pellets from Saudi Arabia,the component test report provided by the supplier did not indicate VOC content (a new 2026 requirement).Zhongshen discovered this during the pre-review and assisted the client in requesting the supplier to supplement the test,avoiding the problem of failing commodity inspection after the goods arrived at the port.

### 2.Port Customs Declaration Stage: Accurate Classification to Reduce Costs

![Plastic Import Agency: How to Help Enterprises Reduce Costs and Avoid Compliance Risks](https://cndpic.sh-zhongshen.com/uploads/tradepics/4kzm2chBoNKTr.webp)

The HS code classification of plastics directly affects the tariff rate.For example,the HS code of ordinary PE pellets is 39011000,with a tariff rate of 6.5%; while the HS code of modified PE pellets is 39019090,with a tariff rate of 10%,a difference of 3.5 percentage points.Zhongshen’s customs declaration team is familiar with the material,use and processing technology of plastics and can classify accurately:

- Confirm the final use of plastics (such as food packaging,industrial packaging) with the client to determine whether a food contact material test report is required;
- For modified plastics,review whether there is a modification process certificate to avoid tax supplements and fines caused by incorrect classification.

### 3.Commodity Inspection and Quarantine Stage: Connect with Latest Standards to Avoid Risks

In 2026,China’s quarantine requirements for imported plastics have been upgraded,focusing on the following core indicators:

| Quarantine Requirements | 2026 New Standards | Zhongshen’s Assistance Measures |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Heavy Metal Content | Lead ≤90mg/kg,Cadmium ≤50mg/kg (previous standards were 100mg/kg and 60mg/kg respectively) | Require suppliers to provide third-party test reports in advance; if the indicators are close to the limits,assist in contacting domestic testing institutions for pre-testing |
| Recycled Plastic Labeling | Must be marked with "recycled plastic" and recycling codes (such as PET1,HDPE2) | Review whether the packaging labels meet the requirements; if not,assist the client in communicating with the supplier to modify them |
| Bio-based Plastic Certification | Plastics with bio-based components ≥20% must provide ISO 16620 certification | Confirm whether the supplier has this certification; if not,assist in recommending compliant suppliers |

Last year,a Hangzhou enterprise (coordinated by Ms.Ge) imported bio-based PP pellets from Thailand.Since the supplier did not provide ISO 16620 certification,Zhongshen assisted them in contacting a local certification agency in Thailand,and the goods passed the commodity inspection smoothly after the certification was supplemented.

### 4.Storage and Logistics Stage: Ensure Cargo Safety

Plastic pellets are flammable goods,and storage must comply with dangerous goods storage standards (some modified plastics are Class 9 dangerous goods).The Shanghai bonded warehouse cooperated with Zhongshen has dangerous goods storage qualifications and can provide:

- Temperature and humidity control (plastic pellets are afraid of moisture,so the warehouse humidity must be ≤60%);
- 24-hour monitoring and fire-fighting facilities;
- Short-distance transportation (transportation from the port to the warehouse,equipped with dangerous goods transportation vehicles).

### 5.Foreign Exchange and Tax Refund Stage: Improve Capital Turnover Efficiency

Plastic imports involve foreign exchange receipt and payment and export tax refund (if exported after subsequent processing).Zhongshen’s foreign exchange team is familiar with the 2026 foreign exchange policies:

- Foreign exchange receipt and payment: Support multiple settlement methods such as T/T and L/C,and can quickly complete foreign exchange accounting and declaration;
- Foreign exchange settlement and purchase: Provide clients with suggestions on foreign exchange settlement timing based on daily exchange rate fluctuations to reduce exchange rate losses;
- Export tax refund: If the client imports plastics and then processes and exports them,assist in preparing tax refund documents (such as customs declarations,VAT invoices),and complete the tax refund to the account within 7 working days at the fastest.

## IV.Actual Case: Risk Avoidance for an Enterprise Importing Recycled Plastics

In March 2026,a Shanghai plastic packaging enterprise (coordinated by Supervisor Si) planned to import recycled PE pellets from Malaysia with a budget of 1 million yuan.Initially,the client did not notice the new 2026 requirement for a "recycled plastic traceability report" and only discovered the problem after signing the contract with the supplier.After Zhongshen intervened:

- Step 1: Review the signed contract,find that the supplier did not clearly specify the obligation to provide the traceability report,and assist the client in supplementing the contract terms;
- Step 2: Contact a local traceability agency in Malaysia to assist the supplier in completing the traceability report (taking 5 days);
- Step 3: After the goods arrive at the port,communicate with the commodity inspection department in advance and submit all compliant documents.Finally,the customs clearance time was 2 days earlier than the client’s expectation,avoiding detention fees (300 yuan per day) and warehouse overdue fees (200 yuan per day),saving a total of 2500 yuan;
- Step 4: Assist the client in completing foreign exchange settlement,suggest delaying settlement for 3 days due to exchange rate fluctuations,and gain an additional 12,000 yuan.

Supervisor Si said that he was worried about the trouble of importing recycled plastics,but he did not expect Zhongshen to assist throughout the process,not only without any problems,but also saved a lot of costs.

## V.Conclusion: Professional Agency Makes Plastic Imports More Worry-free

In 2026,the compliance requirements for plastic imports are becoming stricter,and enterprises’ own operations are prone to delays or penalties due to documents,commodity inspection and other issues.Relying on more than 20 years of industry experience,Zhongshen’s full-process services from document pre-review to tax refund and foreign exchange settlement can help enterprises accurately meet compliance requirements,avoid risks and improve efficiency.Whether it is ordinary plastics,recycled plastics or bio-based plastics,Zhongshen can provide targeted agency solutions,allowing enterprises to focus on production and sales without worrying about import procedures.

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