What Are the Difficulties in Importing Coatings to Qiandongnan? Agencies Help You Avoid Risks

I.Market Background and Common Pain Points of Imported Coatings in Qiandongnan

In 2026,the urbanization construction of Qiandongnan Prefecture enters a speed-up stage.The annual growth rate of demand for imported coatings for high-end residences,commercial complexes and cultural tourism projects reaches 18%,among which environmentally friendly wall paints and wood paints from Germany and Japan account for more than 60%.Many local building materials enterprises try to import directly,but often fall into a passive situation due to unfamiliarity with special compliance requirements for coating imports.

For example,Ms.Du’s building materials company planned to import a German brand of special coatings for children’s rooms last year.After the goods arrived at Ningbo Port,it was found that the coating was not listed in China’s *Imported Coating Registration Catalogue*,and the expression of "free formaldehyde content" in the technical specification was inconsistent with the requirements of domestic national standards,resulting in a 20-day delivery delay,which directly affected the cooperation progress with the real estate project.Such problems are not rare among Qiandongnan enterprises.Links such as access verification of imported coatings,hazardous goods classification,and commodity inspection and testing may become stumbling blocks for customs clearance.

II.Core Value of Zhongshen in Coating Imports

As a professional company with over 20 years of deep engagement in foreign trade agency in Shanghai,Zhongshen addresses three major problems in response to the pain points of Qiandongnan enterprises importing coatings: First,verify coating access qualifications in advance to avoid blind import; second,assist in completing hazardous goods classification and commodity inspection and testing to ensure compliance; third,track the customs clearance progress throughout the process to shorten the logistics cycle.

When Mr.Yao’s decoration company imported a Japanese brand of wood paint in 2025,Zhongshen completed document pre-review 3 days in advance,found that the unit expression (hour/minute) of the "drying time" parameter in the technical specification was inconsistent with domestic customs declaration requirements,immediately contacted the foreign supplier for modification,and finally completed customs clearance 7 days earlier than expected,helping Mr.Yao catch up with the construction schedule of the real estate decoration project.

III.Full Process Disassembly and Compliance Control of Coating Import

1.Document Pre-review Stage: Avoid Access and Document Risks in Advance

Document pre-review for coating imports is the first firewall.Zhongshen will focus on verifying three types of core materials to avoid goods being unable to clear customs after arriving at the port:

• Certificate of access from the country of origin: Check whether the coating is in the access list through China’s *Imported Coating Registration Information System.If it is not registered,assist the supplier to supplement registration materials;
• Technical testing report: Confirm whether VOC content and heavy metal (lead,cadmium,chromium,mercury) content comply with GB18581-2020 *Limits of Harmful Substances in Interior Wall Coatings for Interior Decoration and Refurbishment Materials*.If the report is expired,connect with a domestic recognized third-party institution to redo the test;
• Hazardous goods classification documents: For solvent-containing coatings,require the provision of *Dangerous Goods Classification and Appraisal Report* issued by institutions such as the Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine,to clarify information such as UN number and packaging category.

In March 2026,Ms.Bao’s building materials company planned to import an Italian brand of waterproof coatings.During pre-review,Zhongshen found that the coating had not completed China’s import registration,and immediately suggested the supplier supplement product composition instructions,testing reports and other materials.The registration was completed in only 10 days,avoiding the risk of return after the goods arrived at the port.

2.Port Customs Declaration Stage: Accurately Match Customs Declaration Elements

The key to coating customs declaration is the accurate classification of HS codes.Tariff rates of different types of coatings vary greatly,and incorrect classification may lead to overpayment of tariffs or inspection risks.The tariff and code information of common coatings in 2026 are as follows:

Zhongshen’s customs declaration team will make accurate classification based on the composition,purpose and construction scenario of the coating.At the same time,in view of the fact that most Qiandongnan enterprises import from Ningbo and Shanghai ports,we will communicate with the port customs in advance,make declaration explanations for the hazardous goods attributes of the coating,and reduce the inspection probability by more than 40%.

3.Commodity Inspection (Customs Inspection and Quarantine) Stage: Focus on Controlling Environmental Protection and Safety Indicators

Commodity inspection of imported coatings is the core of compliance.In 2026,China’s inspection and quarantine requirements for coatings have been upgraded,focusing on verifying the following contents:

• Mandatory testing items: VOC content,total benzene series,free formaldehyde,heavy metals,etc.among which the VOC content of interior wall coatings shall be ≤10g/L;
• Key points of on-site inspection: Whether the package is affixed with hazardous goods labels (e.g.solvent-containing coatings shall be affixed with "flammable liquid" label),and whether the label is marked with Chinese composition instructions and precautions for use;
• Subsequent supervision: Some coatings need to complete sampling testing before sale.Zhongshen can assist enterprises to contact local testing institutions in Qiandongnan,or coordinate port testing institutions to provide on-site sampling services.

In May 2026,Mr.Shi’s decoration company imported a Korean brand of exterior wall coatings.Before commodity inspection,Zhongshen found that the coating label was not marked with Chinese composition,immediately coordinated the foreign supplier to supplement the Chinese label sample,and contacted the port commodity inspection department for review in advance,finally passing the inspection smoothly without delaying delivery.

IV.Summary of Practical Value of Zhongshen’s Agency Services

For building materials enterprises in Qiandongnan,the compliance requirements involved in importing coatings are complex.Self-operation is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive,but also may face risks such as return and fines due to violations.With more than 20 years of industry experience,Zhongshen can help enterprises achieve three major improvements:

• Customs clearance efficiency increased by more than 30%: Pre-review documents in advance and coordinate port resources,shortening the average customs clearance cycle from 15 days to less than 10 days;
• Compliance risk reduced by 90%: Control access,testing,customs declaration and other nodes in the whole process.Since 2025,the 12 Qiandongnan enterprises served have not had any violation punishment;
• Cost saved by 15%: Accurate classification of HS codes to avoid overpayment of tariffs,and connect with high-quality logistics resources to reduce transportation costs.

With the continuous advancement of urbanization construction in Qiandongnan,the demand for imported coatings will further grow.Choosing a professional agency company can not only solve customs clearance problems,but also help enterprises respond to market demand quickly and gain an advantage in competition.