What Documents Are Required for Export Customs Declaration in 2026? Full Process Walkthrough

Export Customs Declaration Documents: New Challenges and Responses for the European Market in 2026

In the first quarter of 2026,the value of Shanghai’s new energy component exports to the European market increased by 35% year-on-year,but 62% of customs clearance delay cases stemmed from non-compliance of declaration documents with the EU’s latest carbon footprint declaration requirements.This is the industry status mentioned by Manager Fu at a client docking meeting last week.Many small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises that have just secured European orders face port storage of goods for more than 3 days due to unfamiliarity with the local new rule of "dual certification of carbon footprint statement + certificate of origin",which directly affects subsequent order delivery.

Core Value of Zhongshen: Document Services Precisely Aligned with EU Trade Policies

The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM),fully implemented from 2026,requires new energy components exported to the EU to be accompanied by a full product lifecycle carbon footprint report,certified by a third-party institution recognized by the EU.Many enterprises mistakenly believe that only regular commercial invoices and packing lists are required,ignoring the compliance requirements for this additional document.Zhongshen’s core value lies in its ability to complete document pre-review 3 to 5 working days in advance,including format verification of carbon footprint reports,qualification review of certification institutions,and pre-communication with EU customs clearance agents,to avoid delays caused by document defects.

Modular Breakdown: Core Requirements and Responses for EU Export Customs Declaration Documents

1.Document Preparation Module: EU-Specific Document Barriers

Compared with regions such as Southeast Asia,the EU has higher requirements for "compliance + add-ons" of customs declaration documents,especially the carbon footprint declaration documents newly added in 2026,which have become a pain point for many enterprises.Below is a comparative checklist of required documents for EU export customs declaration:

Manager Fu adds that last year,a Shanghai-based photovoltaic enterprise faced 5 days of port storage at the Port of Rotterdam,the Netherlands,with direct losses exceeding 20,000 yuan,because its carbon footprint report did not indicate "carbon emissions from raw material extraction stage".Zhongshen identified this issue during pre-review,assisted the enterprise in supplementing carbon emission data from raw material suppliers,and finally achieved smooth customs clearance.

2.Customs Clearance Docking Module: Document Review Logic for EU Customs Clearance

The EU customs’ document review logic differs from that of domestic customs,with a greater focus on "document consistency" - that is,product descriptions,quantities and HS codes on invoices,packing lists,bills of lading and carbon footprint reports must be completely consistent.Common risk points include:

• Inconsistency between product name on invoice and name on CE certification (e.g."photovoltaic module" vs "solar module")
• Inconsistency between the measurement unit of carbon footprint report (tonnes of CO2e) and the unit in the declaration form
• Inconsistency between the shipper name on the bill of lading and the manufacturer name on the certificate of origin

Zhongshen’s response is to establish a "document consistency verification checklist",check the above points one by one before pre-declaration,and coordinate with EU customs clearance agents to conduct "pre-audit" in advance,so that risks are identified before declaration.Mr.Xie emphasized in internal training that "EU customs will not accept ’approximately consistent’ documents,100% matching is required,which is also the core focus of our pre-review process."

3.Tax Refund Connection Module: Impact of Document Completeness Rate on Tax Refund Speed

Export tax refund is premised on complete and compliant customs declaration documents.Missing or non-compliant special documents for EU exports (such as carbon footprint reports,CBAM declaration forms) will directly lead to rejection of tax refund applications.Since 2026,the document completeness rate among Zhongshen’s clients has reached 98%,15 percentage points higher than the industry average,and the tax refund arrival time has been shortened from the original 15 working days to 10 working days.

Specifically,Zhongshen’s operation in the tax refund link is as follows: within 3 working days after customs clearance is completed,all customs declaration documents (including EU special documents) are scanned and archived,and submitted to the tax refund system simultaneously,while reminding clients to prepare supporting documents such as VAT invoices to ensure that the application materials pass the review in one go.

How Do Agency Services Improve Customs Clearance Efficiency and Tax Refund Speed?

Zhongshen has been deeply engaged in the foreign trade agency industry for more than 20 years.For EU export document services,it has summarized a set of "three-pre process",which effectively improves customs clearance efficiency and tax refund speed:

• Pre-communication: After receiving a client’s order,confirm the product type and target EU country (such as Germany,the Netherlands) at the first time,sort out local specific document requirements,and avoid unnecessary detours for the client
• Pre-review: Complete pre-review within 24 hours after the client submits documents,focus on verifying the compliance of EU special documents,issue a Document Pre-review Report,and clarify the modification direction
• Pre-declaration: Conduct pre-declaration through China International Trade Single Window 3 working days before the goods arrive at the port,and coordinate with EU customs clearance agents to confirm that the documents are correct,to ensure customs clearance is completed within 24 hours after arrival

Last year,a Shanghai-based new energy auto parts enterprise,through Zhongshen’s "three-pre process",shortened its customs clearance time from the original 72 hours to 40 hours,and the tax refund arrival time was also shortened from 14 working days to 9 working days.Ms.Fang,the client,commented: "We used to handle customs declaration ourselves,and often wasted time due to document issues.Now we leave it to Zhongshen,which is worry-free and efficient."

Customized Services: Matching Needs of Different Products and Target Countries

Document requirements vary for different products exported to different EU countries: for example,medical devices exported to Germany require additional DIN certification,and food contact products exported to France require French FCM certification.Zhongshen can provide one-on-one customized document checklists and pre-review services according to the specific needs of clients.

Mr.Xie said,"We do not provide one-size-fits-all services.Each client has different products and target countries,so document requirements vary.For example,a client exporting textiles to Italy needs to provide EU ECO-LABEL in addition to regular documents.We will remind the client to prepare in advance and assist in verifying the validity of the certification."

Export customs declaration documents may seem trivial,but they are actually related to customs clearance efficiency and the capital turnover of enterprises.The policy changes in the European market in 2026 have put forward higher requirements for document preparation of enterprises.If you are worried about customs declaration documents for EU exports,you may contact Zhongshen.Manager Fu and his team can provide you with accurate document sorting and pre-review services,help you complete export customs declaration smoothly,and improve the efficiency of your foreign trade business.