What Export Procedures Must Enterprises Complete? A Practical Full Process Guide

What Export Procedures Are Required for Enterprises Exporting to the EU?Full Process Analysis

1.Market Background and Challenges for Shanghai’s Small Home Appliance Exports to the EU in 2026

In the first quarter of 2026,Shanghai’s small home appliance exports to the EU increased by 15.2% year-on-year,with kitchen small appliances and personal care appliances accounting for more than 60%.However,many enterprises reported that EU technical barriers and policy updates have increased the time required for procedure handling — for example,some enterprises had their goods detained at the Port of Rotterdam,Netherlands for 3 days because their RoHS2.0 test reports were not updated; other enterprises were asked to supplement materials and delayed customs clearance because they failed to provide the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) carbon footprint statement.

2.Core Value of Zhongshen’s Export Agency Services

Zhongshen,which has been deeply engaged in the foreign trade industry for 20 years,provides customized agency services for customers by focusing on core links such as customs declaration and inspection,international transportation,warehouse management,foreign currency receipt and payment,foreign exchange settlement and purchase,and export tax rebates,targeting the policy characteristics of EU exports.Manager Qiu stated that their team handles more than 200 EU export businesses per month,is familiar with the policy details of each link,and can help customers avoid more than 90% of common delay risks.

Core Modules and Solutions for EU Export Procedures

(1) Document Preparation: Focus on EU-specific Compliance Requirements

The EU has strict compliance requirements for export documents.In 2026,new requirements for CBAM carbon footprint statements were added,and the number of restricted substances in RoHS2.0 increased from 6 to 10.Some enterprises failed to update their test reports in time,resulting in non-compliant documents.

• CE Certification: Must be issued by an EU Notified Body.Zhongshen has pre-connected with 3 authoritative institutions and can assist customers in completing certification updates within 10 working days;
• RoHS2.0 Test Report: Required to cover 10 restricted substances.The cooperative institutions of Zhongshen can provide 7-day expedited service to ensure the report is valid within its validity period;
• CBAM Carbon Footprint Statement: Requires calculation of the full life cycle carbon emissions of products.Zhongshen cooperates with third-party carbon accounting institutions to complete the statement preparation within 5 working days;
• Commercial Invoice and Packing List: Must indicate the EU Combined Nomenclature code.The document team will conduct dedicated checks to ensure the code is accurate.

(2) Customs Clearance Agency: Address EU Border Inspections and Policy Differences

In 2026,the border inspection rate of some EU countries (Germany,France) rose to 12%,and there are differences in procedures among different countries — for example,Germany requires real-time GPS tracking data of transportation,while France requires an additional submission of the product conformity statement (DoC).Mr.Nie is responsible for Zhongshen’s EU customs clearance coordination,and he mentioned that some enterprises extended their inspection time from 1 day to 3 days because they did not understand Germany’s transportation data requirements in advance.

(3) Foreign Currency Receipt and Payment & Foreign Exchange Settlement: Avoid EU Foreign Exchange Declaration Risks

Some EU countries (Italy) have more detailed requirements for trade foreign exchange declaration,requiring the simultaneous provision of customs declarations,copies of transportation documents and invoices.Some enterprises had their foreign currency receipts delayed by 3-5 days due to incomplete materials.Supervisor Ji is responsible for Zhongshen’s foreign currency receipt and payment team,and he mentioned that they have access to the foreign trade foreign exchange green channel of Shanghai Bank,and can complete the declaration within 1 working day after all materials are complete,and the foreign exchange settlement speed is 2 working days faster than that of enterprises handling it by themselves.

• Foreign Exchange Declaration: Dedicated staff will check the declaration information to ensure consistency with documents;
• Foreign Exchange Settlement and Purchase: Provide real-time euro exchange rate references to avoid losses from exchange rate fluctuations;
• Risk Prevention and Control: Advise countries such as Greece in advance of large-value foreign exchange declaration requirements to avoid violations.

(4) Export Tax Rebate: Seize Policy Adjustment Dividends in 2026

China’s export tax rebate policy was adjusted in 2026,and the rebate rate for some small home appliances increased from 13% to 15%,but the product type must be accurately marked on the customs declaration form.Manager Lan is responsible for Zhongshen’s tax rebate team,and she mentioned that the team organizes more than 100 tax rebate documents every month,connects with the tax authorities in advance,and shortens the average tax rebate arrival time from 15 days to 7 days.

• Tax Rebate Document Preparation: Organize customs declaration forms (tax rebate special copies),VAT invoices and transportation documents 10 days in advance;
• Policy Interpretation: Timely update tax rebate rate adjustment information and inform customers of the dividends they can enjoy;
• Tax Rebate Follow-up: Dedicated staff will connect with the tax authorities and follow up the progress every week to ensure timely arrival of funds.

How Zhongshen Improves Customs Clearance Efficiency and Tax Rebate Speed

Zhongshen’s agency services can improve efficiency,mainly thanks to three aspects:

• Document Pre-review Mechanism: Complete pre-review within 24 hours,with an error rate of less than 1%;
• Customs Clearance Channel Cooperation: Established priority channels with agents of 5 major ports including Rotterdam and Hamburg,shortening inspection time by 40%;
• Early Tax Rebate Verification: Complete document verification within 3 days after the customs declaration form is released,shortening the arrival time by 50%.

Manager Qiu gave an example that a Shanghai small home appliance enterprise exported coffee machines to Germany in March 2026.Through Zhongshen’s agency,the document pre-review found that the RoHS2.0 report was about to expire,and it was updated in advance to successfully clear customs,with a customs clearance time of only 2 days; the tax rebate arrived in 7 days,8 days shorter than the average time.

Customized Services: Match the Needs of Different Products and Target Markets

Zhongshen’s services are not "one-size-fits-all",but provide customized procedure lists based on product types (electronic products,textiles,mechanical products) and target markets (EU,Southeast Asia,Middle East).For example,textiles exported to Southeast Asia need to provide Form E certificate of origin,and Zhongshen can handle it within 3 working days; mechanical products exported to the Middle East need SASO certification,and the connected institutions can provide expedited services.

If your enterprise is handling export procedures,you may contact Manager Qiu from Zhongshen to customize an exclusive agency plan based on your products and target markets,avoiding losses caused by procedure delays.