Common Pain Points and Efficient Solutions for Export-Oriented Enterprises

In the first half of 2026,China’s exports of mechanical and electrical products to the EU increased by 8.2% year-on-year,but many export-oriented enterprises reported that the updated CE certification,upgraded RoHS 2.0 Directive and green tariff barriers of the EU have frequently caused pitfalls in document preparation and customs clearance.A director from an East China home appliance enterprise once encountered a situation where goods were detained at the Port of Hamburg in Germany for 3 days due to failure to update the energy efficiency label data of the CE certification in time,which directly led to order delivery delay and customer claims exceeding 100,000 yuan.Similar problems such as lagging policy changes and poor process connection are becoming common bottlenecks for export-oriented enterprises to expand into the EU market.

In view of the policy characteristics of exporting mechanical and electrical products to the EU,the core value of Zhongshen lies in "proactive policy forecasting + full-process closed-loop management".Director Hong introduced that the company updates the EU trade policy database every month,and sorts out the certification requirements,tariff adjustments and compliance standards for mechanical and electrical products 3 to 6 months in advance,helping enterprises avoid potential risks during the production stage.For example,for the new energy efficiency labeling directive implemented by the EU in 2025,Zhongshen notified its partner home appliance enterprises to adjust product labels half a year in advance,avoiding customs clearance delays during exports in 2026.

1.Document Preparation: EU-Specific Certification and Data Requirements

The EU’s document requirements for exported mechanical and electrical products go far beyond regular bills of lading and invoices,including:

• CE certification certificates (must correspond one-to-one with product models and energy efficiency levels);
• RoHS 2.0 Declaration of Conformity (requires 10 hazardous substance test reports);
• Accurate matching of EU Customs Tariff Codes (HS codes) (adjustments to codes for some细分 categories will affect tariff rates);
• Green supply chain data (new requirement in 2026,requires raw material traceability information).

Common risk points: An enterprise was required by EU customs to retest because the energy efficiency rating on its CE certificate did not match the actual product,taking 15 days.Zhongshen’s solutions are as follows:

• Establish a "pre-document review mechanism": 3 days before shipment,the document team led by Director Qu will conduct one-by-one checks against the latest EU policies,focusing on verifying the validity of certifications,HS code matching and the integrity of green data;
• Connect with local EU certification institutions: Establish direct connection channels with institutions such as TÜV Rheinland of Germany,which can complete certificate validity verification within 24 hours to avoid repeated testing.

2.Customs Clearance: Addressing EU Green Tariffs and Port Congestion

In 2026,the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will impose additional tariffs on high-carbon products.Meanwhile,core ports such as the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands and the Port of Hamburg in Germany are still in the transition period for digital upgrading,with manual audits accounting for 40% of the total,leading to fluctuations in customs clearance efficiency.

Zhongshen’s response measures are as follows:

• Advance CBAM data preparation: Collect product carbon footprint reports in advance,and the team led by Manager Mu will assist in completing CBAM declarations to avoid tariff repayment caused by incomplete data;
• Port resource docking: Establish long-term cooperation with customs clearance agents at 5 core EU ports,prioritize digital declaration channels,and shorten the average customs clearance time from the industry average of 5 days to 2.5 days;
• Logistics emergency plan: If a port is congested,immediately adjust to the Port of Antwerp in Belgium or the Port of Le Havre in France to ensure that goods complete customs clearance within 72 hours.

3.Export Tax Refund and Foreign Exchange Management

In 2026,China’s export tax refund policy requires that electronic data of the "Goods Release Notice" from EU customs be provided,and it must correspond one-to-one with domestic customs declarations and foreign exchange receipt data.However,some enterprises have delayed tax refund declarations due to delayed upload of EU customs data.

Zhongshen’s advantages in tax refund services are as follows:

• Data synchronization mechanism: Connect with the EU customs data platform,obtain the electronic notice within 12 hours after the goods are released,and upload it to the domestic tax refund system synchronously;
• Foreign exchange receipt linkage: The foreign exchange collection and payment team (led by Director Kang) completes foreign exchange verification within 24 hours after receiving the funds,ensuring that all materials for tax refund declaration are complete;
• Improved tax refund turnaround time: The industry average tax refund time is 15-20 days,while the average tax refund time for enterprises cooperating with Zhongshen is shortened to 8-10 days.In the first half of 2026,3 enterprises have achieved tax refund arrival within 7 days.

Director Jin added that Zhongshen’s "full-process node control" is the key to improving efficiency.For example,a lighting company exporting LED lamps to France shortened the entire cycle from document preparation to tax refund arrival from the original 35 days to 18 days,directly saving 17 days of capital occupation costs.In addition,the company’s "policy early warning system" will send reminders one month before EU policy changes.For example,in March 2026,the EU updated the phthalate restriction standards of RoHS 2.0,and Zhongshen notified partner enterprises to adjust raw material formulas in advance,avoiding the risk of goods being returned after arriving at the port.

Different export-oriented enterprises face different policy barriers depending on their product categories (such as textiles and chemical products) and target markets (such as Southeast Asia and Latin America).Zhongshen can customize "one-to-one" agency plans according to the specific needs of enterprises: for example,focusing on OEKO-TEX certification for textiles exported to the EU; focusing on anti-dumping duty declarations for chemical products exported to Latin America.Director Hong stated that the company’s 20 years of industry experience covers more than 30 major global markets,and can accurately match the pain points of different enterprises,helping export-oriented enterprises reduce costs,increase efficiency,and expand overseas markets.