Full Process Operation Guide and Risk Avoidance Tips for Import and Export Enterprises

Practical Operation Guide for Import and Export Enterprises: Core Steps from Preparation to Tax Refund

Since 2026,the business volume of import and export enterprises in Shanghai and its surrounding areas has continued to grow.However,many practitioners reported that complex processes,frequent policy changes and numerous risk points lead to low efficiency and high costs.Taking export business as an example,from contract signing to tax refund arrival,it involves multiple links such as customs declaration and inspection,international transportation,foreign exchange receipt and payment,and problems may occur in each link.Based on more than 20 years of practical experience from Zhongshen,this article systematically sorts out the core stages of the full import and export process,helping enterprises clarify their ideas and avoid common risks.

1.Preparatory Stage and Contract Signing

Objective: Clarify the rights and responsibilities of both trading parties,ensure that contract terms comply with foreign trade regulations,and avoid subsequent disputes.

Key Actions:

• Confirm product specifications,quantity,delivery date and payment methods (such as L/C,T/T) with overseas customers
• Verify trade terms in the contract (such as FOB,CIF) and clarify the risk transfer point
• Prepare product qualification documents (such as inspection certificates,certificate of origin)

Common Issues:

• Incorrect selection of trade terms,leading to disputes over the bearer of freight and insurance premiums
• No clear product quality standards in the contract,resulting in disputes over quantity and damage of goods later

Role of Zhongshen: Mr.Tao,Supervisor of Zhongshen,is responsible for preliminary contract review.He will check contract terms for enterprises in accordance with the latest international trade practices in 2026 and point out potential risks.For example,last year,an electronic enterprise had a contract with an unclear port of loading under the FOB term,and Mr.Tao reminded them to revise it in time,avoiding subsequent fee disputes with the freight forwarder.Meanwhile,Mr.Tao will provide consultation on certificate of origin processing for customers to ensure complete qualification documents.

2.Customs Declaration and Inspection Stage

Objective: Complete customs clearance smoothly and avoid delaying the shipping schedule or incurring demurrage fees.

Key Actions:

• Prepare customs declaration documents (customs declaration form,packing list,invoice,contract,inspection clearance form,etc.)
• Declare to the customs and cooperate with inspection if required
• Pay customs duties and value-added tax if applicable

Common Issues:

• Incorrect information filled in the customs declaration form (such as incorrect commodity code classification),leading to customs return of the declaration
• Incomplete inspection documents,unable to obtain the clearance form and delaying export

Role of Zhongshen: Mr.Chang from Zhongshen’s Customs Declaration Department has 15 years of customs declaration experience and is familiar with the latest declaration requirements of Shanghai Customs in 2026.Mr.Chang will arrange special personnel to check commodity codes to avoid classification errors; for products requiring inspection,he will connect with the inspection institution in advance to ensure the timely issuance of the clearance form.Last year,a garment enterprise had its declaration returned by customs due to incorrect commodity code.Mr.Chang rechecked the code and declared on the same day,completing customs clearance in only 2 hours and avoiding demurrage fees (charged at 0.5‰ of the cargo value per day).

3.International Transportation and Warehouse Management Stage

Objective: Ensure that goods arrive at the destination safely and on time,and control transportation and warehouse costs.

Key Actions:

• Select a suitable freight forwarder and sign a transportation contract
• Arrange goods warehousing and check warehouse information
• Track transportation routes and handle emergencies during transportation (such as delays caused by weather)

Common Issues:

• Improper selection of freight forwarders,leading to cargo delay or loss
• Poor warehouse management,resulting in cargo damage or loss

Role of Zhongshen: Zhongshen has long-term cooperation with multiple well-known shipping companies and airlines.Mr.Chang will recommend the optimal transportation plan for enterprises based on cargo type,destination and delivery date.For example,last year,a machinery enterprise needed to transport large equipment to Germany,and Mr.Chang recommended roll-on/roll-off shipping,which saved 30% of freight compared to ordinary containers.Meanwhile,Zhongshen’s warehouse team is responsible for goods warehousing,inventory and delivery,and Mr.Tao will regularly check the warehouse environment to ensure cargo safety.

4.Foreign Exchange Receipt and Payment,Settlement and Purchase Stage

Objective: Receive foreign exchange timely and safely,avoid losses caused by exchange rate fluctuations,and complete foreign exchange settlement and purchase in compliance with regulations.

Key Actions:

• Collect foreign exchange in accordance with the contract (such as T/T advance payment,L/C arrival)
• Submit foreign exchange settlement application to the bank and provide relevant documents
• Prepare foreign exchange purchase documents if required (such as for import business)

Common Issues:

• Delay in foreign exchange arrival,affecting enterprise capital turnover
• Large exchange rate fluctuations,leading to profit losses for enterprises

Role of Zhongshen: Zhongshen has the qualification for foreign exchange receipt and payment.Manager Wu is responsible for foreign exchange business and is familiar with the latest foreign exchange management policies in 2026.Mr.Wu will track the arrival of foreign exchange in time and speed up the arrival process through bank green channels; for exchange rate fluctuations,he will provide enterprises with suggestions on foreign exchange settlement timing based on market conditions,helping a textile enterprise avoid exchange rate losses of about 5% last year.

5.Export Tax Refund Handling Stage

Objective: Obtain export tax refund timely and increase enterprise cash flow.

Key Actions:

• Collect tax refund documents (customs declaration form tax refund copy,VAT invoice,export invoice,etc.)
• Declare tax refund to the tax authorities
• Cooperate with tax authorities for verification if required

Common Issues:

• Incomplete tax refund documents,leading to rejection of the declaration
• Failure to pass tax verification,resulting in delayed tax refund

Role of Zhongshen: Ms.Ge from Zhongshen’s Tax Refund Department is responsible for tax refund handling and is familiar with the latest export tax refund policies in 2026.Ms.Ge will sort out tax refund documents in advance to ensure they are complete and accurate; for tax verification,she will arrange special personnel to connect and provide complete supporting materials.Last year,a furniture enterprise had inconsistent information between its VAT invoice and customs declaration form.Ms.Ge coordinated with the supplier to revise the invoice in time,and the tax refund arrived in only 10 days,7 days faster than the industry average.

6.Follow-up and Risk Review Stage

Objective: Summarize experience,avoid future risks and improve business efficiency.

Key Actions:

• Track customer feedback and handle after-sales issues
• Review the full process and analyze the causes of problems
• Update the enterprise’s internal operation manual

Common Issues:

• Failure to follow up customer feedback in time,leading to customer churn
• No review of problems,resulting in repeated same mistakes

Role of Zhongshen: After each business is completed,Mr.Tao from Zhongshen will organize a review meeting to analyze the causes of problems and put forward improvement suggestions.For example,last year,a toy enterprise had a customs inspection due to incorrect brand information filled in the customs declaration form.Mr.Tao reminded all customers at the review meeting that the brand information on the customs declaration form must be checked in the future to avoid similar problems again.

The import and export process involves multiple links,and risks may occur in each link.Professional agency companies can help enterprises save time and costs.Zhongshen has been deeply engaged in the industry for more than 20 years,with experienced teams in each link (such as Mr.Tao,Mr.Chang,Manager Wu,Ms.Ge,etc.),and can provide enterprises with full-process,one-stop services to help them avoid risks and improve efficiency.If you have import and export needs,please contact Zhongshen for more solutions.