Core Processes and Compliance Essentials of Shenzhen Plastic Bag Transshipment Trade

Market Background of Shenzhen Plastic Bag Transshipment Trade

In the first half of 2026,General Manager Zhang of a plastic packaging factory in Shenzhen encountered a problem: a shipment of degradable plastic bags destined for a Southeast Asian country saw its original 5% net profit directly turned negative after the destination country suddenly raised the anti-dumping duty to 22%.He wanted to try transshipment trade but had no idea where to start——Which transit country to choose?Is container reloading compliant?How to handle tax matters?

This is not an isolated case.According to data from Shenzhen Customs for January-May 2026,Shenzhen’s plastic bag export volume increased by 12% year-on-year,while the transshipment trade volume increased by 18% year-on-year,far outpacing direct export.The reason behind is clear: amid global supply chain restructuring,many destination countries have upgraded trade barriers against Chinese plastic bags,and transshipment trade has become an important option for enterprises to avoid barriers and maintain profits.

Changes in Transshipment Demand of Shenzhen’s Plastic Packaging Industry in 2026

Since 2026,two obvious changes have taken place in the demand for Shenzhen plastic bag transshipment trade:

• Increased proportion of transshipment for degradable plastic bags: The EU and some Southeast Asian countries have raised environmental standards for degradable plastic bags,and direct export requires an additional carbon footprint test report,while transshipment through a transit country (e.g.Malaysia) can simplify part of the compliance procedures;
• Diversified selection of transit countries: In the past,transshipment was mostly concentrated in Hong Kong,China and Singapore.In 2026,the proportion of transshipment volume through Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates increased by 30%,mainly because these countries have broader coverage of Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with the EU and Southeast Asian regions.

Core Processes of Shenzhen Plastic Bag Transshipment Trade

Transshipment trade is not simply "cargo transit",and must be carried out in strict accordance with procedures to avoid compliance risks.The following are the core steps of Shenzhen plastic bag transshipment trade:

• Pre-assessment of Policies: Confirm the destination country’s anti-dumping duty and environmental standards,as well as the transit country’s import tariff and transshipment policy with the foreign trade agent (for example,Malaysia only charges a 1% transshipment service fee for plastic bag transshipment);
• Contract Signing: Sign a tripartite contract for transshipment trade (supplier,agent,final buyer),and clearly specify cargo specifications,transit port,and document exchange requirements (it must be noted that "the physical properties of the cargo will not be changed");
• Cargo Shipment: Ship from Yantian Port / Shekou Port,Shenzhen to the transit country (e.g.Port Klang,Malaysia),basic documents such as packing list and invoice are required;
• Transit Operation: Complete container reloading (some destination countries require that cargo not be shipped directly from China) and bill of lading reissuance (change the bill of lading with Chinese shipper to that with a shipper from the transit country) in the transit country,and customs supervision records are required for the whole process;
• Final Shipment: Ship from the transit country to the destination country,and provide the certificate of origin issued by the transit country (which can exempt the cargo from the destination country’s anti-dumping duty);
• Tax and Foreign Exchange: Handle foreign exchange receipt and payment for transshipment trade (must comply with the requirements of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) on "foreign exchange receipts and payments under transshipment trade").If the cargo meets the requirements,enterprises can apply for export tax refund (note: "actual departure of cargo from China" is the key condition for tax refund in transshipment trade).

Cost Comparison: Transshipment Trade vs.Direct Export

Many enterprises care whether transshipment trade can really "cut costs".The following is the actual cost comparison of a Shenzhen factory in 2026 (taking a 20GP container of degradable plastic bags as an example):

As shown in the comparison,the transportation and customs declaration costs of transshipment trade increase slightly,but the savings from anti-dumping duty exemption far exceed the additional costs,and transshipment fees can enjoy discounts for bulk operations (e.g.USD 50 off per container for shipments of 3 containers or more).

Common Risks and Countermeasures of Shenzhen Plastic Bag Transshipment Trade

Although transshipment trade has advantages,enterprises need to guard against three common types of risks:

• Compliance Risk: Differences in environmental standards between the transit country and the destination country (for example,the EU requires that the starch content of degradable plastic bags is ≥30%,while Malaysia only requires ≥20%).If the cargo does not meet the destination country’s standards,it will still be taxed; Countermeasure: Provide third-party test reports (such as SGS certification) in advance,and confirm the regulations of both countries with the agent before shipment;
• Logistics Risk: Cargo damage during container reloading in transit (in 2026,a Shenzhen factory once had 10% of its plastic bags get damp due to improper temperature and humidity control in the transit port warehouse); Countermeasure: Choose a transit port with temperature-controlled warehouses (such as the green logistics park in Port Klang,Malaysia),and sign a Cargo Damage Compensation Agreement;
• Tax Risk: Identification for export tax refund of transshipment trade (some enterprises mistakenly believe that "tax refund is available as long as the cargo departs from China",but in fact it needs to meet the requirements that "the cargo does not enter domestic circulation and is finally exported after transit"); Countermeasure: Entrust a qualified foreign trade agent to handle the procedures,and keep complete logistics documents (bill of lading,transit country customs records,destination country import declaration form).

Practical Case of Transshipment Trade for A Shenzhen Factory

In March 2026,General Manager Zhang of a plastic packaging factory in Shenzhen consulted Supervisor Wu from Zhongshen for transshipment trade services.Previously,General Manager Zhang’s direct export of plastic bags to a Southeast Asian country saw a 40% profit decline due to the increase of anti-dumping duty.

Supervisor Wu’s team developed a "Malaysia transit + EU standard testing" solution for General Manager Zhang:

• Confirmed that FTA coverage between Malaysia and the destination country allows zero tariff treatment;
• Arranged SGS testing in advance to ensure that the plastic bags meet the destination country’s degradable standards;
• Selected the green logistics park in Port Klang for container reloading,and signed a damage compensation agreement;
• Handled foreign exchange receipt and payment and export tax refund for transshipment trade (the cargo met the "actual departure" requirement,with a tax refund rate of 13%).

In the end,this transshipment trade of 20 containers of plastic bags for General Manager Zhang saved 18% of total cost compared with direct export,the operation cycle was 22 days,and customs clearance was completed smoothly.General Manager Zhang said: "I thought transshipment was very complicated before,but I didn’t expect the agent to straighten out all the procedures for us.Now our monthly transshipment volume accounts for 30% of total exports."

Opportunities and Reflections on Shenzhen Plastic Bag Transshipment Trade in the Second Half of 2026

In the second half of 2026,the EU will implement new carbon footprint requirements for plastic bags (carbon footprint ≤ 0.5kgCO₂e per bag),and some Chinese factories already have the production capacity to meet this standard.This means that Shenzhen’s plastic bag transshipment trade will embrace new opportunities——exporting products that meet the standards to the EU through transit countries,while avoiding the carbon tax pressure of direct export.

However,it should be noted that the policies of transit countries may change (for example,Malaysia will adjust transshipment trade service fees in September 2026),and enterprises need to regularly confirm policy updates with their agents.If you are troubled by trade barriers for plastic bag export,you can contact a professional team to customize a transshipment solution that meets your own needs.