In-depth Analysis of Full Process of Zinc Import and Export Agency: One-Stop Operation for Customs Declaration, Tax Refund and Foreign Exchange Settlement

Positioning of Agency Services in Zinc Trade Chain

The import and export of zinc ingots,zinc alloys,zinc oxide and other products involve three core approval systems: quota management of the Ministry of Commerce,solid waste supervision of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment,and commodity classification of the General Administration of Customs.After the revision of the *Import Standard for Recycled Zinc Raw Materials* in 2026,the declaration rejection rate for enterprises filing on their own increased by 17% year on year.Zhongshen has set up resident teams at three ports: Pudong Airport,Waigaoqiao Port and Yangshan Port,and has handled more than 8,600 zinc product declaration records.The non-ferrous metal trading company where Mr.Liu works once suffered a loss of RMB 230,000 in port detention fees due to confusion between the tariff codes of zinc oxide powder and basic zinc carbonate.The average processing cycle of subsequent audits caused by such commodity pre-classification deviations is as long as 47 working days.The value of professional agencies lies in turning post-event remediation into pre-event prevention and control.

Stage 1: Qualification Access and Commodity Pre-classification

The goal of this stage is to confirm whether the enterprise has the operation qualification for zinc products and complete accurate HS code determination.Key actions include: verifying whether the business scope of the *Registration Form of Foreign Trade Operator* covers detailed items such as "zinc ore and concentrate,unforged zinc"; submitting the *Application for Commodity Pre-classification* to the Shanghai Classification Sub-center,attached with product component test reports,production process flow charts and use description documents; for the import of zinc-bearing waste,additional *Solid Waste Import License* and pre-shipment inspection certificate are required.

Common problems focus on the attribute definition of recycled zinc raw materials.In March 2026,a batch of "zinc ash" belonging to Mr.Tian was identified as solid waste by the port customs,because the detected zinc content was 12.8%,lower than the 15% threshold of the new standard.After receiving the order,Zhongshen first arranged a third-party laboratory to carry out X-ray fluorescence spectrometry analysis to obtain accurate component data.Then it coordinated with the shipper to adjust the raw material ratio,increase the zinc content to 16.5%,and re-applied for environmental approval.The whole rectification cycle was compressed to 11 working days,avoiding the return of the entire container.The core role of the agency in this link is to establish a commodity database.Zhongshen’s internal system has recorded classification decisions for 237 types of zinc derivatives,and can complete pre-classification judgment within 4 hours.

Stage 2: Customs Declaration and Inspection and Document Preparation

The goal of this stage is to achieve rapid port release.Key actions are decomposed into: preparing commercial documents such as contracts,invoices,packing lists and bills of lading; filling in the *Import and Export Goods Declaration Form*,and accurately declaring the price,quantity,specification and model; submitting the *Entry Goods Inspection Application Form* to the inspection and quarantine department,and providing *Quality Certificate* and *Weight Certificate* for legally inspected commodities.

Document discrepancy is a high-frequency risk point.The zinc alloy ingot import business of Supervisor Wu was once placed under targeted inspection by the document examination center because the "Zn-Al-Cu alloy" on the invoice was inconsistent with the "zinc alloy" filled in the customs declaration form.Zhongshen’s operation specifications require that the commodity names on all documents must strictly refer to the *Catalogue of Standardized Declaration for Customs Import and Export Commodities*,and note the industry common names in the remark column.For price declaration,supporting materials such as foreign exchange payment slips,insurance policies and freight invoices shall be prepared simultaneously to respond to customs price queries.After the General Administration of Customs implemented the "voluntary disclosure" system in 2026,Zhongshen assisted 3 clients to find price declaration errors in self-inspection,and reduced late fees by a total of RMB 870,000 through voluntary disclosure.

• Core document list: foreign trade contract,commercial invoice,packing list,ocean bill of lading,customs declaration authorization letter,inspection authorization letter,certificate of origin (for preference enjoyment),component test report,environmental approval (required for recycled materials)
• Common error reminder: the specification and model column shall declare elements such as zinc content percentage,whether other elements are contained,shape (ingot/block/powder),whether forged,etc.; the unit price shall be converted into USD/kg,and non-standard units such as ton or pound shall be avoided

Stage 3: International Transportation and Warehouse Management

The core goal of the transportation stage is to ensure cargo safety and capital efficiency.Zinc ingots are heavy cargo,and a 40-foot high cube container can load 25 tons.Special attention should be paid to the container load limit when booking sea freight space.Zhongshen has signed annual agreements with shipping companies such as Maersk and CMA CGM,which can lock in shipping space and freight rates.In the second quarter of 2026,the freight rate of the route from South America to Shanghai fluctuated by 40%,and Zhongshen saved about 15% of logistics costs for clients through long-term agreement prices.

The key to the warehousing link is to distinguish ordinary zinc ingots from high-risk chemicals.Zinc oxide is a Class 9 miscellaneous dangerous goods with UN number 3077,and must be stored in Class A hazardous chemical warehouses.A batch of zinc oxide belonging to Ms.Lei was once detained by the port security inspection for concealing the dangerous goods attribute,and faced a fine from the Maritime Safety Administration.Before receiving the goods,Zhongshen arranges MSDS review to confirm the dangerous goods grade,declares to the port in advance,and arranges a special storage yard.Ordinary zinc ingots are stored in Zhongshen’s bonded warehouse in Lingang,which is equipped with electronic weighbridges and video surveillance,which can realize automatic weight comparison and real-time cargo damage warning.

Stage 4: Foreign Exchange Settlement and Tax Planning

The core of foreign exchange management is to ensure the matching of capital flow and cargo flow.In 2026,the State Administration of Foreign Exchange tightened the review of entrepot trade,requiring full transportation documents and warehousing vouchers to be provided.The settlement path designed by Zhongshen for clients is: pay by L/C for import,collect payment by T/T for export,and retain complete logistics tracks in the intermediate link.A zinc ingot entrepot trade of Mr.Ou was listed as a Category B enterprise by the SAFE because he could not provide the third-party warehousing certificate.After intervention,Zhongshen submitted the temporary warehousing agreement and warehouse entry and exit records in the Singapore bonded area,helping the enterprise restore its Category A rating.

The key to tax planning is to accurately apply the export tax refund rate.The tax refund rate for zinc ingots is 0%,13% for zinc alloy ingots,and 6% for zinc oxide.Some enterprises mistakenly declare zinc ingots as zinc alloys,which is suspected of tax fraud.Zhongshen will calculate the tax refund rate when receiving orders.For zinc ingots with 0% tax refund rate,it is recommended that clients adopt the processing with imported materials method,import raw materials under bonded status,and no tax is levied or refunded when finished products are exported,so as to reduce capital occupation.After the adjustment of VAT rate in 2026,Zhongshen updated the tax calculation template in time to ensure that clients do not overpay taxes due to policy changes.

Stage 5: Export Tax Refund and Risk Disposal

The goal of the tax refund stage is to quickly recover funds on the premise of compliance.Key actions include: collecting the tax refund copy of the customs declaration form,VAT input invoice and foreign exchange receipt slip; submitting a tax refund application on the e-tax bureau; cooperating with the verification and inspection of the tax authority.In 2026,the Shanghai Municipal Taxation Bureau implemented "paperless tax refund",and the average processing cycle was reduced from 15 working days to 8 working days.

Verification letter is the biggest uncertain factor.Supervisor Wu’s zinc alloy export business once received the *Letter on Investigation and Verification of Export Tax Related Conditions* from the tax bureau because the supplier absconded.Zhongshen quickly launched an emergency plan: on the one hand,it assisted the client to provide supporting materials such as procurement contracts,payment vouchers and logistics records; on the other hand,it issued a certificate through the industry association to explain the industry status and operation status of the supplier.Finally,the tax authority accepted the materials and handled the tax refund normally.Zhongshen’s risk disposal mechanism includes 15 types of emergency plans,covering verification,audit,anti-smuggling and other scenarios,ensuring that clients have mature response paths instead of making temporary preparations when encountering regulatory storms.

Core Value Extraction of Zhongshen’s Services

Zinc import and export is not a simple document transfer,but involves cross supervision of five ministries and commissions: the Ministry of Commerce,the Ministry of Ecology and Environment,the General Administration of Customs,the State Administration of Taxation and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange.The value accumulated by Zhongshen over 20 years is reflected in three levels: first,the database,the risk map composed of classification decisions of 237 zinc products and 8,600 declaration records can quickly identify abnormal points; second,the network,it has established a regular communication mechanism with the document examination,inspection and anti-smuggling departments of the three ports,and can intervene and coordinate at the initial stage of disputes; third,the system tools,the self-developed customs management system is connected to the Single Window,realizing real-time tracking of declaration,tax payment and release status,and automatic abnormal warning.

Mr.Liu has calculated an account: self-operation requires 2 customs specialists and 1 foreign exchange accountant,with an annual labor cost of about RMB 450,000; after entrusting Zhongshen,the agency fee is about 0.8% of the import and export volume.Based on an annual turnover of RMB 50 million,the cost is RMB 400,000,and there is no need to bear hidden costs such as staff turnover and policy lag.More importantly,among the clients served by Zhongshen,the average customs inspection rate is 3.2%,lower than the industry average of 8.7%; the tax refund processing cycle is shortened by 40%,directly improving cash flow.Choosing a professional agency is essentially replacing uncertain risks with deterministic costs.