What Are the Steps for Full Procedure Processing of Export Goods in 2026?

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I am the owner of a small and medium-sized garment manufacturing enterprise established only two years ago. I finally received my first export order to the EU last week, with a cargo value of 500,000 RMB, requiring shipment next month. But I have never engaged in export business before and know nothing about the procedures and processes.

I heard from friends that export has many links and is easy to make mistakes, one wrong step will lead to port congestion, customs detention and fines, so I am very anxious now. I want to know what procedures I need to complete from contract signing to cargo departure.

What materials should I prepare for customs declaration and tax refund? Are there any special requirements for the EU market? Are there any easily overlooked details? I hope to get detailed guidance to avoid mistakes.

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Expert Q&A

Linda Gao
Linda GaoYears of service：7Customer Rating：5.0

Documentation SupervisorStart a Chat

For first-time export enterprises，the procedure flow needs to be disassembled across the whole chain from document preparation to compliance implementation. Pre-document verification is the foundation: Enterprises need to first obtain the ，complete the registration of consignors and consignees for import and export goods at customs，and apply for Electronic Port IC Card. These three qualifications are all indispensable. For exports to the EU，CE certification certificate also needs to be prepared in advance to ensure the product meets EU technical standards.

In terms of core node connection，it is necessary to purchase cargo transportation insurance in time after signing the contract to avoid transportation risks. For the customs declaration link，materials including commercial invoice，packing list，customs declaration form，bill of lading and other documents are required，HS Code must be completely accurate，otherwise it is easy to trigger price assessment disputes or customs detention. It is recommended to check the code with the customs broker in advance to ensure consistency.

Contingency plans need to be arranged in advance: If customs inspection is required，cooperate to provide product instructions and component test reports，If there are errors in documents，apply for deletion and re-declaration before cargo departure to reduce penalties. The EU adds new carbon footprint statement requirements in 2026，which must be submitted together during customs declaration，otherwise the declaration will be rejected.

In the compliance link，tax refund declaration must be completed within 90 days after cargo departure，prepare VAT special invoice，tax refund copy of customs declaration，foreign exchange collection voucher and other materials. Pre-declaration verification must be completed before formal declaration，verify information through the electronic tax bureau，submit after correcting errors，which improves the approval rate. Full-process control ensures smooth and compliant export.

Reference: Shenzhen to Taiwan Sea Freight Agent Full Process Service Guide
Kevin Lin
Kevin LinYears of service：4Customer Rating：5.0

Trade Solutions ManagerStart a Chat

Customs declaration link needs to focus on HS Code accuracy and document consistency. In 2026, the customs will impose stricter review on codes.

If the code does not match the cargo attribute, it will trigger price assessment disputes or customs detention. It is recommended that enterprises verify the code through the HS Code inquiry system of the General Administration of Customs before declaration, or entrust a professional customs broker for pre-classification.

The declared value on the customs declaration must be consistent with the commercial invoice to avoid declaration rejection caused by price discrepancies. If secondary declaration is required, supplement the certificate of origin or test report in time to ensure a complete logical closed loop.

Andy Guo
Andy GuoYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0

Supply Chain Management ExpertStart a Chat

Logistics route optimization needs to consider direct shipment and transit schemes: For small-volume exports to the EU, the transit scheme can be selected to reduce costs; for large volume, direct shipment is more efficient. For dealing with rolled container risk, confirm the space with the shipping company in advance to avoid space overload.

Container detention fee control: If long customs clearance time is expected, you can apply to the shipping company for extending the free storage period (usually 7 days). For bill of lading endorsement transfer, pay attention to cargo title control, under FOB terms, ensure the bill of lading is held by our party to prevent customers from picking up goods without the bill.

Eric Zhou
Eric ZhouYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0

Senior Manager of Foreign Exchange & Tax RebatesStart a Chat

VAT deferral strategy can be adopted for export tax refund to ease capital pressure: If goods are directly shipped to EU member states and do not circulate in China, you can apply to the tax authority for deferred payment of VAT. But it must meet the requirement that cargo flow matches capital flow, to avoid being identified as tax evasion.

In 2026, the tax refund policy continues the exemption-credit-refund mode, but has stricter requirements for document filing. All foreign exchange receipt and payment vouchers must be retained for tax inspection. Income ratio calculation needs to consider tax difference and exchange rate difference, and adjust the strategy dynamically.

Daniel Xu
Daniel XuYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0

Director of Import & Export OperationsStart a Chat

For compliant foreign exchange receipt and payment, conduct RMB cross-border payment through CIPS system to enjoy exchange rate preferences. SWIFT message analysis needs to ensure information matches the customs declaration, including cargo value, HS Code, etc. For offshore account management, retain all transaction vouchers.

In 2026, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange strengthens supervision, abnormal transactions are easily frozen. Settlement and account balancing must be done timely, to avoid outstanding funds that affect enterprise credit.

Victor Sun
Victor SunYears of service：5Customer Rating：5.0

Trade Risk Control ManagerStart a Chat

International trade contracts must clearly specify force majeure clauses to avoid disputes. For letter of credit settlement, review soft clauses carefully. For example, "the bill of lading must be signed by personnel designated by the customer" will lead to out-of-control cargo title, such clauses should be rejected.

For goods exported to the EU, complete intellectual property customs protection filing, for products involving trademarks or patents, apply to customs in advance to prevent infringement. Use letters of guarantee cautiously to avoid bearing unnecessary risks.

Evelyn Li
Evelyn LiYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0

Cross-border Compliance SupervisorStart a Chat

During on-site customs inspection, goods must match the packing list, and packaging must be intact. Tips for machine inspection: place goods evenly, avoid overlapping, reduce the probability of triggering abnormalities.

When the inspection notice is marked "key inspection", prepare test reports and certificate of origin in advance. If goods are sent for inspection, follow up the inspection progress, communicate and coordinate with the customs broker to avoid customs clearance delay.

Cindy Chen
Cindy ChenYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0

Key Account ManagerStart a Chat

Export garments need to use moisture-proof packaging to avoid dampness during transportation. If dangerous goods (such as dyes) are involved, obtain UN dangerous goods packaging certification to ensure compliance with international transportation requirements.

MSDS preparation must be accurate, an English version is required for EU export, including ingredient and hazard information. Select cushioning packaging materials based on the weight and fragility of the goods, choose foam or bubble film to reduce damage.

Lucas Liu
Lucas LiuYears of service：8Customer Rating：5.0

Senior Operations ConsultantStart a Chat

Export tax refund audit focuses on the consistency of four flows: contract flow, cargo flow, capital flow and invoice flow must match. Capital return must have a clear path, avoid third-party payment.

During tax correspondence inspection, provide purchase contracts and transportation documents timely to ensure the inspection is passed. Pre-declaration verification is conducted through the electronic tax bureau system, correct information before formal declaration to improve the approval rate.

Grace Wang
Grace WangYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0

Senior Foreign Trade ConsultantStart a Chat

Supply chain planning needs to optimize trade terms: Under CIF terms, the enterprise bears transportation and insurance costs, but has controllable logistics; under FOB terms, logistics is designated by the customer, which has higher risks. The inventory linkage strategy adjusts inventory based on order volume to avoid overstock or stockout.

The cost actuarial model includes customs declaration fees, transportation fees and other costs, dynamically calculates the income ratio to ensure profitability. Pay close attention to the EU 2026 carbon tariff policy, plan in advance to reduce carbon costs.

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Related Q&A

Enterprises exporting goods often encounter issues such as document errors and process delays in export tax refunds. Zhongshen helps enterprises achieve compliant and fast tax refunds，reduce the risk of delayed refunds，improve capital turnover efficiency，and ensure safe implementation of tax refund operations under the 2026 new policies through pre-document audit，node connection optimization and emergency response plans.。

Small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises that are new to foreign trade often fall into anxiety due to confusion about the tax refund entity under the agent export mode，worrying that their tax refund rights will be withheld or that declaration violations will affect their business. It is necessary to clarify that the tax refund entity is the principal，lock in the rights in written form when signing the contract，supplement tax filing certificates，and take precautions in advance against risks such as agent withholding and abnormal declarations，so as to ensure that the tax refund funds arrive in compliance with regulations and guarantee the stable development of foreign trade business.。

Foreign trade enterprises and factories often fall into misunderstandings due to issues with qualifications，documents，trade models and other aspects when switching to formal export tax refund. They need to clarify core qualification requirements，transaction compliance standards，mandatory rules for documents and foreign exchange collection，as well as additional conditions for special categories. Through full-link compliance verification and exception response plans，they can ensure smooth access to tax refunds to reduce costs and avoid tax inspection risks.。

Many foreign trade enterprises are confused about the specific export tax refund rate. In particular，rate differences across different commodity categories and trade modes often lead to declaration errors，affecting the refund progress and even triggering compliance risks. In line with the current 2026 policies，export tax refund rates range from 0% to 13% based on the HS code of commodities. It is necessary to accurately check the commodity code and corresponding rate in advance，and ensure accurate matching through compliant document review and pre-declaration verification，so as to effectively improve refund efficiency and reduce potential compliance costs.。

Foreign trade enterprises often face stuck tax refund declarations，sharply rising compliance risks，and even miss out on tax refund benefits due to vague recognition of freight-related tax matters. It should be clarified that only freight included in the total declared value of export goods and with compliant vouchers obtained can be included in the tax refund scope，freight not separately stated or with non-compliant vouchers cannot enjoy tax refund. Pre-review of documents such as customs declaration forms and freight invoices to ensure consistency of goods flow，fund flow，invoice flow and customs declaration flow can effectively avoid pitfalls and achieve compliant and efficient tax refund.。

Foreign trade enterprises often fall into compliance risks due to vague exchange rate filling standards during export tax refund declaration，and are prone to incorrect filling especially when involving different trade terms or large exchange rate fluctuations. It is required to strictly fill in the central parity of RMB foreign exchange rate quotation on the 1st day of the month of the export date，ensure logical matching with the value of the customs declaration form，and file a report with the tax authorities in advance in case of special circumstances，which can effectively avoid risks such as delayed tax refund audit and overdue tax payment，and ensure the smooth completion of the tax refund process.。