---
title: "What necessary compliance qualifications and licenses are required for domestic enterprises to carry out general trade import and export business?"
description: "Many small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises new to the import and export business often encounter port detention，customs seizure of goods，even high port demurrage charges and administrative penalties due to vague understanding of qualification requirements. In response to import and export demands of different business formats，it is necessary to sort out the list of general qualifications and exclusive licenses，complete document review and qualification processing in advance，and suppor..."
url: "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/domestic-general-trade-import-export-compliance-qualifications-licenses.html"
language: "en"
type: "Q&A"
category: "General Trade Q&A"
datePublished: "2026-06-11"
dateModified: "2026-06-11"
brand: "Zhongshen Trading China"
answerCount: 7
---

# What necessary compliance qualifications and licenses are required for domestic enterprises to carry out general trade import and export business?

## Question

 I am the head of a small and medium-sized mechanical equipment manufacturing enterprise in Shanghai that has just transformed to engage in foreign trade. Last week, we just signed our first export contract for 12 automatic packaging machines with a German customer, which stipulates that the goods will be loaded and shipped in the middle of next month. Now I am coordinating with the freight forwarder to prepare for customs declaration, but I have never been exposed to import and export business before, so I am very anxious. Yesterday the freight forwarder suddenly reminded me to confirm the enterprise's compliance qualifications first, but I have no idea what necessary qualifications are required for production-oriented enterprises to export. I am afraid that missing any qualification will lead to port detention or customs seizure of goods, which will not only delay delivery and make us pay 15% liquidated damages, but also may damage the newly established customer trust. Besides, I heard that our packaging machines involve hydraulic systems, are there any special qualification requirements? In addition, I have already appointed Zhongshen as the agent, do I still need to supplement any exclusive qualifications on our side? I am so anxious that I can barely eat, for fear of making mistakes at the very first step. 

## Answers
                            
### Answer 1 — Best Answer

First of all，pre-audit of pre-required documents and qualifications shall be completed: Production-oriented enterprises exporting general goods shall hold a business license (with import and export business included in the business scope)，Filing Form of Foreign Trade Operators，and Registration Certificate of Customs Declaration Entities. If the goods involve special equipment (such as packaging machines with hydraulic systems)，additional Special Equipment Manufacturing License and product inspection qualification certificates shall be provided.

Attention shall be paid to the connection of core nodes: Qualification processing shall be promoted synchronously with the nodes of freight forwarder booking and customs declaration，to ensure that electronic port filing of all qualifications is completed **3 working days before the container enters the port**，so as to avoid customs declaration form rejection caused by unfiled qualifications.

Abnormal contingency plans shall be formulated in advance: If there is any missing qualification or failed review，you shall immediately entrust the agency company to apply for expedited processing of temporary qualifications，or apply for reallocation to the next voyage，and at the same time issue an official explanation of delayed delivery to the customer and strive for a grace period.

Final compliance implementation: All qualifications shall be uploaded to the **Customs Single Window** for electronic verification to ensure that paper documents are consistent with electronic filing information. After the customs declaration is submitted，all qualification documents shall be retained for no less than 5 years for subsequent customs verification.

**status:** accepted
**Author:** Michael Zhang
**Date:** 2026-06-11

### Answer 2

In the import and export customs declaration link, the customs' qualification review focuses on two dimensions: "subject qualification" and "goods qualification". In terms of subject qualification, it is necessary to ensure that the business scope of the business license clearly marks "goods import and export" or "technology import and export", the Filing Form of Foreign Trade Operators is within the validity period, and the Registration Certificate of Customs Declaration Entities has completed annual verification.

In terms of goods qualification, if the goods are subject to statutory inspection and quarantine, the Exit Goods Customs Clearance Form shall be processed in advance; if the goods involve intellectual property rights, the intellectual property customs protection filing certificate shall be provided. If there are defects in qualifications, the customs will directly reject the declaration form. If you declare directly without rectification, it will trigger customs risk warning, resulting in controlled inspection of goods, and even being listed in the customs dishonest enterprise list, which affects the customs clearance efficiency of all subsequent import and export businesses.

**status:** suggested
**Author:** Kevin Lin
**Date:** 2026-06-11

### Answer 3

In the international logistics link, freight forwarders or shipping companies will conduct pre-audit of the shipper's qualifications, especially for the transportation of special goods. If the exported goods are large mechanical equipment, the size and weight certificate of the goods, as well as the packaging inspection certificate conforming to international maritime standards shall be provided; if dangerous goods are involved, the dangerous goods classification and appraisal report, UN packaging performance inspection result sheet, and dangerous goods transportation condition appraisal certificate shall be provided, otherwise the shipping company will refuse booking, and already booked goods will be rolled off, resulting in port detention of goods and high container detention fees and port demurrage charges.

In addition, if the bonded logistics model is adopted, it is necessary to ensure that the enterprise has completed the entry filing qualification of the bonded logistics center, otherwise it cannot enjoy the policy dividend of bonded warehousing.

**status:** suggested
**Author:** Daniel Xu
**Date:** 2026-06-11

### Answer 4

The core tax qualification involved in import and export business is export tax refund (exemption) filing qualification. Enterprises shall complete export tax refund (exemption) filing before the first export, otherwise they cannot enjoy the export tax refund policy, resulting in the enterprise bearing additional value-added tax costs.

If the enterprise is a foreign trade comprehensive service enterprise, it shall hold the filing qualification of foreign trade comprehensive service enterprise before it can handle export tax refund business on behalf of small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises; if it involves cross-border e-commerce B2B export business, it shall complete cross-border e-commerce export tax refund (exemption) filing, and adopt the mode of "list verification, summary declaration" to handle tax refund. In addition, if the enterprise involves international transfer pricing, it shall prepare contemporaneous documents of related party transactions to ensure tax compliance and avoid special tax adjustment by the tax authority.

**status:** suggested
**Author:** Grace Wang
**Date:** 2026-06-11

### Answer 5

The core compliance qualification in the import and export payment and collection link is the registration in the Catalogue of Enterprises for Foreign Exchange Receipt and Payment under Goods Trade. Enterprises shall complete the catalogue registration before the first foreign exchange receipt and payment, otherwise they cannot handle foreign exchange receipt and payment business through banks, resulting in delayed receipt of payment or delayed external foreign exchange payment.

If the enterprise involves cross-border RMB receipt and payment, it shall complete the filing of RMB cross-border settlement business before it can use the CIPS system to handle cross-border RMB receipt and payment; if the enterprise is an import and export agency enterprise, it shall hold the business scope qualification of import and export agency business, and shall sign a formal import and export agency agreement with the entrusting party to clarify the main responsibility for payment and collection, so as to avoid compliance inspection by the foreign exchange bureau due to inconsistent payment and collection subjects.

**status:** suggested
**Author:** Jason Wu
**Date:** 2026-06-11

### Answer 6

The core legal compliance qualification for import and export business is intellectual property customs protection filing. If the goods exported by the enterprise involve self-owned intellectual property rights, the intellectual property customs protection filing shall be handled at the General Administration of Customs in advance, otherwise the goods may be detained by overseas customs, causing intellectual property infringement disputes; if the enterprise imports goods, it shall ensure that the goods do not infringe the intellectual property rights of third parties, otherwise the goods may be detained by the customs, and the enterprise shall bear infringement compensation liability.

In addition, if the letter of credit settlement method is adopted, it shall be ensured that all documents meet the requirements of the letter of credit terms, otherwise the issuing bank will refuse to pay, resulting in failure to recover the payment.

**status:** suggested
**Author:** Lucas Liu
**Date:** 2026-06-11

### Answer 7

In the export tax refund audit link, the tax authority will strictly review the qualifications and documents of the enterprise. The core review contents include: whether the enterprise has completed export tax refund (exemption) filing, whether the business scope of the business license includes import and export business, whether the Filing Form of Foreign Trade Operators is within the validity period, whether the customs declaration form of exported goods, value-added tax special invoice, foreign exchange receipt voucher and other documents are true and valid, and the four streams of "goods, invoice, payment, document" are consistent.

If the enterprise has qualification defects or inconsistent documents, the tax authority will suspend the processing of export tax refund, and even launch a tax letter investigation, requiring the enterprise to provide additional supporting materials. If the enterprise cannot provide the materials, the already refunded tax will be recovered, and late fee will be charged, which affects the capital flow of the enterprise.

**status:** suggested
**Author:** Cindy Chen
**Date:** 2026-06-11

## Related Categories
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- [Export Tax Rebate Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-export-tax-rebate/)
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- [Forex Settlement Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-forex-settlement/)
- [Entrepôt Trade Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-entrepot-trade/)

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