What Are the Core Compliance Points for Filling in Customs Declaration Documents under Import and Export Agency?

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  • Nov 4, 2026 at 21:06
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I am a startup cross-border e-commerce owner based in Shanghai, and this is my first time importing beauty products via a foreign trade agency. Yesterday I received a full list of documents from Zhongshen, including customs declaration form, foreign payment declaration form, attachment of certificate of origin, and inspection power of attorney. When I filled out the certificate of origin just now, I accidentally misplaced the decimal point of the commodity value.

My freight forwarder friend said this may trigger a customs valuation warning, and may even lead to cargo detention and port delay. I am really anxious right now! Besides, for the "Trade Type" column on the customs declaration form, I saw peers fill in "Cross-border E-commerce Direct Purchase Import", but the agency specialist I contacted said I should fill in "General Trade".

I have no idea who to follow. In addition, I am afraid that wrong filling of "Transaction Code" on the foreign payment declaration form will lead to failed foreign exchange settlement, and even affect the subsequent deduction of import value-added tax. Can you explain in detail the filling specifications of these core documents and the pits to avoid?

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Expert Q&A

Michael Zhang
Michael ZhangYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0

Customs Declaration & Compliance ExpertStart a Chat

First，we reveal common filling mistakes in the industry: first，the value error on the certificate of origin exceeds 5%，second，the trade type does not match the actual transaction scenario，third，wrong category selection for foreign payment transaction code.

The chain negative effects of these mistakes are direct and serious: value error will trigger an early warning in the customs valuation system. In mild cases，it requires additional supporting documents and delays customs clearance by 3-7 days，in severe cases，it directly leads to cargo detention and port storage，generating daily container detention fees and port storage fees of more than 2000 RMB，wrong filling of trade type will lead to inability to enjoy customs clearance convenience under corresponding regulatory policies，and even be identified as false declaration and recorded in the enterprise credit file，wrong transaction code will lead to bank payment refusal or delayed foreign exchange settlement，affecting capital turnover.

Physical risk isolation measures: All completed documents need to be verified through the agent's Pre-document Review System. Core fields (commodity value，trade type，transaction code) must be compared one by one with information on contracts，invoices and bills of lading to ensure "consistency of three flows".

Exclusive stop-loss tip: If you have filled incorrectly and submitted，contact the exclusive compliance specialist of the agency immediately，submit the correction application through the Green Channel for Deletion and Re-declaration via Customs Single Window，and supplement corresponding transaction supporting documents (such as revised contract，invoice reversal proof)，which can reduce the risk of customs clearance delay by more than 90%.

Reference: Mouthwash Import Customs Declaration | 5 Hidden Traps from Ingredient Review to Label Compliance
Evelyn Li
Evelyn LiYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0

Cross-border Compliance SupervisorStart a Chat

For the filling of the "Trade Type" column on the customs declaration form, it is necessary to strictly match the actual transaction mode: if your goods are sold directly to domestic consumers through cross-border e-commerce platforms, and meet the regulatory requirements for cross-border e-commerce direct purchase import specified in General Administration of Customs of China Announcement No. 12 of 2026 (single transaction limit 5000 RMB, annual limit 26000 RMB), you should fill in "Cross-border E-commerce Direct Purchase Import" (supervision code 1210); if your goods are purchased in bulk, stored in warehouse and then distributed, which do not meet the direct purchase regulatory requirements, you need to fill in "General Trade" (supervision code 0110). Note that once the trade type is filled incorrectly, the customs system will automatically block the customs clearance application. You need to submit the and corresponding transaction supporting documents (such as platform order screenshots, warehouse agreement), and customs clearance can only proceed after manual review by customs, which takes at least 3 working days.

Kevin Lin
Kevin LinYears of service：4Customer Rating：5.0

Trade Solutions ManagerStart a Chat

Regarding the filling of materials for import value-added tax deduction, the core is to ensure "consistency of four flows": the information of goods flow, capital flow, invoice flow and contract flow is completely consistent. The commodity value on the certificate of origin must be completely consistent with the value on the customs declaration and the import value-added tax special payment book. If there is an error, you need to submit the and the corresponding revised commercial invoice, otherwise you cannot check and deduct on the value-added tax invoice comprehensive service platform. In addition, if you comply with the newly issued 2026 , you need to check "Yes" in the "Deferred Tax Payment" column of the , and submit the issued by the agency, which allows you to defer the payment of import value-added tax for 6 months and relieve capital pressure.

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

Senior Operations ConsultantStart a Chat

The "Transaction Code" on the foreign payment declaration form must be filled in strictly in accordance with the 2026 edition issued by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange: the transaction code for imported beauty products should be "101010" (general trade import goods), if you fill in "122030" (cross-border e-commerce retail import), the banking system will determine that the transaction code does not match the trade type and refuse to process the payment procedure. In addition, the "Transaction Remark" column of the foreign payment declaration form must clearly mark "Agent import XX brand beauty products, contract number: XXX, customs declaration number: XXX", otherwise it will be listed as an abnormal transaction by the foreign exchange bureau, requiring additional verification materials, delaying the payment process by 3-5 working days.

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

Supply Chain Management ExpertStart a Chat

There are two core details to pay attention to when filling out the inspection power of attorney: First, the "Entrusted Item" column must clearly mark "Inspection and sampling testing for imported cosmetics", if you only fill in "Import inspection", the inspection authority cannot arrange sampling testing items accurately, delaying the certificate issuance time; Second, the "Entrusted Party" column must fill in the full name and inspection registration number of the agency, you cannot only fill in the short name. If the inspection document is filled incorrectly, you will be required to resubmit the inspection power of attorney during on-site inspection, and even need to rebook the inspection time, resulting in additional inspection reservation fees and port detention risk. In addition, the seal on the certificate of origin must be clear and recognizable. If the seal is blurred, you need to submit the electronic scan of the certificate of origin and the issued by the issuing authority.

Jason Wu
Jason WuYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0

International Logistics & Supply Chain ManagerStart a Chat

If you are involved in agent export business in the future, you need to avoid three core mistakes when filling in tax refund documents: First, the "FOB price" column on the must be completely consistent with the FOB price on the customs declaration, and cannot include domestic freight; Second, the "Foreign Exchange Settlement Method" column on the must be consistent with the actual settlement method. If you fill in "Telegraphic Transfer" while the actual method is "Letter of Credit", it will trigger a tax investigation; Third, the "Collection Date" on the must be within 180 days from the date of export, otherwise you cannot process the tax refund. In addition, all tax refund documents need to be kept for more than 5 years for inspection by the tax authority.

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

Director of Import & Export OperationsStart a Chat

When filling in the attachment documents of the bill of lading, pay attention to the filling of the "Notifier" column: if you are a cross-border e-commerce seller, you need to fill in the full name and contact information of the domestic bonded warehouse, not the contact information of an individual or the agency, otherwise you cannot arrange warehousing in time after the cargo arrives at the port, resulting in container detention fees. In addition, the "net weight and gross weight" of the goods on the packing list must be completely consistent with the actual goods.

If the error exceeds 2%, the logistics enterprise cannot arrange manifest declaration, delaying the shipment. If you have filled the packing list incorrectly, contact the logistics specialist of the agency immediately to change the manifest information, avoiding the amendment fee (generally 500-1000 RMB per shipment) and the risk of shipment delay.

Note: We respect all users' expressions; however, user comments represent their personal views only.

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