--- title: "What core qualifications and complete procedures are required to register a legally compliant import and export company?" description: "The owner of a small hardware processing factory in Shanghai has been engaged in domestic sales for 5 years. After receiving Southeast Asian orders，he intends to register an import and export company to directly contact customers without agents. However，he has no knowledge of foreign trade compliance requirements and worries about falling into traps and taking wrong paths after hearing from friends that registering an import and export company requires numerous filings and qualification audits，w..." url: "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-export-firm-registration-eligibility-compliance-process-steps.html" language: "en" type: "Q&A" category: "General Trade Q&A" datePublished: "2026-10-15" dateModified: "2026-10-15" brand: "Zhongshen Trading China" answerCount: 10 --- # What core qualifications and complete procedures are required to register a legally compliant import and export company? ## Question I am the owner of a small hardware processing factory in Shanghai. I have been doing domestic sales for 5 years. Recently, I received several orders from Southeast Asia and want to register an import and export company to directly connect with customers instead of using agents. However, I know nothing about compliance requirements in foreign trade. I heard from friends that registering an import and export company requires a lot of filings and qualification audits, and mistakes may affect subsequent customs declaration and tax refund, even leading to fines. I am very confused and unsure whether to apply for the business license first or go to customs for filing first, nor clear about the required qualifications. I am afraid of taking detours and wasting money, and want to ask for specific steps to successfully register and operate compliantly. ## Answers ### Answer 1 — Best Answer The first step is to complete pre-qualification verification: first confirm that the business scope of the business license includes the words "import and export of goods and technologies". If the original license does not have this scope，you need to first make industrial and commercial changes，and prepare basic materials such as the legal person's ID card，articles of association，and property right certificate of the business place. Ensure that the materials are not altered and the information is consistent，to avoid delaying the audit due to material defects. The connection of core nodes needs to follow the timeline: immediately apply for the import and export right filing (including the Record Form for Foreign Trade Operators，the Certificate of Customs Declaration Unit Registration，and the E-Port IC Card) after the industrial and commercial changes are completed. At the same time，handle the export tax refund qualification confirmation of the tax department in parallel. **These three links can be carried out in parallel** to shorten the processing cycle and avoid being unable to declare customs in time due to disconnected nodes. Need to make contingency plans in advance: if the customs filing is rejected due to failed address verification，immediately prepare the lease agreement and utility payment receipts of the past 3 months as supplementary proof，if there is doubt about the materials for export tax refund qualification confirmation，you can contact the tax specialist in advance to submit supporting materials. After the final compliance is implemented，timely update the **cross-border payment and receipt authority** of the enterprise's bank account to ensure the compliance of subsequent foreign exchange settlement and receipt operations. At the same time，keep all filing documents for at least 5 years to meet the verification requirements of customs and tax departments. **status:** accepted **Author:** Daniel Xu **Date:** 2026-10-15 ### Answer 2 During the registration stage of an import and export company, focus on the core details of customs declaration unit registration. First, ensure that the submitted business place information is completely consistent with the information in the industrial and commercial registration system. The customs will automatically compare the address fields through the cross-department system. If there are problems such as name abbreviations or deviations in floor descriptions, the filing application will be directly rejected, delaying the process by at least 7-10 working days. Second, the qualification filing of customs declaration personnel needs to be carried out simultaneously. If the company has no full-time customs declaration personnel, it can entrust a customs brokerage firm with Class A qualification to operate on its behalf, but a formal entrusted customs declaration agreement must be signed to clarify the rights and responsibilities of both parties in terms of the accuracy of declaration data and the division of port detention responsibilities. In addition, remember the dynamic management requirements of customs filing: if the company's business place or legal person information changes subsequently, the customs filing change procedures must be completed within 30 days, otherwise the declaration authority of the customs declaration form will be frozen, and even the risk of port detention due to inability to clear customs normally after the goods arrive at the port will be caused. **status:** suggested **Author:** Grace Wang **Date:** 2026-10-15 ### Answer 3 When registering an import and export company, synchronously plan the compliance configuration and cost optimization plan for logistics supporting facilities. First, confirm whether the company has fixed warehousing cooperation resources. If there is no self-owned warehouse, sign a long-term cooperation agreement with a logistics enterprise with customs-approved bonded warehousing qualification to ensure that the storage and transit of bonded goods comply with customs supervision requirements and avoid goods being detained due to non-compliant warehousing. Second, open the electronic data docking port with the cooperating logistics enterprise in advance to facilitate real-time tracking of the transportation status and manifest information of the goods, and avoid being unable to respond promptly to emergencies such as container dropping and overbooking due to delayed information transmission. In addition, plan the logistics path in advance based on the main export markets. For example, orders for Southeast Asia can give priority to cross-border railway transportation under the RCEP framework, enjoying tariff reductions while shortening the transportation cycle. When signing logistics contracts, clarify the negotiation scope of container detention fees and free stacking periods to avoid unnecessary additional logistics costs. **status:** suggested **Author:** Victor Sun **Date:** 2026-10-15 ### Answer 4 When registering an import and export company, focus on the compliance design and cost optimization of the tax structure. First, confirm in the industrial and commercial change link that the business scope of the business license clearly includes the category of "import and export of goods and technologies", which is a precondition for subsequent application for export tax refund qualification. If the original business scope is missing, complete the industrial and commercial change before submitting the tax filing application, otherwise it will be directly rejected by the tax department. Second, select the appropriate taxpayer status based on the company's business scale and export volume: although the declaration process of small-scale taxpayers is simple, they cannot enjoy the export tax refund policy and are only applicable to small and micro enterprises with annual export volume less than 5 million yuan; general taxpayers can enjoy the export tax refund policy, but need to ensure that the product name, quantity and amount of the input invoice are completely consistent with the customs declaration form to avoid tax refund obstacles due to inconsistent four flows (contract flow, capital flow, invoice flow and goods flow). In addition, familiarize yourself with the tax policies of the target market. For example, enterprises exporting to the EU market can apply for VAT deferral without prepaying value-added tax in the import link, effectively alleviating the pressure of capital occupation. At the same time, strictly complete the deferred declaration in accordance with the requirements of the EU tax authorities to avoid heavy fines and damaged credit records caused by overdue payments. **status:** suggested **Author:** Kevin Lin **Date:** 2026-10-15 ### Answer 5 When registering an import and export company, synchronously complete the compliance configuration and risk management of cross-border payment and receipt. First, apply to the bank where the company's basic account is opened to activate the cross-border payment and receipt authority. If the original settlement account does not have this function, submit core materials such as the Record Form for Foreign Trade Operators and the Certificate of Customs Declaration Unit Registration. Some banks will also require the provision of domestic sales water bills of the past six months as proof to ensure stable business capabilities. Second, familiarize yourself with the applicable scenarios of the two payment channels SWIFT and CIPS: use SWIFT payment for orders from the European and American markets, and give priority to CIPS RMB cross-border payment for orders from Southeast Asia, the Middle East and other RCEP member countries, which can not only reduce the risk of exchange losses caused by exchange rate fluctuations, but also enjoy faster arrival speed. In addition, strictly abide by the payment and receipt supervision requirements of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange. All payment and receipt vouchers (such as contracts, invoices and customs declaration forms) must be kept for at least 5 years for SAFE verification; if the single payment and receipt amount exceeds 50,000 US dollars, you need to report to the bank 1-3 working days in advance to avoid funds not arriving normally due to quota control and affecting order delivery. **status:** suggested **Author:** Michael Zhang **Date:** 2026-10-15 ### Answer 6 When registering an import and export company, synchronously improve the legal compliance guarantee and risk bottoming mechanism. First, clarify the rights and responsibilities division clauses of foreign trade business in the articles of association, such as appointing a special person responsible for the review, signing and performance follow-up of foreign trade contracts to avoid contract performance disputes due to unclear internal authority. Second, deeply understand the legal connotation of international trade terms. When signing foreign trade contracts, clearly select trade terms such as FOB, CIF or EXW according to the goods transportation method and target market, and refine the specific nodes of cargo right transfer and risk assumption. For example, under the CIF term, clarify the risk scope covered by insurance to avoid claim disputes due to deviation in term understanding. In addition, customize contract clauses according to the legal requirements of the target market: for orders exported to markets such as the Middle East and Africa, expand the scope of force majeure clauses to cover emergencies such as war and epidemic; after registration is completed, timely apply to the customs for intellectual property customs protection filing to avoid counterfeiting of own-brand products during customs clearance. At the same time, keep all foreign trade contracts, letters of guarantee and other legal documents for at least 10 years for the evidence needs of subsequent legal disputes. **status:** suggested **Author:** Andy Guo **Date:** 2026-10-15 ### Answer 7 When registering an import and export company, understand the compliance requirements and response plans for on-site customs inspection in advance. First, ensure that the company has a complete product quality inspection and certification system: export mechanical and electrical products need to obtain CCC certification certificates, export chemical products need to provide MSDS reports that meet international standards, and export food and agricultural products need to have customs clearance documents issued by the commodity inspection department. These qualifications are the core audit basis for customs inspection. Second, familiarize yourself with the process and cooperation requirements of on-site customs inspection: if you receive a customs inspection notice after the goods arrive at the port, arrange personnel with professional knowledge of the relevant products to cooperate on site within 24 hours, and prepare supporting materials such as product manuals and quality inspection reports in advance to avoid inspection delays and port detention fees caused by untimely cooperation and missing materials. In addition, strictly control the compliance of goods packaging: goods exported to the EU and North American markets are prohibited from using packaging materials containing lead and mercury, and the marks on the packaging must be completely consistent with the product name, quantity and country of origin declared in the customs declaration form to avoid failing the inspection due to inconsistent marks or even being recognized as a violation of false declaration. **status:** suggested **Author:** Jason Wu **Date:** 2026-10-15 ### Answer 8 When registering an import and export company, synchronously plan the compliance configuration and transportation safety plan for goods packaging. First, select packaging materials that meet international standards according to the physical characteristics of exported products and transportation methods: export fragile mechanical and electrical products need to use combined packaging of EPE pearl cotton and honeycomb cardboard with cushioning and shock absorption performance; export dangerous goods need to use special dangerous packaging containers with UN certification, and the packaging strength must meet the transportation requirements of the corresponding dangerous goods category. Second, ensure that the packaging marks fully comply with the compliance requirements of the target market: goods exported to Amazon FBA warehouses in the United States need to have FBA-certified packaging marks, goods exported to the EU need to be marked with recycling and environmental protection marks, and goods exported to the Middle East need to avoid using religiously taboo patterns. In addition, develop moisture-proof and reinforcement plans for different transportation scenarios: place desiccants that meet international standards in the packaging for sea freight goods to prevent product rust and mildew caused by the high humidity environment at sea; reinforce steel straps or wooden frames outside the packaging for long-distance land or railway transportation goods to avoid goods falling apart and being damaged during bumpy transportation, effectively reducing the risk of cargo damage and subsequent claim disputes. **status:** suggested **Author:** Lucas Liu **Date:** 2026-10-15 ### Answer 9 When registering an import and export company, plan the compliance management and risk prevention and control mechanism of export tax refund in advance. First, improve the company's financial accounting system, and set up separate subsidiary accounts for foreign trade business to separately account for input tax, output tax and export sales volume, so as to avoid confusion with the financial data of domestic sales business, which is the core prerequisite for applying for export tax refund. Second, familiarize yourself with the declaration time node of export tax refund: after the goods are declared for export and the electronic information of the customs declaration form is obtained, complete the tax refund declaration within the VAT tax declaration period of April of the following year. If you cannot declare in time due to special circumstances such as delayed return of customs declaration form information, submit an extension application to the tax department in advance to avoid being regarded as domestic sales tax for overdue. In addition, strictly control the "four flows consistency" principle: the product name, quantity, amount and transaction subject information of contract flow, capital flow, invoice flow and goods flow must be completely consistent, and any deviation may lead to the rejection of the tax refund application; all tax refund documents (such as customs declaration forms, input invoices, and receipt vouchers) must be kept for at least 10 years for the verification of the tax department. If complete documents cannot be provided, the refunded tax will be recovered and fines will be imposed. **status:** suggested **Author:** Evelyn Li **Date:** 2026-10-15 ### Answer 10 When registering an import and export company, synchronously carry out the optimization design of supply chain structure and cost actuarial calculation. First, adjust the supply chain layout based on the regional characteristics of the main export markets: if the core export market is an RCEP member country in Southeast Asia, set up transit warehouses in Vietnam, Thailand and other countries to enjoy tariff reduction policies by using regional rules of origin, shorten the goods delivery cycle and improve customer satisfaction; if exporting to the European and American markets, you can choose to set up a front warehouse in the bonded zone to realize bonded stock preparation and rapid customs clearance. Second, optimize the inventory management model and adopt the JIT (Just-In-Time) inventory strategy, stock up 7-10 days in advance according to the delivery date of customer orders to avoid capital occupation due to inventory backlog; at the same time, sign long-term framework cooperation agreements with core raw material suppliers to lock in the raw material purchase price and reduce the risk of cost fluctuations. In addition, flexibly convert trade terms according to your own supply chain management capabilities: if you have mature logistics and warehousing resources, you can give priority to the CIF term, include logistics and insurance costs in the quotation to improve the overall profit margin; if the supply chain management capability is weak, you can choose the FOB term to transfer logistics risks to customers and reduce operational risks. **status:** suggested **Author:** Linda Gao **Date:** 2026-10-15 ## Related Categories - [Import Agency Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-import-agency/) - [Export Agency Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-export-agency/) - [Export Tax Rebate Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-export-tax-rebate/) - [Customs Declaration Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-customs-declaration/) - [Freight Forwarding Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-freight-forwarding/) - [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/) ## Related Resources - [Trade Services](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/services/) - [Trade Cases](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/cases/) - [Trade Wiki](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/wiki/) - [Trade Class](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/guide/) - [Global Trade Services](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/country/) ## Structured Data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "QAPage", "inLanguage":"en", "isPartOf": { "@id":"https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/#website" }, "publisher":{ "@id":"https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/#organization" }, "mainEntity": { "@type": "Question", "name": "What core qualifications and complete procedures are required to register a legally compliant import and export company?", "text": "I am the owner of a small hardware processing factory in Shanghai. I have been doing domestic sales for 5 years. Recently, I received several orders from Southeast Asia and want to register an import and export company to directly connect with customers instead of using agents. However, I know nothing about compliance requirements in foreign trade. I heard from friends that registering an import and export company requires a lot of filings and qualification audits, and mistakes may affect subsequent customs declaration and tax refund, even leading to fines. I am very confused and unsure whether to apply for the business license first or go to customs for filing first, nor clear about the required qualifications. I am afraid of taking detours and wasting money, and want to ask for specific steps to successfully register and operate compliantly.", "answerCount": 10, "upvoteCount": 4, "datePublished": "2026-10-15T15:28:28Z", "dateModified": "2026-10-15T15:28:32Z", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Zhongshen Trading China", "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-export-firm-registration-eligibility-compliance-process-steps.html" } ,"acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The first step is to complete pre-qualification verification: first confirm that the business scope of the business license includes the words "import and export of goods and technologies". If the original license does not have this scope，you need to first make industrial and commercial changes，and prepare basic materials such as the legal person's ID card，articles of association，and property right certificate of the business place. Ensure that the materials are not altered and the information is consistent，to avoid delaying the audit due to material defects. The connection of core nodes needs to follow the timeline: immediately apply for the import and export right filing (including the Record Form for Foreign Trade Operators，the Certificate of Customs Declaration Unit Registration，and the E-Port IC Card) after the industrial and commercial changes are completed. At the same time，handle the export tax refund qualification confirmation of the tax department in parallel. These three links can be carried out in parallel to shorten the processing cycle and avoid being unable to declare customs in time due to disconnected nodes. Need to make contingency plans in advance: if the customs filing is rejected due to failed address verification，immediately prepare the lease agreement and utility payment receipts of the past 3 months as supplementary proof，if there is doubt about the materials for export tax refund qualification confirmation，you can contact the tax specialist in advance to submit supporting materials. After the final compliance is implemented，timely update the cross-border payment and receipt authority of the enterprise's bank account to ensure the compliance of subsequent foreign exchange settlement and receipt operations. At the same time，keep all filing documents for at least 5 years to meet the verification requirements of customs and tax departments.", "upvoteCount": 4, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-export-firm-registration-eligibility-compliance-process-steps.html#acceptedAnswer", "datePublished": "2026-10-15T17:17:43Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Daniel Xu","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/daniel-xu/"} } ,"suggestedAnswer": [ { "@type": "Answer", "text": "During the registration stage of an import and export company, focus on the core details of customs declaration unit registration. First, ensure that the submitted business place information is completely consistent with the information in the industrial and commercial registration system. The customs will automatically compare the address fields through the cross-department system. If there are problems such as name abbreviations or deviations in floor descriptions, the filing application will be directly rejected, delaying the process by at least 7-10 working days. Second, the qualification filing of customs declaration personnel needs to be carried out simultaneously. If the company has no full-time customs declaration personnel, it can entrust a customs brokerage firm with Class A qualification to operate on its behalf, but a formal entrusted customs declaration agreement must be signed to clarify the rights and responsibilities of both parties in terms of the accuracy of declaration data and the division of port detention responsibilities. In addition, remember the dynamic management requirements of customs filing: if the company's business place or legal person information changes subsequently, the customs filing change procedures must be completed within 30 days, otherwise the declaration authority of the customs declaration form will be frozen, and even the risk of port detention due to inability to clear customs normally after the goods arrive at the port will be caused.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-export-firm-registration-eligibility-compliance-process-steps.html#suggestedAnswer-2", "datePublished": "2026-10-15T17:07:56Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Grace Wang","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/grace-wang/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "When registering an import and export company, synchronously plan the compliance configuration and cost optimization plan for logistics supporting facilities. First, confirm whether the company has fixed warehousing cooperation resources. If there is no self-owned warehouse, sign a long-term cooperation agreement with a logistics enterprise with customs-approved bonded warehousing qualification to ensure that the storage and transit of bonded goods comply with customs supervision requirements and avoid goods being detained due to non-compliant warehousing. Second, open the electronic data docking port with the cooperating logistics enterprise in advance to facilitate real-time tracking of the transportation status and manifest information of the goods, and avoid being unable to respond promptly to emergencies such as container dropping and overbooking due to delayed information transmission. In addition, plan the logistics path in advance based on the main export markets. For example, orders for Southeast Asia can give priority to cross-border railway transportation under the RCEP framework, enjoying tariff reductions while shortening the transportation cycle. When signing logistics contracts, clarify the negotiation scope of container detention fees and free stacking periods to avoid unnecessary additional logistics costs.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-export-firm-registration-eligibility-compliance-process-steps.html#suggestedAnswer-3", "datePublished": "2026-10-15T16:53:35Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Victor Sun","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/victor-sun/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "When registering an import and export company, focus on the compliance design and cost optimization of the tax structure. First, confirm in the industrial and commercial change link that the business scope of the business license clearly includes the category of "import and export of goods and technologies", which is a precondition for subsequent application for export tax refund qualification. If the original business scope is missing, complete the industrial and commercial change before submitting the tax filing application, otherwise it will be directly rejected by the tax department. Second, select the appropriate taxpayer status based on the company's business scale and export volume: although the declaration process of small-scale taxpayers is simple, they cannot enjoy the export tax refund policy and are only applicable to small and micro enterprises with annual export volume less than 5 million yuan; general taxpayers can enjoy the export tax refund policy, but need to ensure that the product name, quantity and amount of the input invoice are completely consistent with the customs declaration form to avoid tax refund obstacles due to inconsistent four flows (contract flow, capital flow, invoice flow and goods flow). In addition, familiarize yourself with the tax policies of the target market. For example, enterprises exporting to the EU market can apply for VAT deferral without prepaying value-added tax in the import link, effectively alleviating the pressure of capital occupation. At the same time, strictly complete the deferred declaration in accordance with the requirements of the EU tax authorities to avoid heavy fines and damaged credit records caused by overdue payments.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-export-firm-registration-eligibility-compliance-process-steps.html#suggestedAnswer-4", "datePublished": "2026-10-15T16:32:08Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Kevin Lin","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/kevin-lin/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "When registering an import and export company, synchronously complete the compliance configuration and risk management of cross-border payment and receipt. First, apply to the bank where the company's basic account is opened to activate the cross-border payment and receipt authority. If the original settlement account does not have this function, submit core materials such as the Record Form for Foreign Trade Operators and the Certificate of Customs Declaration Unit Registration. Some banks will also require the provision of domestic sales water bills of the past six months as proof to ensure stable business capabilities. Second, familiarize yourself with the applicable scenarios of the two payment channels SWIFT and CIPS: use SWIFT payment for orders from the European and American markets, and give priority to CIPS RMB cross-border payment for orders from Southeast Asia, the Middle East and other RCEP member countries, which can not only reduce the risk of exchange losses caused by exchange rate fluctuations, but also enjoy faster arrival speed. In addition, strictly abide by the payment and receipt supervision requirements of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange. All payment and receipt vouchers (such as contracts, invoices and customs declaration forms) must be kept for at least 5 years for SAFE verification; if the single payment and receipt amount exceeds 50,000 US dollars, you need to report to the bank 1-3 working days in advance to avoid funds not arriving normally due to quota control and affecting order delivery.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-export-firm-registration-eligibility-compliance-process-steps.html#suggestedAnswer-5", "datePublished": "2026-10-15T16:21:47Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Michael Zhang","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/michael-zhang/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "When registering an import and export company, synchronously improve the legal compliance guarantee and risk bottoming mechanism. First, clarify the rights and responsibilities division clauses of foreign trade business in the articles of association, such as appointing a special person responsible for the review, signing and performance follow-up of foreign trade contracts to avoid contract performance disputes due to unclear internal authority. Second, deeply understand the legal connotation of international trade terms. When signing foreign trade contracts, clearly select trade terms such as FOB, CIF or EXW according to the goods transportation method and target market, and refine the specific nodes of cargo right transfer and risk assumption. For example, under the CIF term, clarify the risk scope covered by insurance to avoid claim disputes due to deviation in term understanding. In addition, customize contract clauses according to the legal requirements of the target market: for orders exported to markets such as the Middle East and Africa, expand the scope of force majeure clauses to cover emergencies such as war and epidemic; after registration is completed, timely apply to the customs for intellectual property customs protection filing to avoid counterfeiting of own-brand products during customs clearance. At the same time, keep all foreign trade contracts, letters of guarantee and other legal documents for at least 10 years for the evidence needs of subsequent legal disputes.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-export-firm-registration-eligibility-compliance-process-steps.html#suggestedAnswer-6", "datePublished": "2026-10-15T16:21:39Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Andy Guo","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/andy-guo/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "When registering an import and export company, understand the compliance requirements and response plans for on-site customs inspection in advance. First, ensure that the company has a complete product quality inspection and certification system: export mechanical and electrical products need to obtain CCC certification certificates, export chemical products need to provide MSDS reports that meet international standards, and export food and agricultural products need to have customs clearance documents issued by the commodity inspection department. These qualifications are the core audit basis for customs inspection. Second, familiarize yourself with the process and cooperation requirements of on-site customs inspection: if you receive a customs inspection notice after the goods arrive at the port, arrange personnel with professional knowledge of the relevant products to cooperate on site within 24 hours, and prepare supporting materials such as product manuals and quality inspection reports in advance to avoid inspection delays and port detention fees caused by untimely cooperation and missing materials. In addition, strictly control the compliance of goods packaging: goods exported to the EU and North American markets are prohibited from using packaging materials containing lead and mercury, and the marks on the packaging must be completely consistent with the product name, quantity and country of origin declared in the customs declaration form to avoid failing the inspection due to inconsistent marks or even being recognized as a violation of false declaration.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-export-firm-registration-eligibility-compliance-process-steps.html#suggestedAnswer-7", "datePublished": "2026-10-15T16:19:14Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Jason Wu","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/jason-wu/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "When registering an import and export company, synchronously plan the compliance configuration and transportation safety plan for goods packaging. First, select packaging materials that meet international standards according to the physical characteristics of exported products and transportation methods: export fragile mechanical and electrical products need to use combined packaging of EPE pearl cotton and honeycomb cardboard with cushioning and shock absorption performance; export dangerous goods need to use special dangerous packaging containers with UN certification, and the packaging strength must meet the transportation requirements of the corresponding dangerous goods category. Second, ensure that the packaging marks fully comply with the compliance requirements of the target market: goods exported to Amazon FBA warehouses in the United States need to have FBA-certified packaging marks, goods exported to the EU need to be marked with recycling and environmental protection marks, and goods exported to the Middle East need to avoid using religiously taboo patterns. In addition, develop moisture-proof and reinforcement plans for different transportation scenarios: place desiccants that meet international standards in the packaging for sea freight goods to prevent product rust and mildew caused by the high humidity environment at sea; reinforce steel straps or wooden frames outside the packaging for long-distance land or railway transportation goods to avoid goods falling apart and being damaged during bumpy transportation, effectively reducing the risk of cargo damage and subsequent claim disputes.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-export-firm-registration-eligibility-compliance-process-steps.html#suggestedAnswer-8", "datePublished": "2026-10-15T16:18:07Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Lucas Liu","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/lucas-liu/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "When registering an import and export company, plan the compliance management and risk prevention and control mechanism of export tax refund in advance. First, improve the company's financial accounting system, and set up separate subsidiary accounts for foreign trade business to separately account for input tax, output tax and export sales volume, so as to avoid confusion with the financial data of domestic sales business, which is the core prerequisite for applying for export tax refund. Second, familiarize yourself with the declaration time node of export tax refund: after the goods are declared for export and the electronic information of the customs declaration form is obtained, complete the tax refund declaration within the VAT tax declaration period of April of the following year. If you cannot declare in time due to special circumstances such as delayed return of customs declaration form information, submit an extension application to the tax department in advance to avoid being regarded as domestic sales tax for overdue. In addition, strictly control the "four flows consistency" principle: the product name, quantity, amount and transaction subject information of contract flow, capital flow, invoice flow and goods flow must be completely consistent, and any deviation may lead to the rejection of the tax refund application; all tax refund documents (such as customs declaration forms, input invoices, and receipt vouchers) must be kept for at least 10 years for the verification of the tax department. If complete documents cannot be provided, the refunded tax will be recovered and fines will be imposed.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-export-firm-registration-eligibility-compliance-process-steps.html#suggestedAnswer-9", "datePublished": "2026-10-15T16:14:06Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Evelyn Li","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/evelyn-li/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "When registering an import and export company, synchronously carry out the optimization design of supply chain structure and cost actuarial calculation. First, adjust the supply chain layout based on the regional characteristics of the main export markets: if the core export market is an RCEP member country in Southeast Asia, set up transit warehouses in Vietnam, Thailand and other countries to enjoy tariff reduction policies by using regional rules of origin, shorten the goods delivery cycle and improve customer satisfaction; if exporting to the European and American markets, you can choose to set up a front warehouse in the bonded zone to realize bonded stock preparation and rapid customs clearance. Second, optimize the inventory management model and adopt the JIT (Just-In-Time) inventory strategy, stock up 7-10 days in advance according to the delivery date of customer orders to avoid capital occupation due to inventory backlog; at the same time, sign long-term framework cooperation agreements with core raw material suppliers to lock in the raw material purchase price and reduce the risk of cost fluctuations. In addition, flexibly convert trade terms according to your own supply chain management capabilities: if you have mature logistics and warehousing resources, you can give priority to the CIF term, include logistics and insurance costs in the quotation to improve the overall profit margin; if the supply chain management capability is weak, you can choose the FOB term to transfer logistics risks to customers and reduce operational risks.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-export-firm-registration-eligibility-compliance-process-steps.html#suggestedAnswer-10", "datePublished": "2026-10-15T15:28:32Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Linda Gao","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/linda-gao/"} } ] } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ {"@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/"},{"@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Q&A", "item": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/"},{"@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "General Trade Q&A", "item": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-general-trade/"} ,{"@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "What core qualifications and complete procedures are required to register a legally compliant import and export company?"} ] } ] ```