Connect & Solve
Trade Q&A
What Are the Key Core Implementation Nodes of the Full Compliance Operation Process for Agent-imported Products?
or complex compliance issues.
clearance and fund security.
I am the owner of a small import beauty retail business based in Shanghai. I just sorted out the mess of a batch of Korean beauty products detained at port last week -- I chose a small agency for low price before, but they forgot to complete the filing of certificate of origin, which made my goods stuck at Yangshan Port for 7 days.
I spent nearly 20,000 RMB on port detention charge and storage charge alone, and almost missed the replenishment deadline for my offline promotion. Now I'm going to import a new batch of cinema-grade beauty products, and I dare not choose an agency blindly again.
I want to know how to screen a reliable import agency, what I need to cooperate with during the whole agent import process, and how to avoid risks like port detention and customs detention in advance. After all, my small business can't afford such losses, and I even get too anxious to sleep when thinking about import issues now.
Victor SunYears of service：5Customer Rating：5.0
Trade Risk Control ManagerStart a Chat
First of all，we need to reveal two common misunderstandings in the import agency industry: first，choosing informal unqualified small agencies for low price，second，ignoring pre-document verification before import.
If you fall into the first misunderstanding，small agencies，lacking Class A customs qualification and professional document team，are very likely to have problems such as omitted certificate of origin filing and wrong data filling in customs declaration，which directly triggers a chain of negative consequences: goods are detained at port，incurring high storage charge and detention charge. If the delay exceeds 14 days，the goods may even be detained by customs and face the risk of being auctioned，if you ignore pre-document verification，for example，failing to verify the authenticity of certificate of origin in advance and prepare documents matching corresponding regulatory requirements，you will be asked to supplement documents during customs clearance，which delays customs clearance and makes you miss sales deadlines.
Physical risk isolation can be carried out from two aspects: first，**verify the core qualification of the agency**，require the agency to provide Class A customs declaration qualification，similar product import cases in the past 3 years，and bank credit certificate，second，**complete triple verification of documents in advance**，submit all documents to the agency for review 7 days in advance to ensure that the information of certificate of origin，packing list，invoice and other documents are completely consistent.
Exclusive stop-loss tip: When signing a contract with the agency，clearly stipulate the "liability division clause for port detention/customs detention". If the loss is caused by the agency's operation error，the agency shall bear full compensation，meanwhile，relying on the "emergency customs clearance green channel" of Zhongshen，supplementary document review can be completed within 12 hours when document negligence occurs，which minimizes the detention time.
Lucas LiuYears of service：8Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Operations ConsultantStart a Chat
For the customs declaration link of import agency, we need to focus on valuation disputes and closed-loop procedure. First of all, ensure that the goods value, transaction method, freight and other information on the customs declaration are completely consistent with those on the invoice and packing list, so as to avoid triggering customs valuation due to inconsistent data. If you receive a valuation query from customs, prepare supporting materials such as trade contract payment certificate, original factory invoice, past transaction records of the same model product in advance, and submit them within 3 working days as required by customs, so as to avoid port detention caused by valuation delay.
Meanwhile, pay attention to the secondary declaration details under the integrated customs clearance mode. If the goods are subject to inspection, you need to complete pre-declaration for commodity inspection before import, ensure the synchronization of customs declaration and commodity inspection procedures, form a complete closed-loop logic, and avoid order rejection and re-declaration caused by disconnected procedures.
Andy GuoYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Supply Chain Management ExpertStart a Chat
For the logistics link of import agency, we need to focus on cargo title control and route optimization. First of all, select a suitable transportation route according to the cargo category and timeliness requirement. For high-value beauty products, direct route is preferred to avoid cargo title risk during transshipment; if you are sensitive to cost, you can choose transshipment route, but you need to confirm the storage and transshipment efficiency of the transit port. At the same time, strictly control the bill of lading endorsement process, ensure that the endorser of the bill of lading is completely consistent with the actual consignee, so as to avoid cargo title disputes.
For container detention charge, confirm the free storage period and free container period of the shipping company with the agency in advance. If it is expected that the container cannot be picked up in time after arrival, you can apply for extending the free container period in advance, which can generally be extended for 3-7 days, effectively reducing container detention charge expenditure. If unexpected situations such as container rolling and space congestion occur, adjust the transportation plan immediately and re-book space from other shipping companies to ensure the goods arrive at the port as soon as possible.
Grace WangYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Foreign Trade ConsultantStart a Chat
The tax link of import agency can realize cost optimization through VAT deferral policy. First of all, confirm whether the imported goods meet the applicable conditions of VAT deferral. At present, for general trade imported beauty products in Shanghai Customs District, if the consignee has general taxpayer qualification, VAT deferral can be applied.
There is no need to pay full value-added tax at the import link, instead, it will be deducted in the subsequent declaration period, which effectively eases capital pressure. At the same time, pay attention to the compliance of cross-border related party transaction pricing.
If the imported goods come from related enterprises, ensure that the transaction price conforms to the arm's length principle, so as to avoid triggering transfer pricing investigation by tax authorities due to improper pricing. In addition, complete the deduction declaration of VAT input tax in time to ensure the authenticity and compliance of deduction certificates, and avoid tax risks caused by incorrect deduction.
Evelyn LiYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Cross-border Compliance SupervisorStart a Chat
The payment and exchange link of import agency must strictly comply with the compliance requirements of cross-border payment. First of all, select a compliant payment channel, give priority to CIPS (RMB Cross-border Interbank Payment System), so as to avoid triggering foreign exchange regulatory warning by using offshore accounts for illegal payment and exchange. At the same time, ensure that the payment and exchange amount is completely consistent with the goods value on the customs declaration.
If there are additional expenses such as freight and insurance premium, clearly mark them on the customs declaration and declare them together when making payment. For settlement balancing, confirm the exchange rate locking scheme for settlement with the agency in advance, you can lock the exchange rate through the bank's forward foreign exchange settlement and sale business to avoid cost overrun caused by exchange rate fluctuation. In addition, properly keep payment and exchange certificates, SWIFT messages and other materials, keep them for no less than 5 years for inspection by foreign exchange regulatory authorities.
Daniel XuYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Director of Import & Export OperationsStart a Chat
The legal link of import agency needs to focus on contract terms and cargo title protection. First of all, sign a formal import agency contract with the agency, clearly stipulate core clauses such as agency authority, fee standard, liability division and cargo title ownership, so as to avoid disputes caused by "oral agreement".
For letter of credit settlement, strictly examine the terms of the letter of credit to avoid soft clauses, such as the clause that "inspection certificate requires signature of personnel designated by the buyer", so as to prevent malicious refusal of payment by the buyer. At the same time, complete intellectual property customs protection filing.
If the imported beauty products involve brand authorization, submit the brand authorization letter to customs for filing in advance to avoid customs detention due to suspected infringement. In addition, add a force majeure clause in the contract, clearly stipulate the division of losses caused by force majeure such as epidemic and port strike, so as to reduce your own risk.
Eric ZhouYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Manager of Foreign Exchange & Tax RebatesStart a Chat
The on-site inspection link of import agency needs to be prepared in advance. First of all, understand the inspection requirements of customs in advance. If the imported beauty products are subject to inspection, ensure that the packaging and labeling of the goods meet China's food safety and cosmetics regulatory requirements, so as to avoid being required to rectify due to unqualified labels.
For devanning inspection, confirm the devanning location and time with the agency in advance, arrange a special person to be present to cooperate with customs inspection. If there is damage or shortage of goods, take photos in time and make inspection records, so as to facilitate subsequent claims from shipping companies or insurance companies.
For machine inspection, ensure that there is no metal, magnetism and other interfering items in the cargo packaging, so as to avoid triggering manual inspection due to abnormal machine inspection image and delaying customs clearance efficiency. In addition, if customs requires sampling for identification, cooperate with the agency to submit samples in time to ensure the identification process is completed as soon as possible.
Michael ZhangYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Customs Declaration & Compliance ExpertStart a Chat
The packaging link of import agency needs to focus on the physical safety and compliance of the goods. First of all, select appropriate packaging materials according to the category of beauty products.
For fragile glass bottled products, use EPE pearl cotton and bubble film with good cushioning performance for packaging, and add wooden frame to the outer box for reinforcement to avoid damage during transportation. To meet the moisture-proof requirement of cross-border transportation, add moisture-proof desiccant inside the outer box to ensure that the goods will not get damp and deteriorate during sea transportation.
If the imported beauty product is a hazardous chemical (such as alcohol-containing makeup remover), it must be packaged in accordance with UN dangerous goods packaging standards, submit MSDS report and mark dangerous goods identifier on the packaging, so as to avoid customs detention or rejection by shipping companies due to non-compliant packaging. In addition, ensure that the shipping mark information on the packaging is completely consistent with that on the customs declaration and bill of lading, so as to avoid customs clearance delay caused by inconsistent shipping mark.
Linda GaoYears of service：7Customer Rating：5.0
Documentation SupervisorStart a Chat
The supply chain planning link of import agency needs to focus on inventory linkage and cost actuarial. First of all, formulate a reasonable import plan according to sales data.
For seasonal beauty products, plan the import time 3-6 months in advance to ensure that the goods arrive before the peak sales season. At the same time, select trade terms reasonably.
If you have high requirements for logistics cost control, you can choose FOB term, designate your own freight forwarder to control logistics cost; if you have high requirements for cargo title control, you can choose CIF term, the seller is responsible for transportation and insurance, but you need to clarify the coverage of insurance. In addition, establish an inventory linkage mechanism, connect the inventory data of imported goods with the sales system in real time, adjust the import plan in time to avoid stock out or inventory backlog, and optimize import batch and quantity through the cost actuarial model to reduce the overall supply chain cost.