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How long does the full process of imported nuts agency customs declaration including customs inspection take under normal circumstances?
or complex compliance issues.
clearance and fund security.
I am a trader based in Shanghai mainly engaged in imported snack foods. Last month, I shipped a batch of almonds through a small agency, but customs inspection was stuck for 12 days because the certificate of origin number was missing in the customs declaration materials.
This not only incurred nearly 20,000 yuan in port demurrage and container detention fees, but also made me miss the stock preparation period for the offline snack exhibition, resulting in heavy losses. This batch of pistachios from Morocco will arrive at Yangshan Port next week, and I have switched to your company Zhongshen as the agent.
Now I am very eager to know how long the agency customs declaration plus inspection will take under normal circumstances? How much delay will there be in case of sampling and testing, document correction and other situations? Is there any way to shorten the time as much as possible so that I won't miss the Double 11 restocking window again?
Eric ZhouYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Manager of Foreign Exchange & Tax RebatesStart a Chat
First of all，we will complete pre-document review 7-10 days before the goods arrive at the port，focusing on checking whether the certificate of origin，health certificate，entry animal and plant quarantine permit of nuts，as well as the product name，HS code，origin and other information on the customs declaration form are fully matched，to avoid manual review delays caused by inconsistent documents. This step can directly reduce the subsequent inspection trigger rate by 30%.
In terms of core node connection，we will complete electronic customs declaration immediately after the goods arrive at the port. If inspection is triggered after customs review，we will make an appointment for the inspection site within 4 hours，and arrange on-site specialists to follow up simultaneously. Under normal circumstances，general cargo inspection can be completed in 1-2 working days，if no inspection is triggered，the goods can be released 1 working day after the customs declaration is reviewed，and the normal time consumption of the whole link is 3-5 working days.
We have a complete plan for abnormal situations: in case of sampling and testing (for pesticide residue and heavy metal testing of nuts)，we will coordinate with the customs to arrange priority expedited testing at the designated laboratory，the original 7-10 day testing cycle can be shortened to 4-5 days，in case of document correction，we will assist in completing data modification and re-declaration within 12 hours，and simultaneously apply for port demurrage reduction and exemption communication to minimize losses.
In the final compliance implementation stage，we will complete payment and container pickup procedures within 1 working day after the inspection is passed，to ensure that the goods are quickly transferred to the designated warehouse. The node progress will be synchronized through the exclusive system throughout the process，so that you can grasp the status of the goods at any time.
Linda GaoYears of service：7Customer Rating：5.0
Documentation SupervisorStart a Chat
When declaring imported nuts, the accurate classification of HS code directly affects the inspection trigger probability and overall time consumption. If nuts are incorrectly classified into codes requiring key supervision, 100% manual inspection will be triggered, and the time consumption is 2-3 times higher than that of random inspection. If the customs has doubts about the declared price during the price review link, the price consultation process will be launched, which takes 2-5 working days.
It is necessary to prepare a full set of supporting materials such as procurement contracts, foreign exchange payment vouchers, and origin invoices in advance, to avoid delays caused by repeated correction due to incomplete materials. In addition, if the goods enjoy free trade agreement tariff preferences, it is necessary to ensure that the certificate of origin complies with the "direct transport rule", otherwise secondary inspection will be triggered due to preferential qualification review, which further lengthens the time consumption.
Grace WangYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Foreign Trade ConsultantStart a Chat
The logistics route selection of imported nuts will indirectly affect the time consumption of customs declaration and inspection. If you choose the direct route to Shanghai Yangshan Port, the goods can directly enter the free trade zone for customs declaration after arrival, and the inspection site reservation efficiency is 40% higher than that of transit ports, which can save 1-2 working days.
If the goods are imported from Europe and the United States and choose to transit in Busan, South Korea, it is necessary to go through the transit formalities of the transit country in advance, which will add an additional 2-3 working days of connection time. In addition, the application for free storage period should be submitted 3 days before arrival. If the application is not submitted in time, container detention fees will be incurred due to overdue, and the reservation priority of the inspection site will be affected, which further delays the time consumption.
Daniel XuYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Director of Import & Export OperationsStart a Chat
If imported nuts adopt the VAT deferment declaration mode, the value-added tax payment review can be skipped in the customs declaration link, and the inspection process can be entered directly, which can save 1-2 working days of tax review time.
However, it should be noted that VAT deferment needs to meet the conditions such as the registered address is in Shanghai Free Trade Zone, the goods are used for domestic sales, etc. If you apply forcibly without meeting the qualifications, tax inspection will be triggered, resulting in suspension of inspection, and the time consumption will be extended by 5-7 working days. In addition, if the goods involve cross-border related party transactions, it is necessary to complete transfer pricing filing in advance, to avoid customs control inspection triggered by tax review, which increases extra time consumption.
Jason WuYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
International Logistics & Supply Chain ManagerStart a Chat
The compliance of foreign exchange collection and payment for imported nuts will affect the smoothness of customs declaration and inspection. If the foreign exchange payment voucher is inconsistent with the cargo value, consignor and consignee information on the customs declaration form, the compliance inspection of the foreign exchange administration will be triggered, and the customs will suspend the inspection process waiting for the inspection result, increasing the time consumption by 3-5 working days.
It is recommended to check the pre-recorded information of the customs declaration form simultaneously before foreign exchange payment, to ensure that the transaction code and cargo description of the SWIFT message are fully matched with the customs declaration materials. In addition, if you use RMB cross-border payment (CIPS), you need to confirm the account qualification of the overseas supplier in advance, to avoid the modification of customs declaration information caused by payment failure, which delays the inspection progress.
Cindy ChenYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Key Account ManagerStart a Chat
The procurement contract terms of imported nuts will indirectly affect the time consumption of customs declaration and inspection. If the contract does not clearly stipulate the delivery time limit of the certificate of origin and health certificate, the delayed provision of documents by the supplier will lead to the failure to declare customs in time after the goods arrive at the port, increasing the port detention time, thus lengthening the waiting period before inspection.
In addition, if the contract does not include the "customs inspection delay exemption clause", once the domestic order is breached due to inspection delay, additional liability for breach of contract shall be borne. It is recommended to clearly stipulate the document delivery time limit and the responsibility division for inspection delay in the contract, and complete the intellectual property customs protection filing in advance, to avoid deduction and inspection triggered by suspicion of infringement, which lengthens the time consumption.
Andy GuoYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Supply Chain Management ExpertStart a Chat
During the on-site inspection of imported nuts, the stacking method of goods and the seal status will affect the inspection efficiency. If the goods in the container are stacked in disorder, the unpacking inspection will take an additional 1-2 working days; if the seal is damaged or inconsistent, the customs will trigger the unpacking re-inspection, increasing the time consumption by 2-3 working days.
It is recommended to stack nuts in categories according to customs requirements when loading containers, keep clear cargo location marks, take photos of the seals after loading and send them to the agent simultaneously, so that the on-site specialist can check quickly. In case of sampling and testing, it is necessary to cooperate with the on-site specialist to fill in the Sampling and Testing Application Form, and clarify the testing items, to avoid the extension of the testing cycle caused by unclear items.
Evelyn LiYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Cross-border Compliance SupervisorStart a Chat
The packaging compliance of imported nuts will affect the inspection trigger rate and time consumption. If the adopted packaging does not meet the requirements of China's entry inspection and quarantine, such as no Chinese label marked, the packaging material contains harmful substances, 100% manual inspection will be triggered, and the time consumption is 2-3 times higher than that of ordinary inspection.
In addition, if the packaging has insufficient sealing, resulting in dampness and deterioration of nuts, the customs will trigger quality inspection, increasing the time consumption by 3-5 working days. It is recommended to complete the pre-review of Chinese labels before loading, adopt moisture-proof and insect-proof food-grade packaging materials, and place desiccant in the container, to avoid additional inspection triggered by cargo quality problems.
Michael ZhangYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Customs Declaration & Compliance ExpertStart a Chat
The supply chain planning of imported nuts can effectively reduce the time consumption of customs declaration and inspection. If the "advance customs declaration" mode is adopted, the electronic customs declaration can be completed 3-5 days after the goods depart from the port and before arrival, and the goods can directly enter the inspection process after arrival, which can save 1-2 working days of declaration waiting time.
In addition, during peak seasons (such as Mid-Autumn Festival, Double 11), customs inspection resources are tight. It is recommended to make an appointment for the inspection site 10-15 days in advance, adjust the logistics shipping schedule, and avoid the peak inspection period. In addition, establish a supplier qualification rating system, give priority to suppliers that can provide compliant documents quickly, and reduce the increase in inspection time caused by document delays from the source.