--- title: "Can a freight forwarder with customs declaration qualification act as an agent for import customs clearance?" description: "When cross-border e-commerce merchants import near-expiry cosmetic products，they fall into anxiety due to the fear that the freight forwarder's insufficient customs clearance qualification will lead to customs detention，port demurrage and heavy losses. Through the entire compliance operation process including advance document pre-review，seamless connection of core nodes and implementation of emergency response plans，qualified freight forwarders can legally complete import customs clearance，quick..." url: "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/qualified-freight-forwarder-import-customs-clearance.html" language: "en" type: "Q&A" category: "Freight Forwarding Q&A" datePublished: "2026-07-13" dateModified: "2026-07-13" brand: "Zhongshen Trading China" answerCount: 9 --- # Can a freight forwarder with customs declaration qualification act as an agent for import customs clearance? ## Question I'm a new cross-border e-commerce merchant. Last week, I shipped a batch of near-expiry cosmetic products from Europe to Shanghai Yangshan Port, and the vessel will arrive tomorrow. I only hired this freight forwarder for international transportation previously. Today they suddenly stated that they can assist with import customs clearance agency. But last week, I heard from a fellow merchant that his freight forwarder had no valid customs clearance qualification, and his goods were detained at the port for 10 days. He not only paid over 20,000 yuan in port demurrage fees, but also missed the promotion period, leaving all the near-expiry cosmetic products unsalable. I'm extremely anxious now. This batch of goods only has 3 months of shelf life left, and I need to put them on shelves for the 618 promotion urgently. I know nothing about customs clearance documents, and I'm afraid of making errors in the information which will trigger customs detention. I want to ask: can a freight forwarder actually act as an agent for import customs clearance? If yes, what details should I pay close attention to avoid falling into traps? ## Answers ### Answer 1 — Best Answer First，it should be clarified: a freight forwarder with **customs declaration and inspection qualification** can legally act as an agent for import customs clearance，but the entire compliance process must be followed，especially considering the time sensitivity of near-expiry goods. **Advance document pre-review** is the core prerequisite: For your cosmetic products，you need to check in advance whether the freight forwarder has verified the exclusive documents such as the Import Cosmetics Hygiene License Approval Certificate，certificate of origin，official health certificate，etc。and also verify the consistency of the product name，quantity and declared value on the packing list，invoice and bill of lading，to avoid customs valuation or detention due to inconsistent documents. You need to closely monitor the **seamless connection of core nodes**: After the goods arrive at Yangshan Port，the freight forwarder must complete manifest transmission and declaration coordination within 4 hours，and arrange the customs broker to submit electronic data simultaneously，if your goods belong to a high-frequency inspection category，you need to coordinate with the freight forwarder to reserve a customs inspection channel in advance to shorten the inspection time. Emergency response plans must be implemented in advance: Require the freight forwarder to provide an emergency plan for near-expiry goods，such as canceling the declaration and re-submitting within 12 hours if there is a document error，if customs detention is triggered，coordinate with customs on-site specialists to give priority to review，and apply for temporary warehouse reduction policies. Finally，ensure that all operations comply with the 2025 updated Guidelines on Customs Clearance Facilitation for Imported Cosmetics issued by the General Administration of Customs，to achieve compliant and fast customs clearance. **status:** accepted **Author:** Cindy Chen **Date:** 2026-07-14 ### Answer 2 The core prerequisite for a freight forwarder to act as an agent for import customs clearance is to obtain the Registration Certificate for Customs Declaration Units issued by the customs. Many small and medium-sized freight forwarders have the misunderstanding of "subcontracting to a customs broker", that is, they have no qualification themselves and only operate through cooperating customs brokers, which will lead to unclear division of customs clearance responsibilities. If the freight forwarder does not truthfully inform the subcontracting situation, once there is a valuation dispute or inconsistent documents, the customs will directly hold the entrusting party (you) accountable, rather than the subcontracting customs broker. At this time, you need to require the freight forwarder to provide its customs qualification certificate, and clearly specify in the entrustment agreement that "if customs detention is caused by the freight forwarder's qualification issues, the freight forwarder shall bear all losses in full" to avoid falling into a responsibility vacuum. In addition, for high-regulated categories such as cosmetics, you need to check whether the freight forwarder is familiar with the 2026 latest valuation rules issued by the General Administration of Customs, especially the dutiable value assessment standards for cross-border e-commerce import goods. **status:** suggested **Author:** Evelyn Li **Date:** 2026-07-14 ### Answer 3 When entrusting a freight forwarder to act as an agent for import customs clearance, you need to clearly define cargo right control and demurrage risk isolation at the same time. If the freight forwarder is responsible for both transportation and customs clearance, require them to only transfer the cargo rights to a qualified customs broker during the bill of lading endorsement, rather than holding them themselves, to avoid the freight forwarder taking away the cargo or the goods being detained due to debt disputes. Regarding the port demurrage policy of Yangshan Port, the free storage period for near-expiry goods has been adjusted to 3 days since 2026. The freight forwarder needs to apply to the port in advance for priority processing rights for near-expiry goods, and complete the manifest confirmation 24 hours before customs declaration, to avoid being unable to declare in time after the goods arrive due to delayed manifest transmission. If the customs clearance time promised by the freight forwarder exceeds 48 hours, require them to sign a demurrage indemnity agreement, and compensate 0.5% of the goods' value for each day of delay. **status:** suggested **Author:** Lucas Liu **Date:** 2026-07-14 ### Answer 4 If you choose a freight forwarder to act as an agent for import customs clearance, you can also apply for the cross-border e-commerce import VAT deferral policy, which can effectively ease the capital pressure. It should be noted that the freight forwarder must have tax agency qualification, and accurately submit your cross-border e-commerce platform qualification certificate, sales pre-order and other materials during declaration, to comply with the 2026 "paperless VAT deferral declaration" requirements promoted by Shanghai Customs. In addition, you need to check whether the freight forwarder correctly calculates the import tariff, consumption tax and value-added tax, to avoid tax audits due to under-declared prices. If your goods are imported from the EU, you also need to require the freight forwarder to provide the EU VAT payment certificate for deducting the value-added tax in the domestic sales link, to avoid double taxation. At the same time, clearly define the responsibility division of tax declaration in the entrustment agreement, and the freight forwarder shall bear all tax fines caused by their declaration errors. **status:** suggested **Author:** Michael Zhang **Date:** 2026-07-14 ### Answer 5 When entrusting a freight forwarder to act as an agent for import customs clearance, you need to implement compliance requirements for receipt and payment of foreign exchange at the same time. Since 2026, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange of Shanghai has implemented "document comparison and verification" for receipt and payment of cross-border e-commerce import goods. The freight forwarder must submit customs clearance documents, bill of lading, invoice and other materials within 3 working days after customs clearance is completed, for you to handle foreign exchange settlement or purchase procedures at the bank. If the freight forwarder fails to provide compliant documents in time, your foreign exchange account may be listed as a concerned account, affecting subsequent cross-border receipt and payment operations. In addition, require the freight forwarder to use the CIPS RMB cross-border payment channel to settle freight forwarding service fees, to avoid additional costs caused by exchange rate fluctuations of the SWIFT channel, and ensure that all receipt and payment records are consistent with the amounts on the customs clearance documents and sales orders, forming a complete compliance chain. **status:** suggested **Author:** Jason Wu **Date:** 2026-07-14 ### Answer 6 Before entrusting a freight forwarder to act as an agent for import customs clearance, you need to sign a clear agency agreement, with core clauses including customs clearance qualification commitment, responsibility division, penalty standards, etc. You need to specifically add an Intellectual Property Rights Customs Protection Clause, because cosmetic products often involve trademark infringement. If the freight forwarder fails to check the trademark authorization documents of the goods during customs clearance, leading to goods being detained due to infringement, the freight forwarder shall bear all losses. In addition, the agreement must clearly define the scope of "force majeure" exclusion: delays or detentions caused by the freight forwarder's own operational errors do not fall within the scope of force majeure, and the freight forwarder shall compensate in full. At the same time, require the freight forwarder to provide the subcontracting agreement with its cooperating customs broker to ensure that the customs broker has corresponding qualifications, and avoid the situation where the freight forwarder subcontracts to unqualified institutions without authorization. **status:** suggested **Author:** Linda Gao **Date:** 2026-07-14 ### Answer 7 For your near-expiry cosmetic products, you need to clarify the inspection response plan in advance when entrusting the freight forwarder with customs clearance. The customs inspection of cosmetics at Yangshan Port mainly includes label review, ingredient testing and cargo-document comparison. The freight forwarder must arrange a specialist familiar with the inspection rules of cosmetic products to be responsible for on-site coordination. If the customs requires sampling and testing, require the freight forwarder to submit the testing application within 24 hours, and coordinate the testing institution to give priority to the testing items of near-expiry goods, ensuring that the test report is issued within 3 days. In addition, check whether the cargo seals are intact. If the seals are damaged after the goods arrive, immediately require the freight forwarder to take photos and report to the customs, to avoid being identified as cargo damage or suspected smuggling. At the same time, require the freight forwarder to prepare the Chinese translation of the label samples in advance, to avoid customs detention due to non-compliant labels. **status:** suggested **Author:** Eric Zhou **Date:** 2026-07-13 ### Answer 8 If your cosmetic products include liquid or spray products, they belong to customs-supervised free-flowing or pressurized container goods. When entrusting a freight forwarder to act as an agent for import customs clearance, you need to ensure that the packaging meets compliance requirements. Since 2026, Shanghai Customs has implemented new packaging standards for imported cosmetics. Liquid products must have UN3480 certification, and the sealing of each package must pass a pressure test. The freight forwarder needs to check in advance whether the packaging of the goods meets the requirements. If there is non-compliant packaging, arrange for on-site reinforcement or replacement of packaging at the port before the goods arrive, to avoid inspection or detention due to packaging issues. In addition, for near-expiry goods, require the freight forwarder to use constant-temperature warehousing during transportation to avoid cosmetic deterioration due to high temperature, and submit the packaging test report during customs clearance for customs compliance review. **status:** suggested **Author:** Kevin Lin **Date:** 2026-07-13 ### Answer 9 From the perspective of long-term supply chain planning, if you continuously import cosmetic products, you need to weigh the cost and efficiency of entrusting a freight forwarder with customs clearance versus directly cooperating with a professional customs broker. If your monthly import volume exceeds 5,000 pieces, it is recommended to separate the transportation and customs clearance links, choose a qualified freight forwarder for transportation and a professional customs broker for customs clearance, which can effectively reduce the risk of a single link. In addition, you can change the trade term from CIF to FOB, transferring the customs clearance responsibility to the overseas supplier, but require the supplier to provide compliant documents. If your goods are often near-expiry, you need to optimize the supply chain layout and arrange transportation 30 days in advance to avoid goods expiring due to customs clearance time issues. At the same time, establish a customs clearance time early warning mechanism, and require the freight forwarder to submit pre-customs clearance documents 72 hours before the goods arrive, to ensure the smooth progress of the customs clearance process. **status:** suggested **Author:** Andy Guo **Date:** 2026-07-13 ## 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/) - [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/) - [General Trade Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-general-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": "Can a freight forwarder with customs declaration qualification act as an agent for import customs clearance?", "text": "I'm a new cross-border e-commerce merchant. Last week, I shipped a batch of near-expiry cosmetic products from Europe to Shanghai Yangshan Port, and the vessel will arrive tomorrow. I only hired this freight forwarder for international transportation previously. Today they suddenly stated that they can assist with import customs clearance agency. But last week, I heard from a fellow merchant that his freight forwarder had no valid customs clearance qualification, and his goods were detained at the port for 10 days. He not only paid over 20,000 yuan in port demurrage fees, but also missed the promotion period, leaving all the near-expiry cosmetic products unsalable. I'm extremely anxious now. This batch of goods only has 3 months of shelf life left, and I need to put them on shelves for the 618 promotion urgently. I know nothing about customs clearance documents, and I'm afraid of making errors in the information which will trigger customs detention. I want to ask: can a freight forwarder actually act as an agent for import customs clearance? If yes, what details should I pay close attention to avoid falling into traps?", "answerCount": 9, "upvoteCount": 2, "datePublished": "2026-07-13T23:20:45Z", "dateModified": "2026-07-13T23:32:03Z", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Zhongshen Trading China", "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/qualified-freight-forwarder-import-customs-clearance.html" } ,"acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "First，it should be clarified: a freight forwarder with customs declaration and inspection qualification can legally act as an agent for import customs clearance，but the entire compliance process must be followed，especially considering the time sensitivity of near-expiry goods. Advance document pre-review is the core prerequisite: For your cosmetic products，you need to check in advance whether the freight forwarder has verified the exclusive documents such as the Import Cosmetics Hygiene License Approval Certificate，certificate of origin，official health certificate，etc。and also verify the consistency of the product name，quantity and declared value on the packing list，invoice and bill of lading，to avoid customs valuation or detention due to inconsistent documents. You need to closely monitor the seamless connection of core nodes : After the goods arrive at Yangshan Port，the freight forwarder must complete manifest transmission and declaration coordination within 4 hours，and arrange the customs broker to submit electronic data simultaneously，if your goods belong to a high-frequency inspection category，you need to coordinate with the freight forwarder to reserve a customs inspection channel in advance to shorten the inspection time. Emergency response plans must be implemented in advance: Require the freight forwarder to provide an emergency plan for near-expiry goods，such as canceling the declaration and re-submitting within 12 hours if there is a document error，if customs detention is triggered，coordinate with customs on-site specialists to give priority to review，and apply for temporary warehouse reduction policies. Finally，ensure that all operations comply with the 2025 updated Guidelines on Customs Clearance Facilitation for Imported Cosmetics issued by the General Administration of Customs，to achieve compliant and fast customs clearance.", "upvoteCount": 2, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/qualified-freight-forwarder-import-customs-clearance.html#acceptedAnswer", "datePublished": "2026-07-14T00:23:15Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Cindy Chen","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/cindy-chen/"} } ,"suggestedAnswer": [ { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The core prerequisite for a freight forwarder to act as an agent for import customs clearance is to obtain the Registration Certificate for Customs Declaration Units issued by the customs. Many small and medium-sized freight forwarders have the misunderstanding of "subcontracting to a customs broker", that is, they have no qualification themselves and only operate through cooperating customs brokers, which will lead to unclear division of customs clearance responsibilities. If the freight forwarder does not truthfully inform the subcontracting situation, once there is a valuation dispute or inconsistent documents, the customs will directly hold the entrusting party (you) accountable, rather than the subcontracting customs broker. At this time, you need to require the freight forwarder to provide its customs qualification certificate, and clearly specify in the entrustment agreement that "if customs detention is caused by the freight forwarder's qualification issues, the freight forwarder shall bear all losses in full" to avoid falling into a responsibility vacuum. In addition, for high-regulated categories such as cosmetics, you need to check whether the freight forwarder is familiar with the 2026 latest valuation rules issued by the General Administration of Customs, especially the dutiable value assessment standards for cross-border e-commerce import goods.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/qualified-freight-forwarder-import-customs-clearance.html#suggestedAnswer-2", "datePublished": "2026-07-14T00:21:23Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Evelyn Li","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/evelyn-li/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "When entrusting a freight forwarder to act as an agent for import customs clearance, you need to clearly define cargo right control and demurrage risk isolation at the same time. If the freight forwarder is responsible for both transportation and customs clearance, require them to only transfer the cargo rights to a qualified customs broker during the bill of lading endorsement, rather than holding them themselves, to avoid the freight forwarder taking away the cargo or the goods being detained due to debt disputes. Regarding the port demurrage policy of Yangshan Port, the free storage period for near-expiry goods has been adjusted to 3 days since 2026. The freight forwarder needs to apply to the port in advance for priority processing rights for near-expiry goods, and complete the manifest confirmation 24 hours before customs declaration, to avoid being unable to declare in time after the goods arrive due to delayed manifest transmission. If the customs clearance time promised by the freight forwarder exceeds 48 hours, require them to sign a demurrage indemnity agreement, and compensate 0.5% of the goods' value for each day of delay.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/qualified-freight-forwarder-import-customs-clearance.html#suggestedAnswer-3", "datePublished": "2026-07-14T00:19:47Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Lucas Liu","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/lucas-liu/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "If you choose a freight forwarder to act as an agent for import customs clearance, you can also apply for the cross-border e-commerce import VAT deferral policy, which can effectively ease the capital pressure. It should be noted that the freight forwarder must have tax agency qualification, and accurately submit your cross-border e-commerce platform qualification certificate, sales pre-order and other materials during declaration, to comply with the 2026 "paperless VAT deferral declaration" requirements promoted by Shanghai Customs. In addition, you need to check whether the freight forwarder correctly calculates the import tariff, consumption tax and value-added tax, to avoid tax audits due to under-declared prices. If your goods are imported from the EU, you also need to require the freight forwarder to provide the EU VAT payment certificate for deducting the value-added tax in the domestic sales link, to avoid double taxation. At the same time, clearly define the responsibility division of tax declaration in the entrustment agreement, and the freight forwarder shall bear all tax fines caused by their declaration errors.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/qualified-freight-forwarder-import-customs-clearance.html#suggestedAnswer-4", "datePublished": "2026-07-14T00:09:54Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Michael Zhang","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/michael-zhang/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "When entrusting a freight forwarder to act as an agent for import customs clearance, you need to implement compliance requirements for receipt and payment of foreign exchange at the same time. Since 2026, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange of Shanghai has implemented "document comparison and verification" for receipt and payment of cross-border e-commerce import goods. The freight forwarder must submit customs clearance documents, bill of lading, invoice and other materials within 3 working days after customs clearance is completed, for you to handle foreign exchange settlement or purchase procedures at the bank. If the freight forwarder fails to provide compliant documents in time, your foreign exchange account may be listed as a concerned account, affecting subsequent cross-border receipt and payment operations. In addition, require the freight forwarder to use the CIPS RMB cross-border payment channel to settle freight forwarding service fees, to avoid additional costs caused by exchange rate fluctuations of the SWIFT channel, and ensure that all receipt and payment records are consistent with the amounts on the customs clearance documents and sales orders, forming a complete compliance chain.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/qualified-freight-forwarder-import-customs-clearance.html#suggestedAnswer-5", "datePublished": "2026-07-14T00:09:53Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Jason Wu","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/jason-wu/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Before entrusting a freight forwarder to act as an agent for import customs clearance, you need to sign a clear agency agreement, with core clauses including customs clearance qualification commitment, responsibility division, penalty standards, etc. You need to specifically add an Intellectual Property Rights Customs Protection Clause, because cosmetic products often involve trademark infringement. If the freight forwarder fails to check the trademark authorization documents of the goods during customs clearance, leading to goods being detained due to infringement, the freight forwarder shall bear all losses. In addition, the agreement must clearly define the scope of "force majeure" exclusion: delays or detentions caused by the freight forwarder's own operational errors do not fall within the scope of force majeure, and the freight forwarder shall compensate in full. At the same time, require the freight forwarder to provide the subcontracting agreement with its cooperating customs broker to ensure that the customs broker has corresponding qualifications, and avoid the situation where the freight forwarder subcontracts to unqualified institutions without authorization.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/qualified-freight-forwarder-import-customs-clearance.html#suggestedAnswer-6", "datePublished": "2026-07-14T00:04:28Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Linda Gao","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/linda-gao/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "For your near-expiry cosmetic products, you need to clarify the inspection response plan in advance when entrusting the freight forwarder with customs clearance. The customs inspection of cosmetics at Yangshan Port mainly includes label review, ingredient testing and cargo-document comparison. The freight forwarder must arrange a specialist familiar with the inspection rules of cosmetic products to be responsible for on-site coordination. If the customs requires sampling and testing, require the freight forwarder to submit the testing application within 24 hours, and coordinate the testing institution to give priority to the testing items of near-expiry goods, ensuring that the test report is issued within 3 days. In addition, check whether the cargo seals are intact. If the seals are damaged after the goods arrive, immediately require the freight forwarder to take photos and report to the customs, to avoid being identified as cargo damage or suspected smuggling. At the same time, require the freight forwarder to prepare the Chinese translation of the label samples in advance, to avoid customs detention due to non-compliant labels.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/qualified-freight-forwarder-import-customs-clearance.html#suggestedAnswer-7", "datePublished": "2026-07-13T23:38:30Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Eric Zhou","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/eric-zhou/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "If your cosmetic products include liquid or spray products, they belong to customs-supervised free-flowing or pressurized container goods. When entrusting a freight forwarder to act as an agent for import customs clearance, you need to ensure that the packaging meets compliance requirements. Since 2026, Shanghai Customs has implemented new packaging standards for imported cosmetics. Liquid products must have UN3480 certification, and the sealing of each package must pass a pressure test. The freight forwarder needs to check in advance whether the packaging of the goods meets the requirements. If there is non-compliant packaging, arrange for on-site reinforcement or replacement of packaging at the port before the goods arrive, to avoid inspection or detention due to packaging issues. In addition, for near-expiry goods, require the freight forwarder to use constant-temperature warehousing during transportation to avoid cosmetic deterioration due to high temperature, and submit the packaging test report during customs clearance for customs compliance review.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/qualified-freight-forwarder-import-customs-clearance.html#suggestedAnswer-8", "datePublished": "2026-07-13T23:34:02Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Kevin Lin","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/kevin-lin/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "From the perspective of long-term supply chain planning, if you continuously import cosmetic products, you need to weigh the cost and efficiency of entrusting a freight forwarder with customs clearance versus directly cooperating with a professional customs broker. If your monthly import volume exceeds 5,000 pieces, it is recommended to separate the transportation and customs clearance links, choose a qualified freight forwarder for transportation and a professional customs broker for customs clearance, which can effectively reduce the risk of a single link. In addition, you can change the trade term from CIF to FOB, transferring the customs clearance responsibility to the overseas supplier, but require the supplier to provide compliant documents. If your goods are often near-expiry, you need to optimize the supply chain layout and arrange transportation 30 days in advance to avoid goods expiring due to customs clearance time issues. At the same time, establish a customs clearance time early warning mechanism, and require the freight forwarder to submit pre-customs clearance documents 72 hours before the goods arrive, to ensure the smooth progress of the customs clearance process.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/qualified-freight-forwarder-import-customs-clearance.html#suggestedAnswer-9", "datePublished": "2026-07-13T23:32:03Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Andy Guo","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/andy-guo/"} } ] } }, { "@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": "Freight Forwarding Q&A", "item": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-freight-forwarding/"} ,{"@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Can a freight forwarder with customs declaration qualification act as an agent for import customs clearance?"} ] } ] ```