Equipment ImportsThe real challenges of the industry

Against the backdrop of global supply chain restructuring in 2025, China's imports of electromechanical equipment maintained an average annual growth rate of 6.8%. According to data from the General Administration of Customs, in the first half of 2024, equipment-related goodsImport Customs DeclarationThe error rate has increased by 2.3 percentage points compared to the same period last year, with classification disputes accounting for 41.7%. Enterprises face three core pain points in self-declaration:

• The complexity of HS code classification has escalated, with technical barriers existing in the functional descriptions of new equipment.
• The eligibility criteria for tariff reduction policies have become stricter, and the requirements for the completeness of declaration materials have been raised.
• The compliance review process for Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) extends the customs clearance cycle.

Professional Agency Service Standard Operating Procedures

A high-quality customs declaration agent should provide comprehensive full-process services covering eight key control points:

• Pre-consultation phase
  • Pre-audit of equipment technical parameter compliance
  • Import Access Qualification Verification (3C/Energy Efficiency Label
• Declaration preparation stage
  • Multi-dimensional HS code cross-validation
  • It is recommended to verify through the following methods:Optimized combination plan
• On-site operation phase
  • Coordinated Customs Declaration at the Place of Origin and Clearance at the Port
  • Technical Specifications Professional Translation

Warning on Common Misconceptions in Corporate Declarations

Customs inspection cases from a certain province in 2024 indicate that 70% of declaration issues stem from enterprises' own operational errors:

• Self-classification leads to disputes over tariff rate differences (a certain enterprise mistakenly classified CNC machine tools under 8438 instead of 8458).
• Ignore pre-shipment inspection for old equipment (a certain imported second-hand production line was returned due to failure to complete PI filing).
• Underreporting of royalty fees (software licensing fees were not separately listed in a certain equipment import contract)

Core Value of Agency Services

Professional institutions create service premiums through three dimensions:

• Risk Pre-control System: Establish a product database to match HS code historical ruling cases
• Resource Collaboration Network: Establish dedicated technical communication channels with customs at major ports
• Cost - optimization solutions: Applying the latest tariff concession rules under the 2025 Free Trade Agreement

Cost Control Strategy for 2025

Cost Reduction Pathways Based on Recent Practical Cases:

• Classification optimization: A semiconductor device achieved a tax rate reduction from 8% to 3% through functional segmentation.
• Origin planning: Equipment components from ASEAN member states meet the RCEP accumulation rules.
• Logistics Solution: Sea-Air Intermodal Transport to Balance Shipping Costs and Port Congestion Risks
• Tax exemption policy: Staged payment plan for value-added tax on imported scientific research equipment

Criteria for selecting agency services

Recommend enterprises evaluate service providers from four dimensions:

• The accuracy rate of mechanical and electrical product classification (required >98%)
• Local customs credit rating (preferably AEO Advanced Certification enterprises)
• Technical document translation capability (requires professional field translator qualification)
• Emergency response time limit (on-site response within 2 hours for port anomalies)