New Trends in the Industry:Equipment ImportsRequirements

The global market size for foam molding equipment is projected to exceed $4.8 billion by 2025, with China accounting for 34% as the largest importer.New energyDemand in emerging sectors such as automotive battery packaging and temperature-controlled materials for cold chain logistics has surged, driving the need for equipment upgrades among small and medium-sized enterprises. However, data from the General Administration of Customs shows that among equipment-related return declarations in the first four months of 2025,The proportion of foam molding equipment reaches 21%., mainly involving issues such as non-compliance with technical parameters and lack of certification.

Key Control Points in the Entire Import Process

Matureforeign tradeThe agency service should cover three core stages:

• Preliminary technical coordination
  • Equipment Parameter Verification (12 Key Indicators)
  • Special Certification Pre-qualification (CE/UL/GB Standard Conversion)
  • Tariff Classification Prejudgment (Difference Between Tariff Codes 8477 and 8479)
• Customized Logistics Solutions
  • Precision Component Anti-Vibration Packaging Standard
  • Temperature-Controlled Transportation Cost Optimization Model
  • Port Special Equipment Handling Plan
• Customs clearance practical operations
  • Differences in Declaration Between Automatic Forming Machines and Semi-automatic Equipment
  • The process for obtaining environmental approval for the import of used equipment
  • Compliance Handling of Royalty Declarations

Typical risk scenarios and response strategies

A typical case encountered by a Zhejiang-based enterprise in 2025 when introducing a German foaming molding line:

• Technical barriers:The new EU Machinery Directive MDR 2025/32 updates the requirements for protective devices.
• Solution:The agent service provider conducts a preliminary technical document review in advance and coordinates with the manufacturer to issue a declaration of conformity.

Compare the time efficiency differences between different customs clearance methods:

• General trade declaration: average 15 working days (including commodity inspection)
• Temporarilyimport and exportMode: 8 working days (deposit required)
• Cross-border E-commerceChannel: 5 working days (for equipment under USD 300,000)

Special Considerations for the Import of Second-hand Equipment

In 2025, the import volume of second-hand equipment in Southeast Asia increased by 67% year-on-year, requiring special attention:

• The validity period of the import license for electromechanical products has been shortened to 45 days.
• The new customs valuation regulations require the submission of original manufacturer purchase documents.
• Please add a carbon emission verification step to the environmental permit application.

Decision Model for Preferred Agency Service Provider Selection

Four core competencies professional agencies should possess:

• Technical due diligence capability at the source of equipment manufacturing
• The success rate of resolving customs pre-classification disputes is ≥92%.
• The special transportation resource pool covers major ports.
• The tax planning solution achieves a comprehensive cost optimization of 18-25%.