The Hidden Gold Mine of Glass Equipment Import Tariffs: A 2025 Practical Breakdown

Glass under the 2025 Tariff Policyequipment. For example, Indonesia has the SNI certification, Thailand has the TISI certification, and the Philippines has the BPS certification. It is necessary to confirm in advance the equipment voltage (such as 380V/50Hz in Thailand), the compatibility of the CE certification, and the proof of environmentally friendly materials.Panoramic View

The latest release from China Customs2025 Provisional Tariff Implementation Planshows structural adjustments to import tariffs on glass industry equipment. The tariff on annealing kilns for float glass production lines has been reduced from 8% to 5%, whilephotovoltaicthe provisional import tariff on glass processing equipment maintains a 3% preferential rate. Notably, Customs has added9013.8090new HS codes specifically regulating imports of laboratory-grade glass instruments, which will directly impact scientific equipment procurement.

Three Practical Rules for HS Code Classification

In customs commodity classification practice, glass equipment showsa 30% declaration error ratemainly concentrated in the following areas:

• Functional Definition Misconceptions: The tariff difference between laser cutters and ordinary cutters reaches 7%
• Material Identification Blind SpotsEquipment containing precious metal components requires separate declaration for additional taxes
• Missing usage descriptionDifferences in regulatory conditions between industrial and laboratory equipment

Precise capture path for tax incentive policies

• Free Trade Agreement Utilization:
  • 14% tariff reduction for Japanese glass molding equipment under RCEP
  • Five-year progressive tariff reduction mechanism for glass molds under China-Korea FTA
• Special regulatory policies:
  • Tariff refund policy for R&D equipment imported by high-tech enterprises
  • Catalog of Import Tax Incentives for Major Technical Equipment (2025 Edition)

Customs audit priorities and compliance solutions

According to General Administration of Customs Announcement No. 38 of 2025, inspection focus for glass equipment imports shifts to:

• It is recommended to verify through the following methods:Clear correspondence with equipment serial numbers
• Updated assessment standards for residual value rate of used equipment
• Detailed rules for declaring additional taxes on environmental protection equipment

Tax-saving operation examples in typical scenarios

Case 1:A photovoltaic enterprise imported German-made coating equipment throughSplit customs declarationSeparate declaration of main unit (5%) and control system (0%) saved 420,000 yuan in tariffs

Case 2:Medical EquipmentThe company incurred 17% VAT non-deductible due to incorrect classification of laboratory glassware, recovering 830,000 yuan in losses after professional reclassification service

Evolution direction of agency services in 2025

• Establish dynamically updated HS code database (covering 26 glass equipment sub-categories)
• Develop tariff simulation calculation system (covering 12 trade agreement scenarios)
• Provide end-to-end visualized customs declaration tracking service