Six key dimensions for verifying import equipment bidding agency qualifications

Special requirements for import equipment bidding

In the electromechanicalequipment. 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.In this field, bidding agencies undertake professional functions such as technical parameter conversion, international standard alignment, and duty-free policy application. According to the newly revised 2025 Measures for the Implementation of International Bidding for Mechanical and Electrical Products, agency qualification deficiencies will directly lead to bid document rejection and may even cause delays in import license approval.

Three-tier verification system for core qualifications

First tier: Legal business licenses

• International bidding agency qualification for mechanical and electrical products (classified as Grade A, Grade B, or Provisional)
• Yesforeign tradetrade operators record - keeping registration
• Customs AEO certification qualification

Second tier: Professional capability certification

• Technical evaluation team for specific equipment categories (requires submission of engineer qualification certificates)
  • Medical EquipmentClinical medical engineers must be assigned for imports
  • Industrial equipment imports require matching mechanical automation specialists
• No fewer than 20 successful bidding cases for similar equipment within five years

Third tier: Risk prevention and control mechanism

• Comprehensive performance bond management system
• Emergency response plan for international trade disputes
• Third-party arbitration channel for equipment acceptance disputes

Key points of new qualification review regulations for 2025

According to MOFCOM Announcement No. 45, three new indicators have been added to the qualification review for import bidding agents:

• Cross-border payment compliance records (focus on reviewing foreign exchange settlement documents from the past three years)
• Insurance certificate for technical parameter mistranslation liability
• Origin certification document verification system connected to the General Administration of Customs database

Bidding agent service capability evaluation model

It is recommended to establish an evaluation system from five dimensions:

• Technology Transfer Capability: Accuracy rate of international standard conversion for equipment parameters
• Document standardization level: MOFCOM filing approval rate for bidding documents
• Process timeline control: Average lead time for obtaining import licenses
• Dispute resolution efficiency: Proportion of failed bidding projects within three years
• Cost control capability: Success rate of applying tariff preferential policies

Practical operation suggestions for qualification verification

Recommended adoption of the three checks and two verifications method:

• Check validity period of qualification certificates (pay special attention to annual review marks for provisional-level qualifications)
• Check authenticity of cases (require submission of customs import declaration numbers for verification)
• Check team stability (focus on reviewing employment certificates of core technical personnel)
• Verify system integration capability (test data exchange response speed with Single Window)
• Verify risk handling solutions (conduct simulation tests for sudden tariff policy changes)

Three key clauses in bidding agency contracts

• Qualification guarantee clause: Clearly specify liability for breach of contract due to qualification invalidation
• Technical interface clause: Require assigned engineers to participate in equipment acceptance
• Timeliness commitment clause: SetImport ClearanceLiquidated damages for each process timeline

Professional foreign trade agents should possess cross-department coordination capabilities to simultaneously interface with commodity inspection, customs, and foreign exchange authorities during the bidding process. When selecting an agency, enterprises should require submission of complete original qualification documents and conduct dual verification through the International Trade Single Window enterprise qualification query module.