How to avoid hidden risks in equipment imports?

EquipmentImport RepresentationPractical process breakdown

Professionalforeign tradeAgency company undertakingequipment. 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.business operations requires establishinga full-chain risk control system. Typical procedures include:

• Pre-operation technical parameter verification
  • Matching customs tariff codes with product descriptions
  • Verifying whether equipment power parameters comply with energy efficiency standards
• Triple verification mechanism for declaration documents
  • It is recommended to verify through the following methods:Examination of certificates and brand authorization chain
  • Pre - review of import licenses for mechanical and electrical products
• Special handling for port operations
  • Unloading solutions for oversized equipment at docks
  • Acceptance standards for moisture-proof and shock-resistant packaging

Five major risk areas in import procedures

According to the latest 2025 data from the General Administration of Customs, the declaration error rate for equipment goods is 37% higher than ordinary commodities, with main risks concentrated in:

• Classification dispute risks: Multi-functional processing equipment often leads to HS code disputes
• Technical barrier risks: EU CE certification update cycles shortened to 18 months
• Logistics damage risks: Transportation damage rate for precision instruments reaches as high as 13%
• Fund precipitation risks: Average port detention time for complete sets of equipment reaches 8.7 days
• Post-Supervision Risks: Extended environmental disposal liability tracing period for used mechanical and electrical equipment

Value creation points of professional agency services

High-quality agency companies should providefull lifecycle solutionsrather than simple customs clearance services:

• Risk Pre-management
  • Establishing equipment technical parameter databases (covering 3000+ product items)
  • Predicting tariff reduction paths under RCEP agreements
• Emergency handling capacity
  • 72-hour fast clearance channel (applicable to AEO certified enterprises)
  • Temporary CCC certification processing (reducing average processing time by 15 working days)
• Cost optimization combination
  • Transportation insurance packages (saving 23% on premium costs)
  • Port detention fee dispute negotiation (successful case reduction rate of 61%)

New standards for selecting agency services in 2025

The equipment import agency market shows a trend of professional specialization. It is recommended to evaluate service providers from four dimensions:

• Industry access qualifications
  • Whether possessing specialized customs clearance qualifications for mechanical and electrical equipment
  • Special item transportation filing status
• Technical analysis capability
  • Professional electromechanical engineering team configuration
  • Successful cases of customs classification pre-ruling
• Risk transfer mechanism
  • Coverage scope of misdeclaration liability insurance
  • Advance compensation clauses for port detention losses
• Digital Delivery Standards
  • Real-time Customs Clearance Status Visualization System
  • Electronic Document Archiving Management

Practical case:Medical EquipmentImport customs clearance optimization

A tertiary hospital encountered the following when importing CT equipment from Germany:

• The original manufacturers documentation indicated power parameters conflicting with Chinas GB 9706.1-2025 standard
• Customs questioned the accuracy of equipment classification (proposed classification under 9018 instead of 9022)

Professional agencys countermeasures:

• Completed technical documentation compliance rectification within 72 hours
• Applied for Customs Classification Administrative Advance Ruling Procedure
• Coordinated with third-party testing agencies to issue conformity declarations

Ultimately achieved 17 days early clinical deployment, saving a total of 820,000 yuan in demurrage fees and penalty compensation.