The Three Most Common "Hidden Pitfalls" When Clearing Imported Equipment Through Customs

2025Equipment ImportsNew market trends

According to the latest statistics from the General Administration of Customs, the total import value of mechanical equipment in the first half of 2025 increased by 17.3% year-on-year, with intelligent manufacturing equipment accounting for over 42%. While import volumes continue to rise, cases of misclassified declarations detected by customs inspection departments increased by 24% year-on-year, and the average port detention time per shipment extended to 8.7 days.

Analysis of Key Nodes in the Entire Customs Clearance Process

The typical equipment import process consists of the following six stages:

• Pre-declaration preparation phase
  • HS Code Pre-classification Confirmation (Technical Parameters of Equipment Required)
  • Verification of Import License/CCC Certification Documents
• Port arrival declaration phase
  • Maritime TransportationConsistency Check Between Bill of Lading and Packing List Data
  • Online Filing of the Import Application Form for Electromechanical Products
• Customs inspection phase
  • Verification of IPPC Mark on Wooden Packaging
  • Check the consistency between the equipment nameplate parameters and the declared specifications.

Key Points of Risk Prevention and Control in Practical Operations

A semiconductor company failed to complete the necessary procedures in time when importing a lithography machine in March 2025, resulting in...Filing for tax incentives on major technical equipment imports, resulting in overpayment of customs duties and value-added tax totaling RMB 3.87 million. This case reveals three core risk points:

• Misjudgment of eligibility for tariff preferential policies
• Error in reporting the split of equipment functional modules
• The evaluation criteria for residual value of old and new equipment are confused.

Strategies for Improving Customs Clearance Efficiency

Professional agency service providers can reduce customs clearance time by 40% through the following methods:

• Establish an equipment parameter database (including HS code cross-reference for 3000+ items)
• The pre-review system automatically verifies the completeness of declaration elements.
• The linkage declaration mechanism between local customs and port customs

Criteria for Verification of Agency Service Provider Qualifications

When selecting a customs declaration agent, the following aspects should be prioritized for verification:

• Customs AEO certification level (it is recommended to choose the Advanced Certified Enterprise)
• Professional Equipment Import Case Database Scale (Recommended 500+ Successful Cases)
• The proportion of team members with mechanical and electrical professional backgrounds in the customs affairs team (recommended to be no less than 60%).