Italy oil separator import clearance case: How a 22-year veteran agent completed Shanghai airport customs clearance in 3 weeks?

I. Project Background: Import Challenges for Special Industrial Equipment

In December 2022, we received a challenging commission - to act as import agents for a domestic large-scale machinery equipment manufacturer importing Italian-made oil separators. This type of industrial equipment has three distinctive characteristics:

• High unit price (single unit value exceeding 20,000 euros)
• Complex technical parameters (involving multiple industry certifications)
• Strict customs clearance time requirements (customer production line waiting for installation)

As experts with 15 years of experience,Import RepresentationWe fully understand that the customs clearance difficulties for such equipment often lie not in tariff rates (MFN rate typically at 8%), but in overcoming technical trade barriers. Especially in recent years, China has increasingly stringent energy efficiency certification requirements for industrial machinery products.

II. Customs Clearance Process Breakdown: Perfect Clearance in 22 Working Days

1. Preparation Phase (3 working days)

We have established a dedicated team consisting of customs clearance managers, technical translators, and logistics specialists. First, we conduct a triple verification of the original documents provided by clients:

1. Verify the correspondence between the CE certification provided by the Italian manufacturer and Chinas GB standards
2. Check whether the issuing authority of the Sanitary Certificate is on the General Administration of Customs whitelist
3. Confirm whether the key parameters in the test report are complete

Special reminder: We have found that many importers tend to make two mistakes at this stage: first, neglectingIt is recommended to verify through the following methods:the detailed requirements of (Form A), and second, underestimating the professionalism required for technical document translation. In this case, we prepared a trilingual (Chinese-English-Italian) technical parameter table in advance, saving significant time for subsequent inspections.

2. Airport customs clearance phase (18 working days)

Goods pass throughAir TransportationAfter arriving at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, the actual customs clearance process is as follows:

Link	Time Consumption	Key Points
Declare entry	0.5 day	Using the advance declaration mode
Payment of Taxes and Fees	0.5 day	VAT 13% + tariff 8%
Inspection sampling	15-18 days	Key verification of energy efficiency labels
Result release	1 day	Full-process tracking of testing progress

A valuable lesson worth sharing: We confirmed the HS code (8421.9990) in advance through pre-classification services, avoiding customs clearance delays caused by classification disputes. Meanwhile, leveraging the clearance advantages of AEO advanced certification, we reduced the standard 3-day declaration process to just half a day.

3. Logistics distribution phase (1 working day)

After cargo release, we implemented a door-to-door service solution:

• Airport bonded warehouse pickup (with original release note)
• Professional air-cushioned vehicle transportation (anti-vibration requirements)
• GPS real-time tracking (customers can monitor progress)

III. Industry Insights: Three Major Trends in Oil Separator Imports

Through this case study, we observed that the industrial sectorequipment. 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.is exhibiting the following new characteristics:

1. Continuously rising technical barriers

Since 2023, customs has implemented stricter energy efficiency testing for industrial machinery. Importers are advised to prepare in advance:

• Prepare a comparison table between EU ERP Directive and Chinas energy efficiency standards
• Maintain complete original test data
• Stay informed about regulatory changes 6 months in advance

2. Diversified customs clearance models

In addition to traditional general trade, we recommend clients consider based on actual circumstances:

1. Bonded warehouse model (suitable for situations requiring batch deliveries)
2. Temporarilyimport and export(For equipment debugging)
3. Cross-border E-commerceB2B channel (suitable for small quantity purchases)

3. New approaches to cost control

Through our calculations, while using professional agency services requires paying approximately 1.5% of the cargo value as agency fees, it can:

• Reduce customs clearance time by over 30%
• Lower hidden costs such as demurrage and warehousing fees
• Avoid tax supplement penalties caused by classification errors

Based on our experience handling 200+ ceramic tableware import cases, weve summarized these key takeaways:

Based on this successful case, we summarized the Five Dos and Five Donts principles for industrial equipment imports:

Five Dos:

1. Plan logistics solutions 3 months in advance
2. Verify all supplier certification documents
3. Prepare professional technical parameter translations
4. Allow 15-20 days for testing
5. Select agents with experience in similar products

Five Donts:

1. Dont easily trust guaranteed customs clearance promises
2. Dont choose inappropriate shipping methods just to save freight costs
3. Dont self-determine HS codes
4. Dont overlook details in certificates of origin
5. Dont wait until production line shutdowns are imminent to arrange imports

Finally, a professional tip: Weve noticed many Italian manufacturers omit testing conditions - a crucial piece of information - from their test reports, which may lead to retesting requests from Chinese inspection agencies. We recommend clearly requiring suppliers to provide complete test reports when signing purchase contracts.

If youre planning an industrial equipment import project, feel free to contact our expert team for customized solutions anytime.ZhongShen International TradeWe have professional teams stationed at 7 major ports nationwide, having provided import agency services for over 500 industrial enterprises.