2026 Import Customs Declaration: Comprehensive Overview of Core Documents, Compliance Materials, and Practical Details

Core Materials Required for Customs Price Verification Process

In 2026,customs price verification has fully adopted AI big data comparison models,covering trade databases from 37 countries worldwide,and directly places control on goods where the declared price deviates by more than 8% from the transaction price of the same category.Required materials include: Valid Transaction Contracts (loading,unloading,and transportation allocation fees must be clearly stated for EXW/FOB terms),Commercial Invoice,Packing List,Certificate of Origin (electronic network version required for RCEP member countries),and Payment Voucher.

Practical Pitfall Avoidance Tips

• If the goods are second-hand electromechanical products,an additional China Inspection and Quarantine (CIQ) Certificate is required,and the equipment depreciation rate must be indicated to avoid customs price verification as brand-new equipment;
• For anti-dumping tariff-sensitive categories (such as EU stainless steel pipe fittings),the original Certificate of Origin must be provided to prove that the goods are not from a country on the anti-dumping list; otherwise,an additional anti-dumping tariff of up to 249% will be imposed;
• The payment voucher must exactly match the invoice amount; if there is a down payment,the down payment transfer record must be supplemented to avoid being judged as underreporting the price.

Leveraging the advantage of Shanghai Port as a global trade data hub,customs price verification control rules can be predicted in advance,and pre-audit services are provided for high-risk categories (such as luxury goods and precision instruments),reducing the price verification objection rate to below 3%,while covering cross-region declaration needs at 23 ports nationwide,eliminating the need for enterprises to travel to multiple locations.

Materials Required for Commodity Inspection Pre-inspection Process

In 2026,the national commodity inspection system has achieved cross-port data sharing,and Shanghai Port can complete pre-inspection on behalf of other ports nationwide.For general cargo,Entry Goods Inspection Application,Product Specification,and Quality Certificate are required; for chemical goods,additional MSDS Report,Hazard Label Sample,and UN Number Proof are required; for electromechanical products,Electromechanical Certificate (for certificate-involved categories) and CCC Certification Certificate (for mandatory categories) are required.

Risk Warning: In 2026,the commodity inspection system has increased the review accuracy of chemical goods MSDS to the molecular structure level.If the components labeled in the MSDS deviate from the actual goods by more than 5%,the goods will be detained directly,with a daily demurrage fee reaching up to 0.15% of the container value.In addition,some freight forwarders charge document exchange fees that are 30% higher than the market standard.Directly contacting the shipping company to confirm the fee standard can reduce the document exchange cost by 15%-20%.

Materials Required for Animal and Plant Quarantine Process

For animal and plant-derived goods (such as fresh food,wood,and fur),in 2026,customs has achieved real-time data connection with the quarantine authorities of the exporting country.Official Quarantine Certificate of the Exporting Country,Certificate of Origin,and Entry Animal and Plant Quarantine Permit are required; if it is a genetically modified product,an additional GMO Safety Certificate is required.

Practical Case: In February 2026,an imported wood enterprise failed to provide the electronic network version of the exporting country’s quarantine certificate,causing the goods to be detained at Shanghai Port for 3 days,resulting in demurrage fees of 12,000 yuan.By communicating with the exporting country’s quarantine authorities in advance through the global agent network and completing the online filing of the electronic certificate,the customs clearance time for subsequent batches of the same goods was shortened to 8 hours without any additional fees.

For overseas holidays such as Ramadan and Christmas season,document pre-inspection must be completed 10 working days in advance to avoid certificate delays caused by the leave of the exporting country’s quarantine authorities,while booking shipping space and customs declaration time slots to avoid port congestion risks.

Materials Required for Import License Application

For certificate-involved categories (such as endangered species,precious metals,and second-hand electromechanical products),import licenses must be applied for in advance.In 2026,the entire process of license application has been digitalized online.Required materials include: Import License Application Form,Business License,Import and Export Rights Filing Certificate,Contract,Certificate of Origin,and CIQ Certificate (for second-hand electromechanical products).

Efficient Application Guide

• For certificate-involved goods from RCEP member countries,expedited license application can be processed based on the Certificate of Origin,reducing the review period from 5 working days to 2 working days;
• For second-hand electromechanical products’ license application,the equipment’s service life and maintenance records must be provided to avoid being judged as non-compliant with environmental protection standards;
• If the goods involve transshipment in multiple countries,the unprocessed certificate of the transshipment country must be provided to avoid being judged as non-origin country goods and unable to enjoy tariff concessions.

Risk Warning: In 2026,the fluctuation range of the US dollar exchange rate has expanded to ±3.2% monthly.Enterprises need to lock in the foreign exchange settlement rate in advance to avoid exchange losses caused by exchange rate fluctuations,reducing exchange loss costs by up to 4.5%.In addition,incorrect HS code classification will result in a fine of 5%-10% of the declared goods value.Professional databases must be relied on for pre-classification to ensure 100% code accuracy.