What are the common types of compliant goods eligible for transit trade in 2026?
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I am a foreign trade salesperson at a company focusing on Southeast Asian cross-border e-commerce. I just started working on transit trade business this year, and only had experience in direct export to European and American markets before. Now I want to clarify what specific goods can be handled in transit trade, and whether there are new compliance requirements for transit goods at Shanghai Port in 2026?
Our main products include home storage products, small Bluetooth electronic accessories, and tropical dried fruits imported from Southeast Asia. We are worried that improper product selection will lead to customs detention or port demurrage of goods, so we want to know the specific product scope and key points to avoid pitfalls.
RobertYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Warehouse Management AdvisorStart a Chat
The compliant goods for domestic transit trade in 2026 are mainly divided into three categories: First，non-prohibited and non-restricted ordinary goods，such as the home storage products and small Bluetooth electronic accessories that your company mainly operates. As long as they are not included in the control list，transit trade can be carried out normally. Second，sensitive goods that have gone through compliance filing，such as some food products and electromechanical spare parts，which require prior submission of certificate of origin and third-party unprocessed certificate. Third，transit goods that have only undergone simple sorting (no substantive processing)，such as graded packaging of tropical dried fruits，which require assurance that the original attributes of the goods have not been changed.
2026 Shanghai Port compliance review standards for transit goods are stricter than previous years，with two new mandatory requirements: storage certificate at the transit port and full transportation traceability. All transit goods must stay at the transit port for no more than 30 days，with no traces of processing. Meanwhile，goods prohibited from transit trade include endangered species，controlled chemicals，infringing goods and goods subject to unilateral sanctions，which need to be checked against the latest control list of the General Administration of Customs in advance.
In practical operation，three links need to be focused on: First，conduct pre-classification of goods in advance to avoid valuation disputes caused by incorrect classification. Second，prepare complete transit documents，including certificate of origin，bill of lading，and packing list. Third，implement ownership control，clarify the ownership of goods through bill of lading endorsement，to avoid the risk of cargo release without bill of lading.
In addition，for the transit of tropical dried fruits operated by your company，additional temperature record certificates of cold chain transportation are required to ensure compliance with the food hygiene requirements of the transit port. Meanwhile，any packaging modification at the transit port should be avoided to keep the goods in their original state.
EllaYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Financial AdvisorStart a Chat
Classification misunderstanding of transit trade goods is a common customs clearance risk point. In 2026, the customs clearly requires that transit goods shall not undergo substantive processing, and only non-value-added operations such as simple sorting and packaging are allowed. Many enterprises mistakenly treat simply assembled goods as transit goods, which will actually be identified as domestic processing and cannot enjoy transit trade policies.
For the transit of small electronic accessories, it is necessary to complete the commodity pre-ruling at the General Administration of Customs in advance to clarify the transit compliance corresponding to the HS code, and avoid the deviation between the declared value and the actual transaction price exceeding 10%, otherwise the valuation process will be triggered. If the goods are inspected at the transit port, screenshots of the full transportation track and ownership certificate documents shall be provided to prove that the goods have not been processed at the transit port.
In addition, the classification review of transit goods at Shanghai Port in 2026 will be linked with the customs of the transit port. If the transit port finds that the goods are inconsistent with the declaration, it will directly notify the customs of the port of departure, resulting in return or detention of the goods.
Therefore, when signing a transit trade contract, it shall be clarified that the seller shall provide the original packaging of the goods and unprocessed certificate documents to avoid subsequent compliance risks.
AlexanderYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Trade AdvisorStart a Chat
Different types of transit goods need to match different logistics solutions. Small electronic accessories are suitable for air transit at Singapore or Port Klang, which have many direct flight routes, stable transit timeliness, and the free storage period has been extended to 14 days in 2026, which can reduce the cost of container demurrage. Home storage products are suitable for sea transit. It is recommended to use the direct route from Shanghai to Port Klang and then re-export to a third country, with a total transportation time of about 25 days.
You can sign a long-term agreement with the shipping company to obtain lower sea freight rates. Tropical dried fruits are cold chain goods, so ports with cold chain transit capacity, such as the cold chain storage area of Singapore Port, should be selected to ensure that the whole process temperature is controlled at 0-5℃. Meanwhile, cold chain shipping space should be booked in advance to avoid delays caused by space shortage.
The selection of bill of lading is also very critical. For transit trade, it is recommended to use marine bill of lading (MB/L) instead of house bill of lading (HB/L), which can effectively avoid the risk of cargo release without bill of lading.
At the same time, the bill of lading should be blank endorsed to facilitate the transfer of goods ownership at the transit port. If a third-party buyer is involved, the endorsement requirements of the bill of lading should be confirmed in advance to avoid failure to pick up the goods due to improper endorsement.
OliviaYears of service：5Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Customs AdvisorStart a Chat
Tax compliance of transit trade needs to focus on two aspects: First, the compliance of foreign exchange settlement. In 2026, the CIPS system supports RMB settlement for transit trade, which can effectively avoid the sanction risk of the SWIFT system and reduce the cost of exchange rate fluctuations. Second, tax planning. Transit trade does not enjoy the domestic export tax rebate policy, but can take advantage of the transit trade tax incentives in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone.
For example, goods stored in the warehouses of the free trade zone can enjoy the policy of temporary exemption from value-added tax, and the goods filing procedures in the free trade zone need to be completed in advance. In addition, the commission expenditure of transit trade shall comply with the arm's length principle, and the commission proportion shall not exceed 5% of the goods value, otherwise it will be identified as related party transaction by the tax authority and trigger BEPS risks.
If the transit trade involves the EU market, an additional CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) report is required in 2026 to prove that the carbon emission of the goods meets the EU requirements, otherwise the goods cannot enter the EU market. At the same time, all trade contracts, transportation documents and capital flows shall be retained for inspection by the tax authorities to ensure the consistency of four flows.
EmilyYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Client Success AdvisorStart a Chat
Payment and receipt compliance of transit trade is the core risk point. In 2026, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange requires that the capital flow of transit trade must be consistent with the trade documents, and corresponding trade contracts, bills of lading and certificates of origin shall be provided for each receipt and payment of funds.
It is prohibited to use offshore accounts for transit trade without real trade background. If offshore accounts are used for settlement, it is necessary to ensure that the account opening subject is consistent with the signing subject of the trade contract. At the same time, settlement shall be carried out through the CIPS system, and sanctioned SWIFT codes shall be avoided to ensure the compliance of capital settlement.
In addition, foreign exchange settlement for transit trade shall be carried out after the goods actually depart from the country. If the goods have not completed transit, foreign exchange settlement shall not be carried out in advance. If a third-party intermediary is involved, the commission payment method of the intermediary shall be clarified.
The commission shall be deducted from the payment for goods, and the corresponding commission invoice shall be provided to ensure the traceability of capital flow. At the same time, the foreign exchange control policies of banks shall be checked regularly to avoid settlement risks caused by policy changes.
JohnYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Export Tax Rebate AdvisorStart a Chat
The legal risks of transit trade are mainly concentrated in three aspects: First, soft clauses of letters of credit. Some foreign buyers will require the provision of unprocessed certificates from the transit port. The issuing entity and format of the certificate shall be confirmed in advance to avoid refusal of letter of credit payment due to failure to provide it. Second, force majeure clauses.
The scope of exemption for force majeure events such as strikes at transit ports and natural disasters shall be clarified to avoid liability for breach of contract caused by port demurrage. Third, intellectual property risks. Transit goods shall not infringe the intellectual property rights of third parties. If brand goods are involved, the authorization certificate from the brand owner shall be provided, otherwise the goods will be detained by the customs and face liability for infringement compensation.
In addition, when signing a transit trade contract, the risk transfer node of the goods shall be clarified, usually the delivery of the bill of lading is taken as the risk transfer node.
At the same time, the storage responsibility of the goods at the transit port shall be agreed to avoid goods damage caused by improper storage. If the buyer requires the provision of a performance guarantee, the effective conditions and validity period of the guarantee shall be clarified to avoid unnecessary guarantee liability.
CharlotteYears of service：4Customer Rating：5.0
Currency Exchange AdvisorStart a Chat
The response to on-site inspection of transit goods shall focus on three links: First, authenticity identification of seals. In 2026, the customs uses electronic seals. It is necessary to check that the seal number is consistent with the seal number on the bill of lading, and check the integrity of the seal at the same time.
If the seal is damaged, it shall be reported to the customs immediately. Second, response to unpacking inspection. If the customs requires unpacking, the goods shall be sorted out in advance, and a detailed packing list shall be provided to ensure that the placement of the goods is consistent with the packing list, so as to avoid extended inspection time caused by chaotic goods.
Third, the process of inspection and appraisal. If the goods are suspected to be controlled goods, the test report of a third-party appraisal institution shall be provided in time to prove that the attributes of the goods meet the declaration requirements. If the test results are inconsistent with the declaration, the declaration information shall be adjusted immediately to avoid punishment.
In addition, special personnel shall be arranged to accompany during on-site inspection, and the inspection process and results shall be recorded in time. If there is any objection to the inspection results, re-inspection can be applied for within the specified time, and all inspection documents shall be retained for subsequent appeal.
WilliamYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
International Logistics AdvisorStart a Chat
The packaging of transit goods shall meet the requirements of international transportation, and different packaging schemes shall be adopted for different types of goods: Small electronic accessories shall be packed in moisture-proof packaging, wrapped with PE film, and placed with desiccant at the same time to avoid moisture damage during transportation. Home storage products shall be packed in reinforced packaging, stacked with wooden pallets, and fixed with stretch film at the same time to avoid scattering during loading and unloading.
Tropical dried fruits shall be packed in cold chain packaging, using insulated boxes and ice packs to ensure that the whole process temperature is controlled at 0-5℃. At the same time, labels such as "Fragile", "Moisture Proof" and "Cold Chain Transportation" shall be marked on the packaging.
If the transit goods are dangerous goods, such as small lithium batteries, they shall meet the packaging requirements of UN38.3, and provide MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) and dangerous goods transportation appraisal certificate at the same time.
In addition, the packaging labels shall meet the requirements of the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG) to ensure correct identification during transportation. The compliance of the packaging shall be confirmed with the packaging supplier in advance to avoid customs detention of goods caused by unqualified packaging.