How Chengdu Import Customs Clearance Agencies Achieve Compliant and Fast Clearance

Import Customs Clearance for Chengdu Enterprises: 3 Core Pain Points and Zhongshitong’s Targeted Solutions

As the western China foreign trade hub,Chengdu recorded an 18.3% year-on-year growth of total import and export value in the first half of 2026,while local enterprises generally face low clearance efficiency and high compliance risks.Ms.Xiong previously handled the equipment import project for a chemical enterprise in Chengdu,where the goods were detained at the airport port for 12 days due to the lack of advance verification of the import license for mechanical and electrical products,generating over RMB 80,000 in demurrage fees.Such issues account for 37% of over 100 Chengdu enterprise cases served by Zhongshitong,with core root causes summarized as below:

• HS Code misclassification (42% of total issues): One electronics enterprise incorrectly classified "IC testing equipment" as "semiconductor processing equipment",leading to the applicable tax rate rising from 5% to 12% and extra tax payment of RMB 230,000
• Missing pre-commodity-inspection (29% of total issues): A food import enterprise importing dairy products was rejected by the commodity inspection authority for non-compliance of nutrition facts labeling against GB 7718-2024,leading to 15 days of delivery delay
• Hidden fee traps (21% of total issues): A trading company was charged extra "port operation fee" by the freight forwarder during document exchange,while the fee was originally charged for Shanghai Port services,resulting in repeated overcharging of RMB 12,000 in Chengdu

Leveraging 20 years of port operation experience of its Shanghai headquarters,Zhongshitong has built a collaborative system connecting "Chengdu enterprises - national ports - global supply chains",the specific operational guidance is listed as follows.

I.Customs Valuation: Shift from "Passive Acceptance" to "Proactive Pre-judgment"

Common valuation risk points for Chengdu enterprises focus on inconsistent declared transaction prices of similar products and valuation disputes for goods under special supervision conditions.After the newly revised *Measures of the Customs of the People’s Republic of China for Adjudication of Dutiable Value of Import and Export Goods* came into effect in 2026,special attention shall be paid to the following requirements:

• For goods imported from RCEP member states,verify the Certificate of Origin (FORM R) in advance.Agricultural products that meet the "wholly obtained" rule can enjoy 0% tariff,such as Thai fragrant rice and Australian wheat
• For chemical products,provide detailed Price Explanation Letter specifying the composition of "FOB price + international ocean freight + insurance premium",to avoid being levied at higher tax rate when the Customs applies the "transaction value of identical goods" valuation method
• For mechanical products,provide separate "import equipment depreciation certificate" to prove the actual value of second-hand equipment.In one German equipment import case,the actual value was approved at a 15% depreciation rate based on the 2018 purchase invoice,saving 18% of tax compared to the Customs’ initial valuation

In practical operations,Zhongshitong completes price compliance scanning 3 working days in advance via the "pre-valuation system".In 2026,the average customs valuation pass rate of Chengdu enterprises has been increased to 89%,12 percentage points higher than the industry average level.

II.Pre Commodity Inspection and Special Supervision Requirements

Pre-inspection checklists vary significantly for different product categories.Take the new 2026 supervision requirements as example:

In one import case of a Chengdu medical device company,the cargo was intercepted by commodity inspection due to failure to check the validity period of the Class II medical device registration certificate (only 15 days left before expiration),resulting in breach of the hospital procurement contract.Zhongshitong identified the risk in advance via the "license expiration early warning system",completed the supplementary application within 24 hours,and finally avoided RMB 3 million of potential loss.

III.Full Process of Import License Application

Common goods that require import licenses for Chengdu enterprises include automobiles,scrap metals,and controlled chemicals.The latest policy adjustments in 2026 include:

• Scrap metal import requires "domestic consignee registration certificate",while Chengdu enterprises that have filed records with the General Administration of Customs of China are exempted from submitting physical paper documents
• Imported automobiles require 3C Certification verification.Starting from 2026,mandatory labeling of "battery capacity - cruising range" is newly added
• Pharmaceutical products require "import drug customs clearance form",while biological products shall submit "batch release certificate" simultaneously

It is worth noting that local Chengdu enterprises often face clearance delays caused by inconsistency between the license validity period and the customs declaration date.Zhongshitong realizes cross-regional (Chengdu) use of licenses issued in Shanghai via the "national port license collaborative platform",shortening the average application cycle by 5 working days.

IV.Customs Clearance Risk Early Warning for Chengdu Enterprises

The following high-risk scenarios should be noted in 2026:

• Logistics traps: Distinguish "sea waybill" and "bill of lading" during document exchange.The former is non-negotiable and non-transferable,while the latter shall verify the "to order" consignee notation.One Chengdu freight forwarder charged the document exchange fee without prompting the enterprise to provide the original bill of lading,leading to the cargo being detained by the port
• Exchange loss risk: When the USD/CNY exchange rate fluctuation exceeds 3%,it is recommended to adopt "batch foreign exchange settlement" (e.g.split the payment of import equipment into 3 batches,with an interval of 10-15 days between batches).One Chengdu machinery enterprise lost RMB 12,000 due to exchange rate difference caused by one-time full settlement in the first half of 2026
• Policy changes: Countries including India and Brazil have implemented "importer filing system".If Chengdu enterprises conduct direct import,they shall apply for "overseas exporter filing" 30 days in advance,otherwise the cargo will face return risk

Zhongshitong provides customized "risk prevention package" for Chengdu enterprises,including *2026 Import Supervision Policy Calendar*,*Dynamic HS Code Classification Manual* and *Transparent Customs Clearance Fee List*,to help enterprises build a full-cycle management mechanism covering "pre-inspection - in-process monitoring - post-operation review".

V.Advantages of Zhongshitong Chengdu Service Network

As the Shanghai headquarters,Zhongshitong solves cross-regional pain points for Chengdu enterprises with the following capabilities:

• National port interconnection: Cooperative service windows are set up at 12 directly administered Customs offices covering Shanghai,Tianjin,Ningbo and Chengdu,realizing "cross-region declaration and port release" (e.g.Chengdu-bound import cargo can complete inspection directly at Shanghai Port)
• Global agency network: Cooperating agents covering more than 20 countries in Europe,America and Southeast Asia provide door-to-door full-process logistics services.One enterprise in Chengdu Export Processing Zone reduced logistics cost by 23% via Zhongshitong’s agency service for direct shipment of bonded goods to Hamburg Port
• Digital tools: The self-developed "Zhongshitong Cloud Customs Clearance" system realizes full-process online visualization covering "declaration - document review - inspection - release",so that Chengdu enterprises can check the real-time customs clearance progress at any time

In 2026,Zhongshitong Chengdu service team has handled more than 1200 import shipments in total.The average clearance speed is 40% faster than that of traditional agencies,helping local enterprises save over RMB 30 million in hidden costs.

(Note: All cases in this article come from Zhongshitong’s authentic service records,and the enterprise names are anonymized for privacy protection)