Hefei International Import Agency: Practical Guide to Customs Valuation and Pre-inspection

Analysis of Core Compliance Points for Hefei International Import Agency

As an extension of Shanghai Zhongshitong’s business in Hefei,we have handled import agency needs for over 500 local Hefei enterprises,80% of which involve cross-port (e.g.Shanghai/Ningbo) customs declarations.Combining the latest 2026 customs policies,the following four links are core risk points that Hefei import agencies must avoid.

1.Customs Valuation: Declaration Skills Under 2026 New Rules

Among imported goods at Hefei Port,mechanical products (32% share) and chemical products (28% share) are most likely to trigger customs valuation.Notice No.4 of the General Administration of Customs in 2026 clearly states: For goods with an average import price deviation of more than 15% in the past 6 months under the same HS code,price questioning will be automatically initiated.

A Hefei auto parts enterprise (Supervisor Song) was classified as "suspected under-declaration" by Hefei Customs because the declared price of imported bearings was 18% lower than the average price at Shanghai Port for the same period,leading to a 3-day inspection delay and 12,000 yuan in demurrage fees.Eventually,the valuation and release were finalized by submitting the original factory purchase contract and historical transaction price evidence (FORM E Certificate of Origin).

Practical suggestions:

• Provide the "Price Comparison Table" of imported goods to Shanghai Zhongshitong 3 working days in advance,including transaction records of the same port and same HS code in the past 6 months
• For goods from non-RCEP member countries (e.g.the US/EU),supplementary certificate of origin + third-party valuation report are required (CIF price must include insurance/freight details)
• For easy-to-dispute categories such as chemical products and luxury goods,it is recommended to use the "base price + dynamic adjustment coefficient" declaration method (refer to Article 12 of the 2026 "Valuation Work Guidelines" of the General Administration of Customs)

2.Pre-inspection: Special Inspection Requirements at Hefei Port

Hefei Inspection and Quarantine Bureau implements "pre-review before inspection" for three types of products:

• Food contact materials (e.g.plastic packaging) need to provide SGS test report (2026 added heavy metal migration standards)
• Products in the 3C certification catalog (e.g.printers/home appliances) without CCC certificate are directly judged as "unqualified"
• Animal and plant-derived products (e.g.dairy products) need to submit the "Entry Animal and Plant Quarantine Permit" 72 hours in advance

Typical case: A Hefei food factory imported baking raw materials (wheat flour) and failed to note "non-GMO" on the customs declaration form.Hefei Inspection and Quarantine Bureau required return and re-declaration according to Article 38 of the "Import and Export Food Safety Management Measures",resulting in a direct loss of 48,000 yuan.

Pre-inspection process:

3.Animal and Plant Quarantine: Legal Red Lines for Import of Sensitive Products

Hefei Port implements a "zero tolerance" policy for animal and plant products:

• Meat (pork,beef,mutton) must be accompanied by the "Entry Animal and Plant Quarantine Permit" + foreign slaughterhouse registration number
• Fruits (durian/mangosteen) are prohibited from carrying soil/pits; violators will be fined 5,000-30,000 yuan according to the "Customs Administrative Penalty Implementation Regulations"
• Plant seedlings need to apply for the "Quarantine Approval Form for Introduced Seeds and Seedlings" in advance (2026 added genetic testing requirements)

A Hefei trading company (General Manager Tan) was seized by the Animal and Plant Quarantine Department of Hefei Customs for failing to declare "wooden pallets" when importing Thai durians; all goods were destroyed,resulting in a loss of 230,000 yuan.

Risk list:

• Prohibited imports: raw hides/feathers/unprocessed Chinese medicinal materials (2026 added "Wild Medicinal Material Resources Protection Regulations")
• Restricted imports: live plants/animal embryos (need to apply to the National Endangered Species Management Office 15 working days in advance)
• High risk: cold chain transport products (need to provide full-process temperature monitoring records; Hefei Port requires accuracy to ±0.5℃)

4.Import License Processing: Resource Advantages of Hefei Local Agents

Article 7 of the newly added "Import License Management Measures" in 2026 stipulates: Hefei Port implements "license first,declaration later" for the following products:

• Crude oil/finished oil (need to provide NDRC approval + import quota certificate)
• Controlled chemicals (need to submit "Dual-use Items and Technologies Import and Export License")
• Rare earth products (need to apply through the Ministry of Commerce’s Rare Earth Export License System)

Shanghai Zhongshitong can assist Hefei enterprises through the "national port linkage" model:

• Shorten the license processing cycle (average from 7 working days to 3 working days)
• Avoid the 30% inspection rate caused by "cross-region declaration" (in 2026,the inspection rate for cross-region agents at Hefei Port is higher than that for local agents)
• Provide "license-declaration form-certificate of origin" three-document matching service (Hefei Customs added AI verification system)

2026 Hefei Import Agency Must-Know Risk Warning

Common hidden cost traps:

• Document exchange fee: For goods transferred from domestic trade to foreign trade at Hefei Port,agents need to pay an additional "secondary document exchange fee" (about 500-800 yuan per shipment)
• Declaration delay fee: If declaration is not made within 14 days after goods arrive at the port,a daily delay fee of 0.05% of the goods value will be levied (the "holiday extension" policy is canceled from 2026)
• Warehousing fee: Dangerous goods need to be stored in Hefei Port’s dangerous goods warehouse (0.8 yuan per cubic meter per day; warehousing fee increased by 15% in 2026)

Compliance red lines:

• Declaration elements do not match the actual goods: For example,an enterprise failed to declare the "SPF30 sun protection index" of cosmetics,triggering the customs penalty for "false declaration" (fine starting from 5,000 yuan)
• Forgery of certificate of origin: Hefei Customs seized 12 cases of FORM R certificate forgery in 2026; all involved enterprises were included in the "dishonesty list"
• Expired 3C certification: If the validity period of home appliance product certification expires and is not updated,Hefei Customs will directly handle it as "import without certificate"

Conclusion: Shanghai Zhongshitong’s Hefei Import Agency Service Package

As an import and export agency rooted in Shanghai and serving Hefei,we can solve:

• Cross-port clearance problems for local Hefei enterprises (e.g."door-to-door" solution for land transport from Ningbo Port to Hefei)
• Tariff reduction for goods from RCEP member countries (e.g.ASEAN/Australia-New Zealand) in 2026 (FORM R certificate of origin pre-review)
• Application for priority inspection channel for Hefei Customs AEO-certified enterprises (need to provide compliance records of the past 12 months)

To obtain the "2026 Hefei Import Agency Compliance List" or HS code classification consultation,you can contact Shanghai Zhongshitong’s Hefei Business Department (working days 9:00-18:00).