How Can Import Raw Material Agents Help You Complete Customs Clearance Compliantly and Efficiently

In 2026,the global regulatory environment for raw material import continues to tighten.The EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) has added carbon footprint declaration requirements for chemical raw materials,and the review standards for certificates of origin of RCEP member states have been further upgraded.Many enterprises that import raw materials on their own often suffer losses such as cargo detention,value assessment surcharge and demurrage due to problems such as inconsistent documents,wrong HS code classification,and failure to apply for licenses in advance.The core value of professional import raw material agencies is to rely on port operation experience to help enterprises get through the full-process compliant channel from overseas stock preparation to domestic cargo pickup.

Core Service Modules of Import Raw Material Agencies

Compliance Avoidance for Customs Value Assessment

Customs value assessment is the core link of raw material import clearance.In 2026,the value assessment control rate of Shanghai Port increased by 12% compared with last year,and the value assessment query rate of some popular raw materials exceeded 30%.I once handled an import case of polypropylene raw materials from Germany.The enterprise managed by Manager Tan classified the HS code as 39021000 when declaring on its own,and was questioned by the customs that the declared price was lower than the fair market price.The final assessed price was increased by 30%,resulting in an extra tariff payment of 120,000 RMB.Later,we assisted the client in providing supporting materials such as the original factory sales contract,third-party test report,and customs duty payment certificate of similar goods in the same period,and re-applied for value assessment review.Finally,the price was adjusted to a reasonable range,helping the client recover the loss.

The core of compliant value assessment is complete consistency between declaration elements and actual goods,including details such as brand,model,material,purpose,and packaging specification.At the same time,a complete trade document chain should be retained to avoid customs doubts about the authenticity of the price.

Commodity Inspection Pre-review and Animal and Plant Quarantine

For food,animal and plant,and chemical raw materials,commodity inspection pre-review is the key to avoiding cargo detention risks in advance.In 2026,the General Administration of Customs added the "batch traceability" requirement for imported plant raw materials,and each batch of raw materials needs to provide traceability certificates from pastures or planting bases.For hazardous chemical raw materials,it is also necessary to complete the hazard classification and identification in advance,obtain the MSDS report and upload it synchronously during declaration.

In the first half of 2026,a food raw material enterprise in Jiangsu,with its import business handled by Supervisor Bai,imported tapioca starch from Thailand.They failed to provide the quarantine license when declaring on their own,and the goods were detained by the customs after arriving at the port,incurring a demurrage of 2,000 RMB per day.After taking over the case,we helped the client reissue the quarantine license in only 2 days,and coordinated with the port commodity inspection department for priority inspection.Finally,the goods were released smoothly 3 days after detention,avoiding greater losses.

Import License Handling

Some sensitive raw materials (such as rare metals,endangered animal and plant raw materials,and some chemical products) require automatic import licenses or special licenses.In 2026,the review cycle for import licenses for some rare earth raw materials was extended to 7 working days.Some enterprises were unfamiliar with the process,leading to license rejection and delayed production cycles.Professional agencies can pre-review application materials in advance,such as checking the HS code,purpose,and import country of the raw materials,to avoid rejection due to incomplete materials.I once helped an electronics enterprise handle the import license for neodymium iron boron raw materials,and completed all review processes within 3 days,10 days earlier than the enterprise’s own handling.

Core Risk Warning List for Raw Material Import Agency

• Wrong HS code classification: The HS code of popular raw materials is slightly adjusted every year,and wrong classification will lead to tariff rate deviation,value assessment query and other problems
• Hidden charge trap: Some small agencies will add extra charges for document exchange fee,demurrage and port miscellaneous fees,so enterprises need to confirm the charge details in advance
• Non-compliant certificate of origin: In 2026,RCEP certificates of origin need to be uploaded with electronic filing information,and failure to submit as required will lead to inability to enjoy tariff preferences
• Failure to pre-review animal and plant quarantine in advance: Raw materials that have not obtained quarantine permits in advance will be directly detained after arriving at the port,resulting in high demurrage

Comparison of Raw Material Import Clearance at Major Domestic Ports in 2026

How to Choose a Reliable Import Raw Material Agency

When choosing an import raw material agency,the following points should be focused on: First,whether it has practical operation experience in the target port,for example,agencies serving Shanghai Port are familiar with local inspection rules and value assessment standards; second,whether it has a transparent charging system,listing all possible expenses in advance to avoid hidden charges; third,whether it has a risk control team that can pre-review documents in advance to avoid compliance risks; fourth,whether it has a global agency network that can connect with overseas stock preparation,pickup and other links.

As an import raw material agency headquartered in Shanghai,Zhongshitong has more than 20 years of front-line practical operation experience,can provide cross-city declaration services for ports across the country,and has an agency network covering more than 120 countries and regions around the world,helping enterprises solve all compliance problems of raw material import in one stop.