Customs clearance dilemmas under the new landscape of imported equipment market

The global industrial equipment trade volume is projected to exceed $3.2 trillion in 2025, with China maintaining its position as the largest single importing country. However, the latest data from the General Administration of Customs shows a 37% increase in electromechanical product return rates compared to 2020, with 68% of customs clearance delays attributed to technical trade measures. This imposes higher professional requirements on import equipment agency services.

Six core functions of professional agency companies

• Qualification pre-review system
  • Verification of equipment origin certification
  • Pre - application for import license
  • CCC certification catalog comparison
• Tariff planning module
  • HS code breakdown for components
  • Application of free trade agreement tax rates
  • Temporary import-export scheme design
• Technical compliance management
  • Energy efficiency label verification
  • Safety protection standard adaptation
  • Environmental access testing

Service model comparison and selection criteria

Based on customs AEO certification qualifications and service scope, agency companies can be classified into three tiers:

• Basic service providers: Only provide customs declaration and basic logistics services
• Standard service providers: Possess technical document translation and compliance consulting capabilities
• Full-process service providers: Have overseas pre-inspection and technical rectification guidance capabilities

Typical risk prevention case analysis

Case 1: German machine tool import return incident
A company failed to verify the equipments energy efficiency level in advance, resulting in an entire shipment being detained at port due to non-compliance with the new GB 21455-2025 regulation. With professional agency intervention, a field technical rectification solution saved 28 days in customs clearance time.

Case 2: Japanese precision instrument tariff dispute
By declaring functional modules separately, the agency successfully reduced the import tax rate from 12% to 5%, saving RMB 870,000 in tariff costs for a single shipment.

Five key considerations for selecting an agency

• Whether possessing specificEquipment ImportsSuccessful Cases
• Does the technical team include mechanical/electrical engineers
• Ability to provide overseas pre-shipment inspection services
• Emergency response time commitment
• Whether a customs credit management system is established

Under the implementation of the 2025 revised Electromechanical Product Import Management Measures, selecting an agency with full-process technical handling capabilities can reduce comprehensive import costs by 15%-20% on average. Enterprises should particularly evaluate the agencys technical modification design capabilities and customs dispute resolution experience to ensure smooth implementation of special equipment import projects.