Is it enough to have an MSDS for the import of ordinary chemical products?Last year,when I helped three fine chemical companies deal with customs clearance delays,I found that 80% of the problems stemmed from the "compliance of non-hazardous certificates" — there was even a company that used an expired "Goods Transportation Conditions Certificate" for one month,resulting in the goods being stranded at Ningbo Port for 12 days,incurring an additional 28,000 yuan in storage fees and demurrage charges.What’s more frustrating is that these problems could have been completely avoided through a three-day advance "compliance verification".

Why Do "Ordinary Chemicals" Easily Fail on "Compliance Details"?

Many people still believe that "ordinary chemical products" can be imported without much effort,but in reality,the customs’ definition of "ordinary" is "not listed in the Dangerous Chemicals Catalogue (2015 Edition) and not subject to statutory inspection" — these two conditions are indispensable.More importantly,even if the goods are classified as "ordinary",the port authorities will still focus on checking three key aspects: the timeliness of documentation,the consistency of packaging labels,and the accuracy of HS codes.

Ordinary chemical productsFull-process SOP: from single documents to release,every step is covered

Step 1: Confirm the "ordinary" attribute of the goods - three documents to lock in compliance boundaries

Output:

• Checkthe"CatalogueofHazardousChemicals(2015Edition)"(includingsupplements):Confirmthatthegoodsarenotlistedinthecatalogue(iftheyare,theyneedtobehandledinaccordancewiththeproceduresforhazardouschemicals);
• Checkthe"ListofEntryandExitCommoditiesSubjecttoInspectionandQuarantinebyEntry-ExitInspectionandQuarantineInstitutions":Confirmwhetherthecommoditybelongsto"commoditiessubjecttolegalinspectionandquarantine"(forexample,thepaintwithHScode38081019requireslegalinspectionandquarantine).
• Checktheinformationprovidedbythemanufacturer.MSDS(MaterialSafetyDataSheet):Item14"TransportationInformation"requiresclearlyindicatingthatitis"non-dangerousgoods".

Step 2: Prepare Core Documents — Avoid 90% of Customs Clearance Delays

Output:

• Basicdocuments:invoice,packinglist,contract,customsdeclarationpowerofattorney(stampedwiththecompany’sofficialseal),andinspectiondeclarationpowerofattorney(requiredforgoodssubjecttoinspectionbytheGeneralAdministrationofQualitySupervision,InspectionandQuarantine).
• ComplianceDocuments:The"GoodsTransportationConditionsAppraisalCertificate"issuedwithinoneyear(issuedbyaqualifiedtestinginstitution,suchastheShanghaiChemicalIndustryResearchInstitute),MSDS(whichmustbestampedbythemanufacturer,andtheEnglishversionmustbeaccompaniedbyaChinesetranslation);
• Supplementarydocuments:Ifthegoodsinvolve"dual-useitems"(suchassomecatalysts),itisnecessarytohandlethe"Dual-UseItemsandTechnologiesExportLicense"inadvance.Thelicense.

Step 3: Pre-declaration & Risk Screening — Block Loopholes with "Single Window"

Output:

By pre-entering the declaration information through the "Internet + Customs" platform,the customs authorities will focus on verifying three key points:

• ThenameofthegoodsshouldbeconsistentwiththeMSDS(avoidusinggeneraltermssuchas"chemicalrawmaterials").
• TheHScodeisconsistentwiththeTaxCode(forexample,"industrial-gradeethyleneglycol"shouldbeclassifiedas29053100,ratherthan29053990).
• The"declarationelements"mustbecomplete(forexample,the"componentcontent"needstobeaccuratetotwodecimalplaces).

Step 4: On-site customs clearance and inspection—Cooperate with the customs but avoid "over-submitting" documents.

Output:

If you are selected for inspection,please note the following:

• OnlyavailableforOriginaldocuments(Copieswillberequiredtobesupplementedwithoriginals);
• Thepackaginglabelsmustbeconsistentwiththedeclaredinformation(forexample,the"CASnumber"onthelabelmustbeconsistentwiththeMSDS).
• Ifthecustomsquestionsthe"non-hazardousnature"ofthegoods,the"electronicanti-counterfeitingcode"ofthe"GoodsTransportationConditionsAppraisalCertificate"canbeprovidedonthespot(someinspectionagenciessupportonlineverification).

2 Unspoken Rules of "Ordinary Chemicals" Only Industry Veterans Know

1.Under-the-table rules in taxation: Some "ordinary chemical products" are classified as "taxable consumer goods" (such as paints with HS code 32089090),and importers must pay an additional consumption tax (at a rate of 4%) when importing them.It is recommended to check the "Consumer Tax Item and Tax Rate Table" in advance to avoid cash flow issues due to "unforeseen consumption tax payments" during customs clearance.

2.Under-the-table rules in warehousing: Ordinary chemical products cannot be stored together with hazardous chemicals (even if they are "non-hazardous"),otherwise the warehouse will be fined by the emergency management department.When selecting a freight forwarder,it is necessary to confirm whether they have a "dedicated storage area for ordinary chemical products" (and provide the qualification certificate for the storage area).

3 things you can do this afternoon: Avoid falling into traps when importing next time

• 1.DigouttheMSDSofthecompany’slastimport,checkthe"DateofIssue"—ifitexceeds1year,contactthemanufacturerimmediatelytoupdate;
• 2.GototheofficialwebsiteoftheGeneralAdministrationofCustomsofChinaandcheckthe"LawandInspectionCatalogue"(searchfor"CatalogueofImportandExportCommoditiesSubjecttoInspectionandQuarantinebyEntry-ExitInspectionandQuarantineInstitutions"),toconfirmwhetherthechemicalproductsyouareimportingrequirecommercialinspectionornot;
• 3.Sendamessagetothecooperatingfreightforwarder:"Pleaseprovidethe’successfulcustomsclearancecasesofordinarychemicalproducts’inthepastthreemonths(includingthebillofladingnumberandcustomsclearancetime)"-avoidfindingfreightforwarderswhoonlyhandledangerouschemicals(theyarenotfamiliarwiththecompliancedetailsof"ordinarychemicalproducts").