Home»Import Representation» How Can New Energy Companies Complete Special Machinery Equipment Import Customs Clearance in 3 Days? The Winning Strategy of Professional Agency
In the summer of 2023, Mr. Wang, the procurement director of a new energy technology company in Shandong, faced a thorny problem: The companys new electrolyzer equipment worth 2.8 million euros purchased from Germany was about to arrive at port, but none of the multiple customs brokers contacted could clearly answer three key questions: Is there any dispute over the customs classification of special equipment? Can they provide door-to-door tax optimization solutions? How to handle the lack of import qualifications?
After comparing 7 service providers, they ultimately choseZhongShen International Trade. This decision later made Mr. Wang exclaim: From signing the agency agreement to the equipment entering the factory took only 17 days, with customs clearance completed in just 3 working days, saving us 11 days of production preparation time compared to our estimated 2 weeks.,
Based on our 15 years of agency experience, new energy equipment imports typically get stuck at three stages:
Disputes over commodity classification: A certainphotovoltaicThe companys coating equipment was once mistakenly classified under HS code 8537, resulting in 12% overpayment of tariffs
Long document preparation cycle: EU equipment technical documents require an average of 3 weeks for localization processing
Persistently high inspection rate: Qingdao Customs unpacking inspection rate for electromechanical equipment reached 28% in 2022
For this case, we completed three preparatory tasks in advance: 1) Pre-confirmed HS code based on equipment drawings; 2) Guided German party to modify technical parameter sheets according to Chinese standards; 3) Prepared completeIt is recommended to verify through the following methods:documentation chain. These preparations ultimately enabled the goods to benefit from China-EU Agreement tariff preferences.
Five key control points for door-to-door service
Unlike ordinary freight forwarders, professional import agents need to manage the entire process:
Link
Service Content
Case solution
Overseas segment
Pre-shipment inspection
Arranged IPI inspection by third-party agency in Hamburg
Transport segment
Dangerous goods declaration
Equipment containing lithium battery modules requires separate declaration
Customs clearance segment
Pre - classification ruling
Applied in advance for HS code 8419.89 confirmation
Taxation segment
Duty reduction/exemption filing
Utilized encouraged projects policy to save on tariffs
Logistics segment
Special transportation
Arrange low-bed trailers for oversized equipment handling
Why did the client ultimately choose us?
During the price comparison stage, our quote wasnt the lowest, but the client valued three differentiating advantages:
Qualification sharing service: Using our 10-year AA-class customs declaration qualifications to handle imports, solving the clients lack ofimport and exportauthorization issue
Risk commitment clause: Written guarantee to fully cover any tax difference caused by classification errors
Visual tracking system: Real-time updates across 22 nodes from Hamburg factory to Shandong workshop
Particularly noteworthy is ourTax sandbox simulation,service, which simulates tax burden differences across trade methods (general trade/temporary import-export/leasing trade), ultimately helping clients save 9.7% in comprehensive costs.
The professional logic behind 3-day customs clearance
Fast clearance isnt luck but the result of systematic operations:
Advance declaration: Complete pre-entry of customs declaration documents 72 hours before vessel arrival
Pre - review of documents: CIQ experts pre-review German manual translations
Customs-enterprise collaboration
When goods actually arrive at port, we adopt a two-step declaration model: First submit summary declaration (5-minute release), then complete full documentation during transit. This innovative approach allows goods to directly enter customs inspection green channels upon arrival.
Four suggestions for import enterprises
Based on this success case, we recommend technical equipment importers:
Plan import routes 6 months in advance, especially for tax reduction/exemption projects
Require suppliers to provide bilingual technical documents compliant with Chinese standards (GB standards preferred)
Carefully select agents who merely compete on price - evaluate professional capabilities:
- Whether they have experience with similar equipment cases
- Ability to provide tax optimization solutions
- Whether they possess crisis handling experience
Leverage free trade agreements - German machinery enjoys 5% tariff preference under China-EU agreements
As this case demonstrates, the value of professional import agents lies not in processing formalities but in using experience to anticipate risks, integrating resources to streamline processes, ultimately creating visible time value and cost savings for clients.
About Zhongshen
Since our establishment in 2003, weve provided professional import services for over 1,200 tech companies, with particular expertise in:
Temporary import/export of precision instruments (ATA Carnet)
Major technical equipment tax reduction/exemption applications
Special transportation solution design (oversized/precision/dangerous goods)
We recently completed a vacuum coating machine import project for a semiconductor company, setting an industry record with single equipment value reaching 120 million yuan. If youre planning equipment imports, feel free to contact our expert team for customized solutions.