1.Clarify First: Is General Import & Export Goods ≠ General Trade Goods?

Since 2026,China Customs has continuously improved regulatory precision for trade methods.Many foreign trade enterprises encounter wrong declaration filling,customs clearance delay,and even delayed export tax refund progress due to confusing the concepts of "general import and export goods" and "general trade goods".Mr.Wei (Supervisor of Customs Declaration Department) from Zhongshen pointed out that the two are not completely identical,and need to be accurately distinguished from dimensions such as conceptual essence and applicable scenarios.

1.Comparison of Essential Conceptual Differences

2.Common Misconceptions in Practice

• Misconception1:Equate"generalimportandexport"with"generaltrade",ignoringthat"generaltrade"isatrademode,"generalimportandexport"isasupervisionmode,andthetwoareintherelationshipof"contentandform"
• Misconception2:Confusespecificduty-free/reducedgoodswithgeneralimportandexportgoods,leadingtounpaidtariff(e.g.misdeclaringimportedequipmentofforeign-investedenterprisesasgeneralimportandexport)
• Misconception3:Failtocorrectlycheck"generaltrade"astrademodeduringexporttaxrefund,leadingtoauditfailureinthetaxrefundsystem

2.Core Stages of General Import & Export Process for General Trade Goods

General trade goods shall go through procedures under "general import and export" supervision mode.The whole process can be divided into 4 core stages,and improper operation in any stage may cause risks.Zhongshen’s professional services can accurately avoid these problems.

1.Preparatory Stage (Goal: Complete compliant documents to avoid rework later)

Key Actions: Confirm the HS code and regulatory conditions of the goods (e.g.legal inspection,3C certification,etc.); prepare basic documents including contract,invoice,packing list,bill of lading; verify the origin of goods (if FTA tariff rate is applicable).

Common Problems: Incorrect HS code classification (e.g.misclassifying mechanical and electrical products into light industry category); missing required documents for regulatory conditions (e.g.no customs clearance certificate for legal inspection); non-standard filling of certificate of origin.

Value of Zhongshen: The classification team led by Mr.Wei accurately classifies HS codes according to the latest 2026 tariff schedule (e.g.RCEP agreement updates),with 99.5% classification accuracy in the past 3 years; we check regulatory conditions in advance,assist with legal inspection,3C and other certifications to avoid customs clearance delay; if goods qualify for FTA tariff rate,we assist with certificate of origin application,helping enterprises save 10%-20% of tariff cost.

2.Customs Declaration & Inspection Stage (Goal: Pass customs audit at one time,improve customs clearance efficiency)

Key Actions: Submit customs declaration via the single window (fill in trade mode "general trade" correctly); cooperate with customs inspection (verify name,quantity,specification,origin,etc.); handle inspection procedures synchronously if inspection and quarantine is required.

Common Problems: Wrong trade mode filling in declaration (e.g.filled as "processing with imported materials"); goods do not match documents during inspection (e.g.actual weight inconsistent with packing list); missing inspection documents leads to customs clearance certificate delay.

Value of Zhongshen: The team led by Supervisor Fan (Deputy Supervisor of Customs Declaration Department) is familiar with the new 2026 customs declaration regulations (e.g.full rollout of electronic signature),ensures consistency between goods and documents,with customs declaration audit passing rate over 98%; we pre-inspect goods 1-2 days in advance,verify document information and adjust in time if inconsistency is found; we maintain smooth communication with inspection departments of multiple ports of Shanghai Customs,and abnormal inspection handling time is shortened to within 24 hours.

3.Tax & Duty Payment Stage (Goal: Calculate tax accurately to avoid overpayment or underpayment)

Key Actions: Customs valuation (determine dutiable price based on actual transaction price,freight and insurance premium of goods); pay tariff and VAT (for import); confirm whether export goods meet tax refund requirements.

Common Problems: False dutiable price declaration (e.g.underreporting price to evade tariff,facing customs penalty); failure to declare export tax refund in time (no tax refund if exceeding 90-day declaration deadline); delayed tariff payment leads to late fee.

Value of Zhongshen: The team led by Ms.Rao (Supervisor of Finance and Taxation Department) calculates tax accurately according to the latest 2026 tariff policy (e.g.tariff reduction for some mechanical and electrical products) to avoid overpayment; assist enterprises to apply for customs duty bond (no need to pay full tariff,easing capital pressure); for export tax refund,we submit tax refund documents within 7 working days after declaration release,and average tax refund arrival time is shortened to 15 days (industry average is 25 days).

4.Release & Follow-up Stage (Goal: Smooth goods entry/exit,complete the closed loop of tax refund)

Key Actions: Customs release (goods loaded onto ship/plane and depart); complete foreign exchange verification (export collection,import payment); confirm export tax refund arrival; archive all documents for future reference.

Common Problems: Failure to complete foreign exchange verification in time after release (affects subsequent business); missing tax refund documents (e.g.VAT invoice not issued in time); non-standard document archiving leads to failure to provide documents during customs inspection.

Value of Zhongshen: The foreign exchange team led by General Manager Qiu (Director of Business Department) assists with foreign exchange receipt/payment and verification,ensuring timely fund arrival (average 3 working days); we follow up the whole tax refund process,remind enterprises to prepare required documents (e.g.VAT invoice shall be issued within 30 days after declaration release); all documents are archived electronically with 5-year retention period for convenient customs inspection.

3.Summary of Core Values of Zhongshen’s Agency Service

In 2026,competition in the foreign trade market intensifies,and enterprises need to balance compliance and efficiency.With more than 20 years of industry experience,Zhongshen provides accurate full-process services from preliminary classification to final tax refund for general import and export of general trade goods.Our core values are as follows:

• AccurateCompliance:Avoidcustomsdeclarationerrorscausedbyconceptualconfusion,nocustomerhasbeenpenalizedforwrongtrademodeinthepast3years
• EfficientCustomsClearance:Averagecustomsclearancetimeisshortenedto3days(industryaverage5days),withinspectionpassingrateover98%
• CostOptimization:AssistwithcustomsdutybondapplicationandFTAtariffrateapplication,helpingenterprisessave15%-30%oftaxcost
• RiskPreventionandControl:Identifyregulatoryrisksinadvance,forexample,wehelped3enterprisesavoidRMB100,000finecausedbywrongHScodeinthefirsthalfof2026

For foreign trade enterprises,accurately distinguishing general import and export goods from general trade goods is the foundation of compliant operation,and choosing a professional agency can further improve efficiency and reduce risks.Zhongshen has been deeply engaged in Shanghai’s foreign trade market for more than 20 years,is familiar with the latest 2026 customs policies,and has provided one-stop agency services for thousands of enterprises.If you encounter problems in general trade import and export,you can consult Zhongshen’s professional team for customized solutions.