In recent years, driven by the growth of the domestic cosmetics industry, numerous Chinese makeup brands have ventured into the global market. This article provides a comprehensive guide to the customs clearance procedures for exporting cosmetics.
I. Export process
(I) Submit a local declaration prior to export. For the initial export of cosmetics, the following documents are required:
1. A declaration of self-compliance. This declaration should confirm that the company holds a valid cosmetics production license, that the products comply with the importing country’s (or region's) relevant regulations and standards, and that their normal use poses no harm to human health.
2. Samples of foreign-language labels and their Chinese translations for the finished packaged cosmetics.
For subsequent exports, application materials that conform to electronic document standards can be declared as being in possession. Customs will verify the originals as necessary.
(II) Regional inspection conducted by customs authorities. The customs authority in the location of the manufacturer will review the documents submitted by the enterprise. Declarations meeting the requirements will be accepted. The local inspection department will conduct on-site checks, sampling, and inspections of exported cosmetics, all in accordance with control instructions, operational guidelines, and relevant regulatory standards.
(III) Conformity assessment. Comprehensive assessments are conducted based on on-site inspections, sensory evaluations, and laboratory test reports. Electronic original accounts will be issued for products that meet the standards. If the importing country or region requires inspection and quarantine certificates, the relevant certificates will be issued in compliance with such requirements.
For exported cosmetics that fail inspection and quarantine, technical treatment is allowed under customs supervision. Only after they pass re-inspection and quarantine, they may be exported. If technical treatment is not possible or if re-inspection after treatment still shows non-compliance, export will not be permitted.
(IV) Re-inspection. If an inspected entity disputes the inspection conclusion provided by customs, it has the right to apply for re-inspection in accordance with the Import and Export Commodity Re-Inspection Measures.
(V) Export declaration. The consignor or their representative for export cosmetics utilizes the electronic original account data issued by the local customs to process export declarations. Meanwhile, port customs perform random inspections at the port. Those who pass the inspection at the port will be allowed to clear customs. Those who fail the inspection and cannot be processed technically or remain unqualified after technical treatment shall not be exported.
(VI) Enterprise oversight. Directly affiliated customs offices oversee enterprises through methods such as "administrative verification" and "overseas notification verification". Based on actual operational needs, the directly affiliated customs and subordinate customs may implement the following control measures in line with GACC' requirements: adjust the proportion of supervision and sampling, require cosmetics exporters to submit batch-by-batch inspection reports issued by qualified inspection agencies to customs, suspend export declarations, and carry out necessary rectifications.
II. Notes
(I) Manufacturers of exported cosmetics must ensure that their products comply with the standards or contractual requirements of the destination country (or region). If the importing country (region) does not have relevant standards and there is no requirement in the contract, the GACC may specify relevant standards.
(II) Export cosmetics manufacturers must establish systems for raw material procurement, acceptance, and usage management, along with production recording and inspection recording systems. All relevant records should be retained for a minimum of two years.
(III) For cosmetics made from imported raw materials intended solely for re-export, if proof is provided at the time of raw material importation that these meet the regulations or standards of the destination country (or region), the need for inspection under domestic standards may be waived. The processed products, however, must undergo inspection and quarantine based on the standards of the importing country (or region).
(Qian Yubin)
Disclaimer：The above content is translated from Chinese version of China Inspection and Quarantine Times. The China Inspection and Quarantine Times version shall prevail.
Hot News
