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DOC 02 · PRODUCT DETAIL
The part of the description that will not fit
The declaration has one field for description and specifications. A screen protector, a machined bracket and a cosmetic cream all need more room than that: what it is made of, what it does, whose brand it carries, which model it is. The declaration elements carry that detail and tie it to the HS code.
One sheet per HS code, one block per item
Where a shipment carries several products under different codes, the element sheet repeats for each item. The item numbers here mirror the goods items on the declaration, which is what keeps the mapping honest.
The field that decides inspection
The three-digit quarantine suffix tells customs and the inspection authority whether this product is in scope. Adding 000 to reach 13 digits turns off an inspection the goods actually require.
SPECIMEN
Element sheet (9 lines)
The sequence below is the standard order. The content column is this shipment's data, not a template value.
Declaration elements
SPECIMEN · ELEMENT SHEET
| No. | Element | Content for this shipment |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Item number | 1 |
| 2 | Product name | E-book screen protector |
| 3 | HS code | 3926.90 |
| 4 | Quarantine suffix | 102 |
| 5 | Brand | NO BRAND |
| 6 | Model | SP-7P-3L |
| 7 | Brand type | 1 domestic own brand |
| 8 | Export preference | 0 no preferential tariff at destination |
| 9 | Other elements | Material: 3-layer PET with silicone adhesion layer Function: screen protection for e-readers Specification: 7 inch |
Two of these lines are code lists, not free text: brand type and export preference each take a single digit. A word in either field is rejected at keying.
FIELD NOTES
How to fill The sequence number inside the element sheet. It must follow the item number on the declaration, so item 1 here is item 1 there. Example 1 Cross-check Same order as the goods items on the declaration. Watch out Reordering the element sheet without reordering the declaration is how the wrong product gets the wrong HS code. How to fill The normalized name used in the tariff, in Chinese on a Chinese filing, with an English equivalent for the invoice and packing list. It has to resolve to one HS heading without argument. Example E-book screen protector Cross-check Invoice description, packing list goods name, declaration field 35. Watch out A name that describes the marketing category rather than the physical product — "phone accessories", "gift set" — cannot be classified. How to fill Eight digits from the tariff and statistical nomenclature. On the declaration this becomes the first eight of a 13-digit commodity code. Example 3926.90 Cross-check Declaration field 34, digits 1 to 8. Watch out Classifying by the finished device instead of the material article is the classic error: a plastic film is chapter 39, not chapter 85. How to fill Three digits appended for goods subject to inspection and quarantine, taken from the catalog in force at filing. Not every product has one; those that do cannot be filed without it. Example 102 Cross-check Declaration field 34, digits 11 to 13. Watch out Padding the suffix with 000 to make 13 digits switches off the inspection flag the goods actually need. How to fill The brand marked on the product or its retail packaging. Where there is no brand, write "no brand" — do not leave the field empty. Example NO BRAND / Anker Cross-check Matches the product, the packaging and any brand authorization letter. Watch out A brand on the carton that differs from the brand declared is treated as a false description, and an unauthorized foreign brand can be seized as infringing. How to fill The model or part number printed on the product or packaging, copied exactly including hyphens, slashes and letter case. Example SP-7P-3L Cross-check Matches the product label and the inspection photographs. Watch out Declaring a generic model such as "standard" removes the only field that distinguishes similar products in one shipment. How to fill A single digit from the customs brand type list: 0 no brand, 1 domestic own brand, 2 domestic acquired brand, 3 foreign brand under OEM production, 4 foreign brand other. Example 1 (domestic own brand) Cross-check Consistent with the brand named in field 5 and with the licensing arrangement behind it. Watch out OEM production for a foreign buyer is code 3, not 1. Declaring an own brand where the goods carry someone else's mark affects both classification and refund review. How to fill Whether the goods enjoy a preferential tariff in the final destination country: 0 no preference, 1 preference applies, 2 cannot be determined. Example 0 (no preference) Cross-check Matches the certificate of origin type attached to the shipment. Watch out Answering 2 because nobody checked stops the origin certificate from being issued against this entry. How to fill Whatever else the element catalog demands for that HS code: material, function, composition percentage, unit value, specification, processing method. The list is code-specific, not universal. Example Material: PET + silicone; function: screen protection Cross-check Must match the technical data sheet and the physical goods. Watch out Copying the element list from a similar but different HS code leaves required elements blank and the entry returns.
All nine elements
Every line has one job. Six describe the product, two record status, one ties the sheet to the tariff.
Product identityElements 1 to 6
2
Product nameRequired
3
HS codeRequired
4
Quarantine suffix codeConditional
5
BrandRequired
6
ModelRequired
Status and tariffElements 7 to 9
7
Brand typeRequired
8
Export preference statusRequired
9
Other elementsRequired
CODE LISTS
Brand type, five valid answers
This is a closed list. There is no sixth option and no free-text fallback.
| Code | Meaning | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | No brand | The product and its retail packaging carry no mark. |
| 1 | Domestic own brand | You own the trademark and it is registered in China. |
| 2 | Domestic acquired brand | A Chinese brand you bought or licensed from another domestic party. |
| 3 | Foreign brand, OEM | You manufacture to a foreign buyer's brand under contract. |
| 4 | Foreign brand, other | A foreign brand used outside an OEM arrangement. |
Export preference, three valid answers
0 no preferential tariff in the final destination country. 1 a preferential tariff applies. 2 it cannot be determined. Answering 2 because nobody checked is the same as not answering.
WHERE THE DATA COMES FROM
Who supplies each element
| Element | Source | Risk if invented |
|---|---|---|
| Product name, model | Product label, packaging artwork, technical datasheet | Description does not resolve to the code, entry returned |
| HS code, quarantine suffix | Tariff nomenclature plus the element catalog in the single window | Wrong classification, amendment plus inspection |
| Brand, brand type | Trademark registration, OEM contract, authorization letter | Infringement seizure on branded goods |
| Material, function, specification | Bill of materials, spec sheet, sample measurement | Missing required element, entry returned |
| Export preference | Buyer's instruction, certificate of origin type | Origin certificate cannot be issued against the entry |
QUESTIONS
Four questions on elements
Who prepares the declaration elements?
The exporter, or the factory on the exporter's behalf. The broker keys them in but does not invent them: material, function, brand and model come from the product itself.
Where a trading company buys and resells, the factory usually fills the sheet and the trading company signs off. The signature matters, because an element that does not match the goods is a declaration error whether or not the factory wrote it.
What happens if the elements do not match the goods?
At document review a mismatch returns the entry. At inspection it escalates: the container is held, the goods are photographed against the declaration, and the case moves from correction to a possible false declaration.
For branded goods the exposure is larger. An unauthorized brand or a model that does not exist turns a customs issue into an intellectual property issue.
Is the brand type code really required on every export?
Yes on a Chinese export filing. The brand type is one of the nine elements in the standard sheet, and code 0 exists precisely so that unbranded goods can be declared rather than skipped.
It also drives the origin certificate. Preference status and brand type together tell the issuing authority what kind of goods are moving.
Where do I look up the element list for my HS code?
The authoritative source is the declaration element catalog published for that commodity code in the China International Trade Single Window, which is updated as the tariff changes. The tariff schedule itself comes from the General Administration of Customs.
Trade databases reproduce the same lists and are faster to search, but for a filing use the current single-window version. A catalog that is a year old can miss an element added by announcement.
Need the export paperwork handled for you?
Goodhope Freight files export declarations at Shekou, Yantian, Chiwan, Mawan and Dachan Bay every working day. Send us the invoice, packing list and product details — we check them against customs requirements before filing, so a rejected entry does not cost you a sailing.
Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited — NVOCC GD20230925153335
Room 1209, Modern Building, Baoan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000, China