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DOC 07 · AUTHORITY TO FILE
The one document customs checks first
A broker cannot file for you without written authority. This is the document that grants it, and the only one in the set that has nothing to do with the goods. Get the scope wrong and the filing works until the day an inspection is called.
Two parts, one form
The top half grants authority: number, type, scope, validity, seals. The bottom half describes the shipment and the handover: goods, value, documents received, fee. The broker files against both.
Ticking A without B
Filing without inspection assistance means the broker has no standing at the inspection bay. The container waits, and terminal storage runs by the hour until someone from your company arrives.
SPECIMEN
Power of attorney (24 fields)
Top block: authorization. Bottom block: the shipment and the document handover. Check boxes shown filled are the normal export case.
Power of attorney and agency agreement
SPECIMEN · POWER OF ATTORNEY
CUSTOMS CLEARANCE POWER OF ATTORNEY Issued under the China Customs Brokers Association standard format | |||||
| 1Document numberfixed 13 boxes | 2Mandate typeA per shipment / B standing | ||||
| 3Scope of mandateA filing and declaration B inspection assistance C advance duty and fees D customs certificates E handbook approval F handbook reconciliation G duty relief applications H otherTick at least A and B for a normal export | |||||
| 4Valid until2026-12-30 | Signed at / dateShenzhen, 2026-10-28 | ||||
| 5Principal seal | 6Legal representative / authorized signatory | ||||
CUSTOMS DECLARATION AGENCY AGREEMENT | |||||
| 7PrincipalShenzhen XX Technology Co., Ltd. | 7Agent (customs broker)Registered declaring enterprise | ||||
| 8Main goodsE-book screen protector | 9HS code3926909090 | 10Total valueUSD 5,800.00 | 11Export date2026-11-08 | ||
| 12B/L numberCOSU6234567890 | 13Trade modeGeneral trade | 14Origin / sourceShenzhen SEZ | 15Declaration numberfilled after pre-entry | ||
| 16Documents received on2026-11-02 | 17Documents receivedContract ☑ Invoice ☑ Packing list ☑ B/L ☐ Handbook ☐ Licenses ☐ | ||||
| 18Brokerage feeCNY 500 | 19Special instructionsRefund copy required; photograph at inspection | ||||
| 20UndertakingsGoods as described, nothing concealed, documents consistent with the cargo. | |||||
| 21Principal business seal | 21Agent business seal | 23Contact telephone+86 133 9216 2503 | |||
| 22Handling officer signature | 22Licensed declarant signaturelicense no. | 24CopiesWhite customs / yellow agent / red principal | |||
Minimum for a normal export: scope A and B ticked, a validity date after the export date, both seals, and a licensed declarant's signature. Everything else is supporting detail.
FIELD NOTES
How to fill A fixed-length number issued under the China Customs Brokers Association numbering rule, generated by the broker or the system. Example 13 characters (boxes on the form) Cross-check The broker's mandate register. Watch out A hand-written number fails system validation, which means the mandate was never in force. How to fill A for one shipment; B for an ongoing relationship, signed once and covering shipments over a period. Example A (per shipment) Cross-check Validity dates and the broker's client file. Watch out A standing mandate that expires without renewal leaves every shipment filed in that window without a valid mandate. How to fill Eight items, each ticked or left blank: A filing and declaration, B inspection assistance, C advancing duty and fees, D customs certificates, E handbook approval, F handbook reconciliation, G duty relief applications, H other. Example A and B ticked Cross-check The services the broker actually provides and charges for. Watch out Ticking A without B leaves nobody able to act for you at the inspection bay. Ticking C without an agreed fee arrangement turns into a billing dispute. How to fill From the signing date to a stated end date. Per-shipment mandates normally cover that shipment's cycle; standing mandates are usually annual. Example Until 2026-12-30 Cross-check Export date and declaration date. Watch out A validity end date before the export date means the mandate had lapsed when the cargo sailed. Standing mandates forgotten at year end are the classic December incident. How to fill Company seal or customs seal of the principal, which must be the consignor on the declaration, or a business unit it has authorized. Example Company seal Cross-check Declaration consignor, business license. Watch out A sales or contract stamp instead of the company seal is refused in some districts. Where principal and consignor differ, an authorization chain is required. How to fill Signed by the legal representative, or by an authorized officer holding a written authorization. Example Name and signature Cross-check Written authorization, identity record. Watch out An officer signing without authorization can leave the mandate unenforceable in a dispute. How to fill Principal: the shipper's full registered name. Agent: the customs broker's full name, registered with customs as a declaring enterprise. Example Shenzhen XX Technology Co., Ltd. / [broker name] Cross-check Both business licenses and the broker's customs registration. Watch out Naming a freight forwarder instead of the actual broker puts the liability on the wrong entity when something goes wrong. How to fill The principal product on this shipment, matching the declaration and invoice. Where several products ship, the one with the highest value. Example E-book screen protector Cross-check Declaration goods name, invoice description. Watch out Writing "general merchandise" leaves the broker unable to judge the scope of what it accepted. How to fill The HS code of the main product, matching the first ten digits of the declaration commodity code. Example 3926909090 Cross-check Declaration commodity code, declaration elements. Watch out A code different from the declaration means the product changed after the mandate was signed, and the mandate should be re-confirmed. How to fill Total shipment value with currency, matching the invoice total. Example USD 5,800.00 Cross-check Invoice total, declaration total. Watch out A value off by an order of magnitude defeats the broker's risk assessment, which is the point of the field. How to fill Expected export date, which is the on-board date. Example 2026-11-08 Cross-check Declaration export date, bill of lading on-board date. Watch out A date far from the actual sailing leaves the mandate and the entry disagreeing, which surfaces in a refund review. How to fill The bill of lading or waybill number. May be left blank at mandate stage and completed once issued. Example COSU6234567890 Cross-check Declaration field 12, bill of lading. Watch out A number that differs from the declaration means the booking changed after the mandate was signed. How to fill General trade, processing with imported materials, processing with supplied materials, matching the declaration supervision mode. Example General trade Cross-check Declaration supervision mode, contract nature. Watch out A mandate stating general trade while the entry declares processing trade leaves the broker without the handbook it needs. How to fill Where the goods originate or were sourced, matching the declaration domestic source region. Example Shenzhen SEZ Cross-check Declaration field 42, VAT purchase invoice. Watch out A region that differs from the invoice issuer is queried during refund verification. How to fill The 18-digit number written back after pre-entry. Left blank before filing; the asterisk on the form means the broker completes it. Example 530320261100123456 Cross-check Declaration customs number. Watch out A number written back against the wrong shipment sends every later query and file retrieval to the wrong entry. How to fill The date the broker actually received the contract, invoice and packing list. This date allocates responsibility if the shipment is missed. Example 2026-11-02 Cross-check Handover record, email timestamps. Watch out Blank or back-dated, and nobody can say who was late when a closing cut-off is missed. How to fill Contract, invoice, packing list, bill of lading, processing handbook, licenses, other — each ticked as received. A tick states the broker has the document and filed on it. Example Contract, invoice, packing list ticked Cross-check The documents actually attached. Watch out Ticking licenses that were never supplied means the broker declared against certificates that do not exist. That is a shared filing error. How to fill The agency fee for this filing, in RMB. Where the broker advances duty or fees, attach a breakdown. Example CNY 500 Cross-check Quotation, monthly statement. Watch out An oral fee agreement produces an argument at month end; no written record of advanced duty leaves the interest unclaimed. How to fill Operational instructions for the broker: refund copy required, photograph at inspection, certificate of declaration needed. Example Refund copy required; photograph inspection Cross-check Actual service delivered. Watch out Instructions given only by phone have no written basis when they are missed. How to fill Both parties undertake no concealment, no undeclared goods, and that documents match the cargo. This is the liability clause of the agreement. Example Goods as described, nothing concealed Cross-check — Watch out Leaving it blank does not stop the filing, but removes one written basis for a claim later. How to fill Both business departments seal the agreement to confirm its content. Example Company or business seal, both sides Cross-check Both parties' credentials. Watch out Sealed by one side only, the agreement does not bind the other. How to fill The principal's officer and the broker's licensed declarant each sign. The declarant's signature is what attaches professional responsibility to the filing. Example Officer name / declarant name and license number Cross-check Declarant registration record. Watch out An unlicensed person signing as declarant is a compliance breach that reaches the company, not just the individual. How to fill Mobile numbers for both officers. This is the only channel that works when an inspection is called or a document is missing. Example +86 133 9216 2503 Cross-check — Watch out A switchboard number nobody answers means the inspection notice arrives after the container has been sitting for hours. How to fill White copy to customs, yellow to the broker, red to the principal. All three must carry identical content. Example White / yellow / red Cross-check Broker file, company file. Watch out Signing only one copy, or three copies that differ, leaves nothing to produce when a filing is challenged.
All twenty-four fields
Authorization blockFields 1 to 6
2
Mandate type: A per shipment / B standing
3
Scope A to HRequired
4
ValidityRequired
5
Principal sealRequired
6
Legal representative or authorized signatoryRequired
Shipment detailsFields 7 to 14
7
Principal / agentRequired
8
Main goods description
9
HS code
10
Total value
11
Export date
12
Bill of lading number
13
Trade mode
14
Origin / source region
Handover, fees and signatureFields 15 to 24
15
Declaration number
16
Date documents receivedRequired
17
Documents received (ticked)Required
18
Brokerage fee
19
Special instructions
20
Undertakings
21
Principal and agent business sealsRequired
22
Handling officer / licensed declarantRequired
23
Contact telephone
24
Copy distribution
SCOPE
What each tick actually authorizes
Eight items, and only two of them apply to every export. The rest depend on the trade mode and the service you bought.
| Item | Scope | What it lets the broker do | When to tick |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Filing and declaration | Key in the entry and transmit it to customs. | Always |
| B | Inspection assistance | Attend and act for you when the container is selected. | Always |
| C | Advance duty and fees | Pay duty, port charges or terminal fees on your behalf. | Only with an agreed fee arrangement |
| D | Customs certificates | Obtain the declaration certificate and refund copy. | When a refund is claimed |
| E | Handbook approval | Handle processing trade handbook formalities. | Processing trade only |
| F | Handbook reconciliation | Close out the handbook after the last shipment. | Processing trade only |
| G | Duty relief applications | Apply for exemption or relief treatment. | Duty-relief goods only |
| H | Other | Anything else, described in writing. | Rarely |
TWO CHANNELS
Electronic mandate or paper form
Electronic mandate
Filed in the China International Trade Single Window. You select the broker, the mandate type, the scope and the validity; the broker confirms and it takes effect.
Watch: the scope boxes still have to be ticked, especially B. Standing mandates expire quietly — renew before year end.
Paper form, three copies
White for customs, yellow for the broker, red for the principal. All three carry the same content and the same seals.
Watch: signing one copy and photocopying it is common and useless — a copy without an original seal proves nothing in a dispute.
QUESTIONS
Four questions on mandates
Is a paper power of attorney still needed, or is the electronic one enough?
At most ports the electronic mandate filed in the China International Trade Single Window now replaces the paper form. The broker receives it, confirms, and the mandate is in force without any paper moving.
Paper copies still matter at a few terminals and in any dispute where someone asks who authorized what. Keep the electronic record and, where the broker asks, a signed paper set.
What happens if the scope does not include inspection assistance?
The broker can file, but has no authority to act for you at the inspection bay. When the container is selected for inspection, it waits until someone from your side attends — and terminal storage charges accrue by the hour.
Ticking A without B is the most expensive five seconds of omission on this form.
A standing mandate expired and shipments went out during the gap. What now?
The filings were made without a valid mandate. That does not automatically invalidate the entries, but it does mean the agency relationship cannot be evidenced if customs or the tax authority asks.
The remedy is to renew immediately, back it with a written confirmation covering the gap, and keep the record. Repeating it is what turns a paperwork gap into a finding.
Who signs — the legal representative or the customs officer of the company?
Either, provided authority is documented. The legal representative can sign directly; anyone else needs a written authorization held on file, and the broker is entitled to ask for it.
For a standing mandate, the authorization should name the scope and the period, not just the person.
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