FAQ
Shanghai Port Export Customs Clearance: 10 Questions Shippers Ask
The questions that come up most from importers and suppliers shipping out of Yangshan, Waigaoqiao, Luojing and Longwu, answered the way we actually work.
What documents do I need for export customs clearance at Shanghai Port?
The base set is the declaration data, the sales contract or purchase order, a commercial invoice, a packing list, a customs power of attorney and the pre-manifest from your booking. Add export licenses, a certificate of origin, CIQ or phytosanitary certificates, a fumigation certificate, MSDS and DG packing certificates depending on the commodity. At Yangshan the entry has to be released before the container can gate in, so documents are best complete three to four working days before the terminal opens.
What is the difference in filing order between Yangshan and Waigaoqiao?
The two run in the opposite order. At Yangshan the release message is what lets the truck through the gate, so the entry has to clear first. Waigaoqiao takes the box into the yard first and clears it against the gate-in data, and also accepts advance filing. Cut-offs, amendment windows and inspection arrangements differ between the two, so the terminal has to be fixed at booking, not at the gate.
How late can I file an advance declaration at Shanghai?
With the pre-manifest in hand and the cargo ready, you can file up to three days before the goods reach the customs supervised premises. Everything on the entry must then arrive within three days or the declaration is canceled; transit cargo gets five days. Without advance filing, the legal requirement is declaration after arrival at the supervised premises and at least 24 hours before loading.
What is the difference between FCL and LCL clearance at Shanghai?
FCL clears per container — one shipper, one box, one entry, with container and seal numbers matching the entry one to one. LCL clears per shipment: several entries sit behind a single container, so the CFS has to complete receiving and loading before the CFS cut-off and supply a loading list plus gate-in data. LCL is where document inconsistencies concentrate, and amendments are slower.
What should I watch on special equipment exports?
Open top and flat rack cargo is declared on actual dimensions, weight and piece count, not on the container's nominal capacity. Reefers need the temperature set-point and power requirements declared, and food cargo needs the matching inspection and quarantine documents. Carriers set separate documentation cut-offs and acceptance conditions for special equipment, confirmed at booking.
How is breakbulk and heavy lift cargo cleared?
Breakbulk moves through the general cargo quays — Luojing, Zhanghuabin, Jungonglu and Longwu. Large equipment is usually split into multiple pieces, and the description and classification can change once it is broken down, so every piece has to be listed with description, spec, weight and function before filing. The terminal issues a loading plan and customs supervises the shipment in loading order.
Can I export through Shanghai without import-export rights?
Yes, through a licensed entity acting as the exporter of record — what the market calls buy-for-name, or no-license export. The catch is ownership: the exporter of record owns the VAT refund and the foreign-exchange collection. If the goods carry a refund, confirm the compliant structure before cargo moves rather than after.
Which documents do I need for a VAT export refund?
After closure: the export entry (refund copy or the equivalent electronic data), the release message, the terminal receipt or gate-in data, the VAT invoice and the foreign-exchange receipt. The operator, consignor and invoice issuer on the entry have to be the same entity, and description and code have to match, or the refund stage asks for an explanation.
What is different about dangerous goods and chemicals out of Shanghai?
Start with a hazard determination. Non-hazardous chemicals need a composition sheet and MSDS; hazardous cargo needs the DG packing certificate, UN number, packing group and container packing certificate, plus carrier acceptance and a terminal approved for DG handling. The terminal operator reports 24 hours before handling starts and the vessel files with the maritime authority 24 hours before arrival or departure, so DG runs a full beat ahead of general cargo.
What happens if customs flags my container for inspection?
Inspection is routine enforcement, not a finding. At Shanghai, heavy equipment and breakbulk usually go through embedded supervision and unaccompanied inspection matched to the terminal's working rhythm; containerized cargo is devanned, counted, photographed and explained on instruction. Release follows a clean inspection, and devanning, shifting and lifting are billed at cost as the terminal or yard charges them.
