Guest Post: Moving All Your Belonging to China from America

If you’re planning an upcoming move to China from the U.S., you’ll likely be importing a good portion of your household items (including your car). You may not know where to start, and what regulations, forms, taxes and duties are involved. Educating yourself on the process is important, as Chinese customs is quite strict and you’ll need to have all of your paperwork in place. If you fail to do so – high penalties, fines, added fees and even demurrage may be levied.

Documentation and Paperwork.

Acquiring an Import Permit.

Having the appropriate paperwork submitted to the proper authorities is vital, and you aren’t even allowed to import your items until you obtain an Import Permit. In order to do so, you’ll first have to apply for a visa at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. This visa will allow you to enter China (not as a tourist), and once inside the country you can apply for the required Health Certificate. Once you receive your Health Certificate, you then need to apply for a Work Permit from the Department of Labor in China.

With your Work Permit in hand, you must then apply for a Resident Permit from the Foreign Affairs Office. Once your Resident Permit is approved, you can then submit your application for an Import Permit to the customs office. Attempting to bring in your household goods without this Import Permit is not allowed, and will result in your shipment being impounded by customs (1).

Additional Regulations.

Chinese customs requires that you are already present when your shipment arrives, and you’re only allowed a maximum of one ocean and one air shipment per Residence Permit. Be aware that air shipment duty rates are usually 30% more than for ocean shipments – so a single ocean shipment is the most economical option. Also, if your Work and Residence Permits are shorter than 12 months in duration, you won’t receive any duty exemptions on your shipments (2).

In addition, you must provide packing and inventory lists – and it’s vital that these documents match. Otherwise, your shipment will take significantly more time to clear customs, and you may be hit with considerable fees. It’s even possible that your shipment will be denied entry altogether, at which point it will either be returned to the origin country or even destroyed. Therefore, take extra care to ensure that your packing and inventory lists match and are fully in order. Ask an international mover if they can provide you with templates for these lists, as it will save you some time.

This is not an exhaustive list of the various forms and documents you’ll need, which can be found here.

Duties and Taxes.

Import Exemption Doesn’t Cover All Items.

While you’ll receive some relief from import duties when you have a Residence and Work Permit good for more than one year, some items will still incur duties. These include major electronics such as televisions, computers, air conditioners, refrigerators, washers and dryers, printers, stereos and so on.

All of your personal furniture is also subject to import duty, and this includes pianos. Customs requires that items which are subject to duties or have restrictions on quantity be clearly marked on your inventory list. These items must also be packed last, so they can be readily inspected by customs officials without difficulty (4).

Keep in mind that multiples of large appliances like tv’s or refrigerators, may lead the customs official to decide that your shipment contains commercial goods. You should avoid this at all costs, as this designation could make clearing customs quite challenging (5).

Duty Rates.

Though a portion of your shipment may be duty-free (items like clothing and kitchenware fall into this category), the items covered above aren’t exempted. In addition, alcohol, tobacco, motorcycles and motor vehicles, and even your personal effects are all subject to import taxes and duties.

You can expect to pay between 10 – 30% of the assessed value (determined by customs), to cover all of the import tax and duties. One source has this figure at approximately 17% for motor vehicles, though the exact percentage is subject to change (7). In addition, you’ll also need these documents when planning to import your personal motor vehicle.

As you can see, the process of moving all of your belongings to China from America is quite elaborate. Due to the complexities involved and the potentially large cost for any errors, it is highly recommended that you employ a qualified international moving company. They’ll be knowledgeable about the intricacies that come with importing shipments into China (including your personal vehicle), and can be an invaluable resource for you to rely upon.

Either way, when you take care to inform yourself about all of the steps necessary to bring your household with you – your move into China can be completed in a streamlined and problem-free manner.

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