Analysis of Core Differences Between Customs Declaration and Customs Clearance

Against the backdrop of sustained growth in cross-border trade, clearly understanding the business boundaries between "customs declaration" and "customs clearance" has become a critical issue for import and export enterprises to enhance logistics efficiency. As a company specializing in international supply chain services, Xinghan Tongda (Qingdao) International Supply Chain leverages domestic and international collaborative resources and an experienced team to provide customers with end-to-end solutions, from export customs declaration at major Chinese ports to customs clearance and delivery at overseas destination ports.

[Terminology Explained: Timely Scenarios of Customs Declaration and Customs Clearance]
"Customs declaration" specifically refers to the core process where enterprises submit documents and complete customs clearance procedures at the port of departure in the exporting country. Taking major Chinese ports such as Qingdao Port, Shanghai Port, and Tianjin Port as examples, when exporting goods like mechanical equipment, chemicals, building materials, and food raw materials, enterprises must complete export customs declaration procedures with Chinese customs.

"Customs clearance" is the entire process of handling customs entry procedures in the importing country after the goods arrive at the destination country, including key steps such as tariff payment and commodity inspection. Only after completing customs clearance can the goods circulate or be delivered locally.

[Xinghan Tongda: DDP/DAP Service Network Covering Five Major Regions]
In addition to clarifying business boundaries, enterprises are more concerned with how to efficiently complete the entire cross-border logistics process. Leveraging its domestic and international collaborative operational system, Xinghan Tongda has established import customs clearance and local delivery capabilities in the following key regions, supporting two mainstream service models: DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) and DAP (Delivered at Place):

North America: United States, Canada

Asia-Pacific: Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand

Europe: United Kingdom, Netherlands

Latin America: Brazil

Africa: Nigeria, Dakar, Senegal

Notably, the company has Chinese staff familiar with local regulations and customs clearance processes in the aforementioned regions,    operational teams, and through language-compatible localized collaboration, effectively reduces customs clearance risks caused by documentation errors and process delays.

[Service Advantages: Dual-Node Closed Loop + Full-Process Transparent Management]
For the two core nodes of cross-border logistics—"port customs declaration + overseas customs clearance"—Xinghan Tongda has established a standardized service system:

On the Chinese export side, it comprehensively improves clearance efficiency through systematic document pre-review mechanisms, intelligent commodity classification coding services, and on-site inspection accompaniment;

On the overseas import side, it provides guidance on customs clearance documents (including bills of lading, invoices, packing lists, contracts, etc.), tax cost estimation, and coordination for destination port delivery, ensuring seamless integration of import and export processes.

[Corporate Philosophy: Empowering Global Trade with Deterministic Services]
Xinghan Tongda always adheres to the development philosophy of "Connecting the Globe, Winning the Future," continuously deepening its global supply chain network layout. By strengthening customs clearance compliance capabilities and port operational efficiency, it provides customers with a more deterministic cross-border logistics experience, helping Chinese enterprises efficiently expand into global markets.

Marketing Director: Zhang Congyao