CCIC inspection for imported used equipment constitutes the core procedure for customs clearance, implemented in strict accordance with applicable standards covering safety, environmental protection and quality. Inspectors verify three major items: whether safety and environmental indicators of equipment meet standards, whether the goods fall under the import-prohibited category, and whether the actual condition matches declared information. A CCIC certificate will be issued upon successful inspection. Serving as an essential document for customs release, it blocks substandard and unsafe equipment from entering China, safeguards domestic operational safety and environmental interests, and acts as a mandatory prerequisite for the lawful entry of used equipment.
A condition statement issued by the overseas supplier, specifying total operating hours, maintenance records and potential safety hazards of the equipment;
Sales contract and packing list (for used equipment, proof of original value and depreciation documents shall also be submitted);
Supplementary documents for special equipment: for pressure vessels, a safety assessment report issued by an overseas third-party inspection body; for special equipment, a copy of the manufacturing license.
After application submission, customs generally finishes document pre-review within 3 working days. If materials are incomplete, the applicant shall supplement all documents within 5 calendar days. Failure to meet the deadline will result in rejection of the application.
(2) Confirm Inspection Body and Make an Appointment
Selection of inspection body
Enterprises may select an eligible inspector: either CCIC recognized by Chinese customs, or domestic inspection bodies filed with the General Administration of Customs that conduct on-site inspection overseas. Qualification verification must be completed prior to engagement. The filed list can be checked on the official website of the General Administration of Customs to prevent invalid inspection conclusions caused by unqualified institutions.
Scheduling on-site inspection
The inspection date shall be negotiated with the appointed body. The enterprise shall inform the inspector of storage location, power and air supply availability for energized testing, together with contact information of on-site attendants. Smooth inspection requires the equipment to boot normally. If startup is impossible, a written technical fault statement must be provided, which may adversely affect the inspection result.
(3) Core Items of On-site Inspection
Inspection bodies carry out the following key checks against national standards and equipment characteristics:
Safety performance inspection
Electrical safety: Verify reliable earthing, check cables for aging or damage, and re-measure insulation resistance to meet the requirement ≥7MΩ specified in GB 4706.1.
Mechanical safety: Confirm protective guards, emergency stop buttons and other protective components are intact and functional; check moving parts for jamming or abnormal noise. For special equipment, inspect welds and pressure-bearing components for cracks.
Fire safety: Where equipment contains flammable assemblies such as hydraulic systems, verify fire suppression devices are equipped and oil tanks remain well sealed without leakage.
Environmental performance inspection
Pollutant discharge: Test exhaust gas from engine units and wastewater generated by cleaning equipment to ensure compliance with domestic emission limits. Equipment exceeding thresholds of lead, mercury and other toxic hazardous substances is prohibited from import.
Noise control: Measure noise levels with a sound level meter under stable operation. Readings shall comply with GB 12348 and relevant specifications, with the noise limit for factory equipment set at ≤85dB.
Solid waste screening: Confirm no domestic waste or industrial scraps are attached to equipment. Wooden packing must carry valid IPPC marks. Cases with unclear or missing marks shall undergo fumigation treatment.
Shunjie Import & Export Co., Ltd. (Customs Declaration & Logistics Department) specializes in cross-border circulation of used industrial equipment between China and Japan. The team has completed customs clearance and delivery of more than 1,200 sets of Japanese machine tools, injection molding machines, semiconductor inspection instruments and full automated production lines. From 2026 onward, Pre-Shipment Inspection (PVI) for Japanese used industrial goods exported to China follows stricter regulatory rules set by CCIC (China Certification & Inspection Group). New mandatory requirements including energy efficiency traceability, source code archiving for control systems and PLC firmware version registration apply to multiple product categories. This is not merely an expansion of formalities; against the backdrop of domestic manufacturing upgrading, regulators systematically strengthen technical compliance, data security and full-lifecycle traceability for imported used equipment. In daily practice, we observe many clients delay CCIC appointment until 30 days before shipment due to insufficient understanding of new rules. This leads to postponed sailing schedules, soaring demurrage fees and even full consignment return. Professional service should identify and mitigate risks in advance instead of remedying issues reactively.
CCIC Pre-Shipment Inspection: More Than a Stamp, Focused on Pre-Audit of Technical Compliance
Under the 2026 revised rules, CCIC pre-shipment inspection on Japanese used equipment has shifted from superficial document review to thorough on-site technical testing. Inspections are no longer limited to appearance, nameplate and basic function checks, but cover three critical dimensions. First, on-site tests of electrical safety and EMC compatibility. For equipment fitted with inverters and servo systems, inspectors verify earthing continuity, insulation resistance and radiated interference. Second, compliance audit for control systems: confirm PLC program versions conform to GB/T Safety Requirements for Programmable Controllers and check HMI panels for unauthorized remote access backdoors. Third, traceability of energy efficiency labels: enterprises shall submit original Japanese JIS C 9712 energy efficiency test reports plus records binding serial numbers to test certificates.
The customs declaration and logistics team of Shunjie employs engineers holding CCIC special technical advisor qualifications to run simulated pre-inspection directly at Japanese manufacturers. Original technical manuals, full maintenance logs and the latest third-party calibration certificates are collected in advance for line-by-line verification against the 2026 CCIC Inspection Work Instruction. This pre-inspection service cuts average waiting time for formal inspection by 11 working days and reduces on-site supplementary document cases by 83%.
Equipment retrofitting is common among Japanese factories. For instance, a long-established precision machinery factory in Sakai, Osaka often upgrades legacy FANUC 0i-MD systems to 0i-MF without updating equipment nameplates and system self-check logs. Such undocumented modification ranks high on the risk checklist for CCIC on-site inspection. Enterprises shall prepare a Technical Statement for Control System Alteration together with comparison screenshots of interfaces before and after upgrade. We advise buyers to specify within contract appendices, when signing contracts with Japanese suppliers, the obligation to hand over original configuration lists and complete records of major repairs or software/hardware upgrades in the latest five years, to prevent inspection hold-ups and guarantee smooth clearance.
Core Customs Declaration Procedures: Three Certificates and One Record, All Indispensable
Customs declaration for used equipment is far from simple document stacking; it forms an interlocked compliance chain. As stipulated in General Administration of Customs Announcement No.258 of 2026, four statutory documents must be uploaded together for declaration. Absence of any single document triggers manual review and extends clearance time by 7–12 working days on average:
Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate for Imported Used Electromechanical Products: Issued by CCIC. Its certificate number must match the “Attached Documents” field on the customs declaration form, and the inspection date shall not precede the actual shipment date by more than 15 days.
Statement for Imported Used Electromechanical Products: Stamped with the corporate seal and signed by the legal representative of the domestic consignee. It must specify equipment application (e.g. “for capacity expansion of XX auto parts production line”) and technical status (e.g. “spindle accuracy retention ≥92%”). Vague phrasing such as “for general production use” is forbidden.
Import License for Electromechanical Products: Required in advance from provincial commerce authorities for equipment used in state-supported technical renovation projects. If units contain special components such as laser generators or X-ray assemblies, a duplicate Radiation Safety License shall additionally be obtained.
Technical Document Filing Record for Equipment: A new requirement effective in 2026. Enterprises shall upload circuit diagrams, hydraulic schematics, PLC I/O address tables and scanned copies of key sensor calibration certificates via the China International Trade Single Window, and complete pre-confirmation of customs commodity classification.
Shunjie Customs Declaration & Logistics Department developed an in-house Three-Stage Document Pre-Review Mechanism. Stage one: complete the full document framework 45 days before shipment from Japan. Stage two: cross-check logical consistency between certificates and statements within 24 hours after CCIC inspection. Stage three: finish electronic pre-entry on the Single Window and customs classification review 72 hours prior to cargo arrival at domestic ports. Powered by this workflow, 99.2% of our clients achieved one-pass document approval in 2025, far above the industry average of 76%.
Exclusive Service Chain of Shunjie: Seamless Connection from Osaka Workshops to Domestic Production Lines
The value of used equipment is realized not upon customs release, but when commissioning and production start. Shunjie Import & Export Co., Ltd. (Customs Declaration & Logistics Department) delivers an integrated service chain covering inspection, cross-border transport, port clearance and on-site installation support, backed by three binding guarantees:
First, local collaboration network in Japan: Resident technical liaisons are stationed in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka. They maintain direct communication with Japanese equipment makers, CCIC Tokyo Office and JETRO Technical Service Center. Any inspection abnormality receives response within 2 hours, with a full resolution plan delivered within 48 hours.
Second, AEO customs green channel: Relying on our AEO certification, eligible shipments adopt the “advance declaration + release on arrival” model. Average pickup lead time at ports across Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai is shortened to 1.8 working days.
Third, commissioning support service: After customs release, certified engineers dispatched by Shunjie attend unpacking, basic commissioning and parameter setting for the first trial run at client premises. An Equipment Handover Confirmation Certificate will be issued to clearly define liabilities of both parties and avoid subsequent contractual disputes.
We fully understand that an imported Japanese used horizontal machining center carries not only metal cutting capacity, but also the client’s schedule margin and capital turnover efficiency for production line upgrading. The tightening regulatory framework in 2026 essentially pushes importers to strengthen technical absorption and import-export compliance management. Shunjie does not promise unconditional clearance; instead, we deliver verifiable technical compliance plans and quantifiable time guarantees. True professionalism helps clients secure certainty amid complicated regulations and take initiative amid volatile global supply chains.