Authorization Agency Documents: The Passport for Imported Equipment

Under the framework of the latest revised Mechanical and Electrical Products Import Management Measures by the General Administration of Customs in 2025, authorization agency documents have been upgraded from simple commercial documents to legally binding customs clearance credentials. According to Shanghai Customs statistics, cases of equipment detention due to authorization document issues in the first three quarters of 2025 increased by 37% year-on-year, with an average processing period of 21 working days.

Three Hidden Costs of Missing Authorization Documents

Case warnings:A Suzhou precision instrument importer incurred additional repair costs of 780,000 yuan when their 12-million-yuan German equipment was denied warranty service due to unclear after-sales terms in the authorization letter.

• Legal Risk: Unregistered authorization documents may trigger penalties under Article 24 of the Anti-Unfair Competition Law
  • Maximum fine of 3 times the illegal gains
  • Equipment may be classified as smuggled goods
• Customs Delay: Incomplete authorization document information typically extends clearance time by 7-15 days
• Tax Impact: Irregular authorization may affect tariff reduction eligibility

Golden Criteria for Selecting Professional Agency Service Providers

• Qualification verification:
  • Check validity period of Customs Declaration Unit Registration Certificate
  • Confirm AEO certification level (recommended to choose Advanced Certified Enterprises)
• Service scope:
  • Whether it covers the entire process of authorization document notarization and authentication
  • Ability to provide legal text translation services for target countries
• Response speed:
  • Emergency response mechanism (such as expedited filing services)
  • Average response time for document corrections (industry benchmark is within 4 hours)

Practical case:Medical EquipmentOptimization Plan for Import Authorization Documents

When a Beijing medical equipment company imported German CT equipment through an agent, three major risks were identified in the authorization documents:

• Authorization period did not match equipment production batches
• After-sales service terms lacked clear response timeframes
• Technical parameter authorization scope was ambiguous

After intervention by a professional agency company:

• Supplementary agreement was re-signed (took 3 working days)
• Completed dual authentication at a German notary office (saved 5 days)
• Customs filing approval rate increased to 100%

Choosing an agency company with full-process management capabilities for authorization documents not only ensures smooth customs clearance but also builds a comprehensive legal protection system. Importers are advised to clearly specify time commitments for authorization document review, correction, and filing in agency agreements and include relevant terms in service contract annexes.