The global semiconductor equipment market is projected to exceed $120 billion by 2025, with China maintaining its position as the largest importer. Amid ongoing US-China technology competition, the General Administration of Customs' newly issued "Key Mechanical and Electrical Products Import Supervision Procedures" implements tiered control overwafer fabrication equipment,lithography systemsand other core equipment. Taking Q1 2025 data from a leading agency as an example, customs clearance time for semiconductor equipment was 2.3 times longer than for ordinary mechanical and electrical products, with 32% of delays attributed to incomplete declaration elements.
Typical obstacles in customs clearance practices
Blind spots in technical parameter declarations
Nanoscale differences in process precision affecting tariff rates (e.g., 14nm vs 7nm equipment having a 5% rate difference)
Inaccurate functional descriptions of modular equipment leading to classification disputes
License document management misconceptions
Linked review requirements for import licenses and technology export licenses
Ambiguous standards for defining refurbished second-hand equipment
Application deviations in rules of origin
Calculation of value composition ratios for multi-country assembled equipment
Transshipment country risks for U.S. BIS-controlled items
Proactive customs clearance strategy development
A 2025 import case from a wafer fab shows that using pre-declaration mechanisms can reduce inspection rates by 40%
Three-dimensional declaration system construction
Technical dimension: Precise functional descriptions down to equipment subsystems