Customs inspection can be either a thorough inspection or a random spot check. Inspection operations can be divided into manual inspection and equipment inspection. Manual inspection includes visual inspection and unpacking inspection. Visual inspection is a way of verifying the packaging and appearance of goods, mainly for goods with obvious external features and basic properties that are easy to judge. Unpacking inspection requires removing the external packaging and verifying the actual condition of the goods.

The purpose of customs inspection is twofold. Firstly, it is to verify that the actual imported or exported goods match the information declared in the customs declaration, both in terms of quantity and description. Secondly, inspection can help to resolve any doubts raised during the declaration review process, providing reliable supervision for taxation, statistics, and subsequent management.

Customs inspection generally covers several areas, and common mistakes in inspection include:

Checking the product name: The scientific name and common name of the product are easily confused, and sometimes the Chinese product name translated from English words with multiple meanings does not match the actual product name.

Checking the specifications: The packaging size may be mistaken for the product specification, and for irregular products, both the maximum and minimum length may need to be provided.

Checking the quantity: Often, the mistake is under-reporting or over-reporting the total quantity, especially for tax refunds. This is because the declaration documents are prepared in advance, and changes to the data during container loading may not be updated.

Checking the weight: Large quantities of goods may have a margin of error in their gross weight and net weight of up to 3%-5%. For products priced by weight, the net weight is calculated, but many customers use a formula based on the gross weight to estimate the net weight, which may not match the actual net weight.

Checking the number of pieces: The problem often arises when tail boxes, samples, and gifts are not included in the calculation. For example, a customer once shipped a container of goods and also included four or five boxes of products from other factories at the door of the container, but the total number of pieces was not added up.

Checking the marks: Some products have marks that may display the logo information of the product. If present, this information should be included on the customs declaration.

Checking for infringement: Counterfeit brands, factory labels, hanging tags, and logos must be distinguished.

Checking the origin: The origin of the product should be accurately recorded, as errors may occur in the origin or destination information during tripartite trade.

Checking the classification: Accurate classification of multi-functional products is essential.

Checking the price: Each commodity corresponds to a price range in the customs system, with one range for local export ports and one for national prices. Import prices are closely scrutinized.

Checking the vehicle body: When transporting goods between China and Hong Kong, the container truck carrying the consignment must be checked.

Checking for concealed items: Whether any items are being carried that were not produced by the factory or were not declared.