报关单

Customs declaration field helper

Catch the declaration error before the broker files it.

Walk the China customs declaration field by field to surface mismatches against your commercial invoice, BL, and packing list before filing; confirm the final declaration against GACC requirements, this is a pre-filing check, not the official form.

Last updated 2026-05-09. Math runs in your browser, no data leaves your computer.

Customs district code

海关编号

Auto-assigned by the GACC system at filing.

Pre-entry number

预录入编号

Internal reference used by the customs broker (报关行) when preparing the declaration.

Consignor or consignee

收发货人

For exports, the Chinese exporter; for imports, the Chinese importer. Must match the company on the SAMR registration. USCC required.

Example: 上海化工有限公司 91110000600005638L

Filing unit

申报单位

The customs broker filing on behalf of the exporter / importer. Different from field 3 unless the exporter is self-filing.

Means of transport

运输方式

Sea / Air / Rail / Road / Post / Pipeline. For sea export, "海运" (2).

Vessel name and voyage

运输工具名称

Vessel name + voyage number. Must match the BL.

Example: MSC DANIELA / 026E

Bill of lading number

提运单号

BL number from the carrier. Match the actual BL exactly.

Port of loading or destination

装货港 / 卸货港

UN/LOCODE or GACC port code. For Shanghai export to Houston: 起运港 CNSHA, 目的港 USHOU.

Consignor or consignee abroad

境外收发货人

For export, the foreign buyer. For import, the foreign seller. Names + country.

Trade mode

贸易方式

一般贸易 (general trade, code 0110), 加工贸易 (processing trade), 暂时进出 (temporary import/export), and 30+ others. Most chemical exports use 一般贸易.

Levy mode

征免性质

Whether duty is normal, exempt, reduced, etc. Most chemical exports: 一般征税 (normal levy).

Final destination country

最终目的国

For exports. Use the GACC country code.

Example: United States = code 502

Country of origin

原产国

For imports. Country where goods originated, not where shipped from.

Filing date

申报日期

Date the declaration is filed in the GACC system.

Customs entry / exit date

出入境日期

Date the goods physically cross the border. For exports, the vessel sailing date.

Goods description and HS

商品名称及编号

Product name in Chinese + 10-digit HS code. Must match the commercial invoice and the BL cargo description.

Example: 柠檬酸一水合物 (citric acid monohydrate), HS 2918140000

Quantity and unit

数量及单位

Net quantity in the unit specified by the HS code. For most chemicals: kilograms.

Total value (CNY)

总金额

For exports, total FOB value in CNY (converted from USD at GACC mid-rate of the day).

Currency code

币制

Currency code per the GACC schedule (modern GACC declarations align to ISO 4217 numeric codes: USD = 840, EUR = 978, CNY = 156; legacy schedules used the GACC-internal codes 502, 142 etc. which are now the COUNTRY codes, not currency). Verify against the GACC code list current at filing date.

Origin (per item)

原产国 / 地区

Origin per line item. For Chinese-origin chemicals, 中国 (China, code 142).

License number

许可证号

For controlled exports (precursor chemicals, dual-use, military). Not required for general chemical exports.

General guidance only. Verify against the cited primary sources before you commit to a shipment, declaration, or contract.

报关单 in chemical-trade context

The China customs declaration is the master document for any cross-border movement of goods. For chemical exporters, the declaration carries the HS classification that drives the export VAT rebate, the trade mode that determines whether the cargo enters under general trade or one of the bonded-trade variants, and the buyer-side data that customs at destination cross-references against the BL. Mistakes on the declaration ripple downstream: over-claimed rebate gets clawed back during GACC audits, mis-stated trade mode triggers reclassification, mis-spelled buyer name causes destination customs holds.

For most chemical exporters, a licensed customs broker fills the declaration. The exporter side reviews and signs off. This guide gives you the cross-reference between each field and where the data should come from in your source documents (commercial invoice, BL, packing list, supplier business licence). Use it to verify what the broker has entered before signing off.

Common watch-outs: BL number on field 7 must match the BL exactly; HS code on field 16 must match the commercial invoice and the packing list; cargo description in Chinese on field 16 must be specific enough that GACC can confirm the HS classification (vague descriptions trigger HS queries that delay clearance).

A worked example

The booking. Your broker prepares the 报关单 for a citric acid export to Houston. The commercial invoice reads citric acid monohydrate, HS 2918140000, and the broker copies it across. Everything matches on the invoice side, so the broker files.

The failure. It stops at the gate. Field 7 was keyed from an earlier draft BL number that the carrier reissued after a vessel change, so field 7 and the actual BL no longer agree. GACC flags the mismatch, the cargo is held for an amended declaration, and the sailing is missed. The broker filed it, but the exporter of record wears the penalty.

The fix. Cross-check field 7 against the final BL, field 16 against the invoice and packing list, and field 3 against the supplier business licence before sign-off. Five minutes against the source documents catches the keystroke that costs a sailing. Sign only when every cross-referenced field agrees.

Confirming the consignor's 18-character USCC on field 3 is correct? The USCC validator runs the check digit at /tools/china-trade/uscc-validator.

Building the commercial invoice the declaration cross-references? The commercial invoice maker is at /tools/documentation/commercial-invoice-maker.

Frequently asked

What is 报关单 (the China Customs Declaration)?

The customs declaration filed with GACC (General Administration of Customs of China) for every import or export. The form has roughly 50 fields in the standardised layout; this guide covers the 21 most-asked-about for chemical-trade exports.

Who fills in the declaration?

A licensed customs broker (报关行 baoguan hang). Self-filing exists but requires a specific license (报关员 baoguan yuan, customs declarant). For most chemical exporters, a third-party broker handles the filing.

Why does the HS code on the declaration matter?

The HS classification drives the export VAT rebate rate (出口退税率) and any export licensing requirements. A misclassification at filing leads to either over- or under-claimed rebate, both of which cause GACC audit risk and potential clawback.