Export-Import Rights in 15 Days? Don’t Believe It!

“Mr. Su submitted his application for export-import rights last month, and there's still no news. The client is urging us to ship, and he's pacing anxiously…” Does this scenario sound familiar? For foreign trade newcomers, the **time cost of applying for export-import rights** is often the biggest uncertainty. This article will break down the full process time nodes to help you avoid those “hidden pitfalls.”

I. Official Process: Minimum 15 Days, Maximum Potentially Unresolvable?

According to data statistics from Zhongmaoda's foreign trade service team, the **standard process takes 15-30 working days**, but the actual cycle can vary by more than three times:

• Basic Material Preparation: 3-7 days (business license amendment, customs filing, etc.)
• Foreign Exchange Administration Registration: 1-3 working days
• Electronic Port Card Application: 5-10 working days
• Customs Declaration Registration: 3-5 working days

Mr. Su case is a classic example: as her business scope did not include "import and export" explicitly, she was forced to amend her company registration first, extending the entire process to 52 days.

II. Three Major Hidden Time Killers

What truly slows down progress are often non-official factors:

• Repeated Material Modifications: The error rate for filling out the registration form for customs declaration units reaches 67%.
• Inter-departmental Coordination: Data synchronization issues between the Electronic Port system and customs system are common.
• Sudden Policy Adjustments: Such as review delays caused by the new cross-border e-commerce regulations in 2023.

It is recommended to use Zhongmaoda's **pre-examination service** to identify problems in advance, which can save an average of 8 working days.

III. Practical Techniques for Accelerating Customs Clearance

These methods have been verified to shorten the time by more than 20%:

• Choose to register in a "multi-certificate integration" region (e.g., Qianhai, Shenzhen)
• Simultaneously prepare materials for export tax rebate filing
• Use an electronic business license for online verification

A certain mother and baby product merchant completed customs filing in just 3 days by pre-filling the template for the customs declaration unit information registration form.

IV. Time is Orders, Action is the Answer

While you are still debating “whether or not to apply for export-import rights,” your competitors may have already seized clients by leveraging this time difference. Why not start now:

1. Check your business license business scope
2. Download the latest version of the Foreign Trade Operator Registration Form
3. Estimate your industry's average customs clearance efficiency