A company plans to conduct transshipment trade business and is unsure how to specify the transshipment trade country. They are contemplating whether to choose a country convenient for logistics transit or one with preferential tax policies, as well as special requirements and precautions for filling in the information. The best answer indicates that determining the transshipment trade country should consider geographical location and logistical convenience, tax policies, and political and economic stability. Filling in requires adhering to the actual trade process, ensuring consistency of document information, and avoiding customs clearance delays.
How to correctly write a transshipment country? What needs attention?
Resolved
I'm recently handling business related to transshipment trade, and I'm a bit confused about filling in the transshipment country. I don't know whether to write it according to the country where the goods are actually transshipped, or if there are other standards. For example, if goods depart from China, transit through Singapore, and finally arrive in the United States, should the transshipment country be written as Singapore? Will there be different ways of writing due to trade terms or other factors? I hope a professional can tell me how the transshipment country should be written.
Trade Expert Insights Answers
In transshipment trade, the transshipment country is usually filled in as the country or region where the goods are actually transshipped and commercial transactions occur. Just like the example you mentioned, goods depart from China, transit through Singapore, and then arrive in the United States. If ownership of the goods is transferred or other commercial transactions occur in Singapore, then writing Singapore as the transshipment country is appropriate.
However, if it is purely transit, and no commercial transactions occur in Singapore, with ownership directly transferred from the Chinese seller to the American buyer, then strictly speaking, Singapore is not a transshipment country. But in actual business, it is sometimes written as Singapore out of habit.
In addition, attention should be paid to the consistency of related documents such as trade contracts, bills of lading, and customs declarations. At the same time, customs and other regulatory authorities in different countries may have subtle differences in their determination of transshipment countries. It is recommended to understand the relevant regulations of both importing and exporting parties and the transit country in advance to avoid subsequent problems.
Generally, it is written where the goods are transshipped and trade activities occur as the transshipment country. In most cases, writing it according to the actual place of transshipment is correct.
It also needs to be combined with the trade process. If value-added activities such as reprocessing are carried out in the transit country, it can basically be determined as the transshipment country.
Confirm with the freight forwarder, they are familiar with the transportation process and can provide relatively accurate advice on how to write the transshipment country.
Some trades may involve special policies, such as free trade agreements. In this case, the writing of the transshipment country must comply with the relevant policy regulations.
Refer to the documentation of similar past businesses for filling in, maintaining consistency and coherence is important.
You can consult professional transshipment trade institutions like Zhongmaoda, they have rich experience and can provide accurate guidance.
Study relevant international practices. Although not mandatory, they are of reference value for the writing of transshipment countries.
Communicate with the client to confirm their requirements for filling in the transshipment country to avoid disagreements.