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JIXUN GUIDE

Complete Guide to Shipping to China

From legal declaration channels and tax calculation to common questions — everything you need to know about shipping from Taiwan to mainland China.

WHY CUSTOMS KNOWLEDGE MATTERS

Understand the Rules, Ship with Confidence

A common question we hear: "Shipping from China to Taiwan has hardly any restrictions — why are there so many rules going the other way?" That's because mainland Chinese customs applies stricter declaration and taxation requirements to imports, mainly to maintain proper customs and tax order and prevent undeclared goods from entering. As long as you choose the right legal declaration channel and understand the tax rules, shipping is actually not complicated at all.

Personal Parcel Personal use
Commercial Cargo Commercial samples
Formal Trade Company/bulk cargo
LEGAL DECLARATION CHANNELS

Three Legal Declaration Channels — Which One Fits You?

Depending on quantity, value, and purpose, there are three main legal ways to declare shipments from Taiwan to China. Choosing the right one is key to smooth customs clearance.

Personal Parcel

For personal-use parcels, declared under the personal postal article tax (行郵稅), taxed at 13%, 20%, or 50% depending on item category. The total value per package must not exceed RMB 2,000 — this cap does not apply to a single indivisible item.

Personal use Postal article tax 13% / 20% / 50% rates
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Commercial Cargo

For commercial samples. The recipient must be a registered company in mainland China, with a per-shipment value cap of RMB 5,000 — exceeding this requires formal trade instead.

Commercial samples Recipient must be a company Cap: RMB 5,000/shipment
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Formal Trade

For company cargo, project shipments, or bulk orders exceeding the commercial cargo scope, with no cap on value or volume — fully taxed under general trade rules.

Company/bulk cargo No value cap ECFA preferential tariffs
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TAX KNOWLEDGE

How Is Import Tax to China Calculated?

The tax calculation for shipments from Taiwan to China depends on the declaration channel used, and falls into two main tax models:

Personal Postal Article Tax

Applies to Personal Parcel
  • Taxed at 13%, 20%, or 50% depending on the item category (see full category breakdown)
  • Total value per package must not exceed RMB 2,000
  • If a package mixes items with different tax rates, the highest rate may apply to the whole package

General Trade Tax

Applies to Commercial Cargo & Formal Trade
  • Tariff (based on the commodity tariff code, rate varies) + import VAT (standard 13%, 9% for some goods) + consumption tax (only for specific goods like tobacco, alcohol, cosmetics, luxury items)
  • Commercial cargo uses simplified "commercial sample" declaration paperwork, with a per-shipment value cap of RMB 5,000
  • Formal trade has no cap on value or volume but requires full trade documentation; goods on the ECFA Early Harvest List with a certificate of origin may qualify for preferential or zero tariffs (formal trade only)
COMMON TERMS

Know These Terms Before You Ship

Dutiable Value

The value customs uses to calculate tax, typically including the transaction price, international shipping, and insurance — not simply the amount on your purchase invoice.

Chargeable Weight

The greater of actual weight and volumetric weight, used as the basis for calculating shipping fees.

Volumetric Weight

Weight calculated from a package's dimensions (L×W×H ÷ volumetric divisor). Large but light items are often charged by volumetric weight.

Commercial Invoice

An official document listing item names, quantities, unit prices, and total value — required for commercial cargo and formal trade declarations.

Packing List

A document detailing packaging method, piece count, and volumetric weight — often required for formal trade customs clearance.

Certificate of Origin

A document proving the country of origin of goods. Only required for the formal trade service when applying for ECFA Early Harvest List preferential tariffs — not needed for personal parcel or commercial cargo.

ECFA Early Harvest List

A list of specific goods agreed between Taiwan and mainland China for tariff reduction — qualifying goods on the list may receive preferential or zero tariffs.

Customs Clearance

The process of declaring goods to customs and completing inspection, taxation, and other procedures to obtain release for import or export.

FAQ

Things You Might Still Want to Know

Mainland Chinese customs applies stricter declaration and taxation requirements to imports, mainly to maintain proper customs and tax order and prevent undeclared goods from entering. As long as you use a legal declaration channel and declare honestly, clearance is not difficult.

First confirm the purpose of your goods (personal use / commercial sample / formal trade), the recipient's status (individual / company), and the value, then check our personal parcel, commercial cargo, and formal trade service pages, or contact our team directly for an assessment.

Declaring honestly, avoiding prohibited/restricted items, and staying within the value and item scope of the legal channel used are the basic conditions for smooth clearance — but quite a few common items still require inspection/quarantine or permits, such as food, health supplements, cosmetics, medicine/medical devices, animal/plant products, and electronics with batteries. These items must be assessed by our team in advance, and we don't recommend assuming an item is fine to ship without checking first.

This depends on the declaration channel and customs processing time. Personal parcel and commercial cargo typically take a few days (varies by destination region); formal trade involves a full customs declaration process and takes longer. Check the specific service page for the current estimated timeline.

For personal parcel and commercial cargo, compensation is up to 2x the shipping fee; the value of the contents is not separately compensated. We recommend additional insurance for high-value goods.

Generally yes, but you still need to meet each channel's eligibility and limits (e.g., commercial cargo requires the recipient to be a registered company, and has a value cap). Our team will recommend the most suitable option based on your actual situation.

Dutiable value is the value customs uses to calculate tax, typically including the transaction price plus international shipping and insurance — not simply the amount on your purchase invoice. The actual value is determined by customs.

These items may involve inspection/quarantine or import permit requirements. Please provide the item details in advance for our team to assess whether declaration is possible, and confirm if additional documents are needed.

Volumetric weight is calculated from a package's dimensions, and shipping is charged based on whichever is greater: actual weight or volumetric weight. Large but lightweight items (like clothing or plush toys) are often charged by volumetric weight, which can make the cost higher than expected.

ECFA Early Harvest List preferential tariffs only apply to the formal trade service. It's a list of specific goods agreed between Taiwan and mainland China for tariff reduction — goods on the list with a certificate of origin may qualify for preferential or zero tariffs, and our formal trade service will help confirm eligibility. This does not apply to personal parcel or commercial cargo.

Taiwan-to-China shipments are currently received exclusively at our Taoyuan warehouse — see the Warehouses page for the address and receiving information.

Feel free to reach out to our team via LINE or WeChat, or check the "How to Use" page for the complete shipping process.

Still Have Questions?

Contact our dedicated support team and we'll help you figure out the best declaration channel and shipping plan.

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