by Hobbs • 19 AUG 2025

New Chinese Export Compliance Regulations - Effective 1st October 2025

We have been issued updates from our Chinese agent overnight that new Chinese Export Compliance Regulations will take effect on 1st October 2025, with the transition period running from now until 30th September 2025.

The changes bring into effect the requirement for China to have export licenses for a range of commodities and for Chinese exporters to comply with Chinese export control regulations.

This includes:

  • Mandatory Tax Registration - Exporters must register with Chinese tax authorities before Customs Clearance.
  • Prohibition on Third-Party Declarations - The use of an unrelated company's name to declare exports is now prohibited.
  • Dual-Title Requirement - Factories without export licenses are required to appear on Customs documentation alongside a licensed Customs Broker. Factories are to be noted as the 'production and sales entity' in these instances accompanied by tax verification details.
  • Compliance Pathway - Factories can become compliant by adding to their business scope as an 'importer & exporter', registering via China's Single Window System and/or completing the process with local tax authorities.

Violations may result in Chinese shippers facing substantial fines or legal penalties.

Please expect possible shipment delays in the weeks leading up to this for cargo ex-China as China operations adjust.

With Christmas shipping season on our doorstep, it's important to ensure you give yourselves plenty of time for your freight to arrive ex China.

As always, please reach out to the Hobbs Global Team if you have any questions or concerns.

info@hobbsglobal.co.nz

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❔ The Did You Knows? ❓VGM - Verified Gross Mass

Have you ever wondered how a shipping vessel maintains its stability while at sea with all those heavy containers on board? There is a sizeable amount of planning that goes into protecting vessel stability, preventing stack collapses and ensuring the safety of port and dock workers. Verified Gross Mass or VGM is the total weight of a packed shipping container, verified by the shipper as required by International Maritime Organizations (IMO) Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) regulations. This mandatory requirement which came into effect internationally in July 2016, ensures the safe loading of containers onto vessels by preventing accidents caused by overweight or incorrectly declared containers. There are two generally accepted methods of declaring a VGM: Weighing the packed container and all its contents using certified equipment. Trucks generally utilise weigh bridges as a means of calculating this. Weighing the cargo (goods weight), dunnage (packaging weight) and empty container (tare weight) separately and then summing these weights to calculate the container's total gross mass. But who is responsible for declaring the VGM? The shipper is legally responsible for providing the accurate VGM for each and every packed container delivered to the shipping line. No packed container is allowed to be loaded onto a ship unless a VGM has been provided. A missing or incorrect VGM declaration can lead to rejections and delays of containers loading a vessel. This may result in a container being rolled to the next sailing. Subsequently, additional charges may apply in the form of storage, demurrage, rebooking fees, and/or emergency weighing at the terminal. Fines, penalties, insurance validity complications as well as legal action can also be the result of serious VGM compliance issues. It is important from a health and safety perspective to ensure all those operating at sea and around shipping vessels remain safe. If you have any questions, or need help completing a VGM for your export container(s), please reach out to the Hobbs Global Team; 📨 info@hobbsglobal.co.nz

by Hobbs • 28 AUG 2025