Import Used Agricultural Machinery Precautions

Hello everyone. In recent years, we’ve helped clients import used agricultural machinery from European and American markets, and we’ve found that the import regulations for used goods are indeed much stricter than for new ones, and the process is relatively complex. Today, I’ll spend a few minutes walking you through the core pain Points and customs clearance logic for importing used agricultural machinery, so you can avoid pitfalls and detours.

The key takeaway is this: when importing used agricultural machinery, customs supervision follows an ironclad “three-step” rule.

Step One: Check the “Prohibited Imports Catalog.” This is a hard red line! The basis is the Joint Announcement No. 106 of 2018 by the Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs. Items like used tractors and used engines — if the corresponding product falls within this catalog, it is absolutely prohibited from import. There’s no point proceeding with any further steps; just abandon the idea. So this is the first and most critical check.

Step Two: If the item is not on the prohibited list, next check the “Inspection and Supervision Measures List.” The basis is Customs Announcement No. 145 of 2014. This list divides used mechanical and electrical products into three categories. For our purposes, the most important category is: those requiring “pre-shipment inspection.” For example, used harvesters, silage machines, cotton pickers, threshers, rice transplanters, and so on all fall into this category. These machines must be inspected and receive a passing inspection certificate before the goods are shipped from abroad. Without this certificate, import is simply not possible. If a product is not on this list, it typically only needs to undergo routine port and destination inspections.

Step Three: If you’ve cleared both steps above, you still need to check the “Import License Catalog.” The basis is the latest Joint Announcement No. 88 of 2025 by the Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs. Items like used combine harvesters, rice transplanters, various harvesters, cotton pickers, silage machines, threshers, and so on are all listed in this catalog. This means that before customs clearance, you must apply to the Ministry of Commerce and obtain an Import License; otherwise, you won’t be able to clear customs.

The critical sequence is: you must first confirm the item “can be imported,” then proceed with “pre-shipment inspection,” and only then, using the inspection certificate, can you apply for the “import license.”

So what exactly does pre-shipment inspection cover? There are three main areas:

• Consistency inspection: Check whether the machine’s nameplate information (model, manufacturer, production date, etc.) matches the documents you’ve submitted. This is to strictly prevent “goods not matching the description” or the concealment of prohibited items.
• Safety inspection: Check whether safety warning labels are complete, whether operating instructions are available in Chinese, whether the machine has any oil or water leaks, and whether it runs normally during a test start-up.
• Environmental and hygiene inspection: Check whether the machine is clean, free of soil and weeds, and whether the factory emissions and noise levels comply with our national standards.

As for the documents you need to prepare for import customs clearance, here’s the checklist: commercial invoice, packing list, purchase contract, payment for foreign exchange voucher, original factory invoice or materials proving the original value (for valuation reference), pre-shipment inspection report, import license, inspection fee invoice issued by the inspection body, and a detailed used goods price explanation.

That’s all for today on the core customs clearance logic for importing used agricultural machinery. If you encounter more specific issues during actual operations, feel free to leave a comment and discuss.

I’m Lao Tao, working in international logistics. See you next time.

In-Depth Analysis

This article provides a deeper analysis based on the video content.

Hello everyone. In recent years, we’ve helped clients import used agricultural machinery from European and American markets, and we’ve found that the import regulations for used goods are indeed much stricter than for new ones, and the process is relatively complex. Today, I’ll spend a few minutes walking you through the core pain points and customs clearance logic for importing used agricultural machinery, so you can avoid pitfalls and detours.

The key takeaway is this: when importing used agricultural machinery, customs supervision follows an ironclad “three-step” rule.

Step One: Check the “Prohibited Imports Catalog.” This is a hard red line! The basis is the Joint Announcement No. 106 of 2018 by the Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs. Items like used tractors and used engines — if the corresponding product falls within this catalog, it is absolutely prohibited from import. There’s no point proceeding with any further steps; just abandon the idea. So this is the first and most critical check.

Step Two: If the item is not on the prohibited list, next check the “Inspection and Supervision Measures List.” The basis is Customs Announcement No. 145 of 2014. This list divides used mechanical and electrical products into three categories. For our purposes, the most important category is: those requiring “pre-shipment inspection.” For example, used harvesters, silage machines, cotton pickers, threshers, rice transplanters, and so on all fall into this category. These machines must be inspected and receive a passing inspection certificate before the goods are shipped from abroad. Without this certificate, import is simply not possible. If a product is not on this list, it typically only needs to undergo routine port and destination inspections.

Step Three: If you’ve cleared both steps above, you still need to check the “Import License Catalog.” The basis is the latest Joint Announcement No. 88 of 2025 by the Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs. Items like used combine harvesters, rice transplanters, various harvesters, cotton pickers, silage machines, threshers, and so on are all listed in this catalog. This means that before customs clearance, you must apply to the Ministry of Commerce and obtain an Import License; otherwise, you won’t be able to clear customs.

The critical sequence is: you must first confirm the item “can be imported,” then proceed with “pre-shipment inspection,” and only then, using the inspection certificate, can you apply for the “import license.”

So what exactly does pre-shipment inspection cover? There are three main areas:

• Consistency inspection: Check whether the machine’s nameplate information (model, manufacturer, production date, etc.) matches the documents you’ve submitted. This is to strictly prevent “goods not matching the description” or the concealment of prohibited items.
• Safety inspection: Check whether safety warning labels are complete, whether operating instructions are available in Chinese, whether the machine has any oil or water leaks, and whether it runs normally during a test start-up.
• Environmental and hygiene inspection: Check whether the machine is clean, free of soil and weeds, and whether the factory emissions and noise levels comply with our national standards.

As for the documents you need to prepare for import customs clearance, here’s the checklist: commercial invoice, packing list, purchase contract, payment for foreign exchange voucher, original factory invoice or materials proving the original value (for valuation reference), pre-shipment inspection report, import license, inspection fee invoice issued by the inspection body, and a detailed used goods price explanation.

That’s all for today on the core customs clearance logic for importing used agricultural machinery. If you encounter more specific issues during actual operations, feel free to leave a comment and discuss.

I’m Lao Tao, working in international logistics. See you next time.

Summary

The above is a detailed introduction to precautions for importing used agricultural machinery. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Vortrich International Freight for consultation.