The latest release from China Customs2025 Provisional Tariff Implementation Planshows structural adjustments to import tariffs on glass industry equipment. The tariff on annealing kilns for float glass production lines has been reduced from 8% to 5%, whilephotovoltaicthe provisional import tariff on glass processing equipment maintains a 3% preferential rate. Notably, Customs has added9013.8090new HS codes specifically regulating imports of laboratory-grade glass instruments, which will directly impact scientific equipment procurement.
Three Practical Rules for HS Code Classification
In customs commodity classification practice, glass equipment showsa 30% declaration error ratemainly concentrated in the following areas:
Functional Definition Misconceptions: The tariff difference between laser cutters and ordinary cutters reaches 7%
Material Identification Blind SpotsEquipment containing precious metal components requires separate declaration for additional taxes
Missing usage descriptionDifferences in regulatory conditions between industrial and laboratory equipment
Precise capture path for tax incentive policies
Free Trade Agreement Utilization:
14% tariff reduction for Japanese glass molding equipment under RCEP
Five-year progressive tariff reduction mechanism for glass molds under China-Korea FTA
Special regulatory policies:
Tariff refund policy for R&D equipment imported by high-tech enterprises
Catalog of Import Tax Incentives for Major Technical Equipment (2025 Edition)
Customs audit priorities and compliance solutions
According to General Administration of Customs Announcement No. 38 of 2025, inspection focus for glass equipment imports shifts to:
Updated assessment standards for residual value rate of used equipment
Detailed rules for declaring additional taxes on environmental protection equipment
Tax-saving operation examples in typical scenarios
Case 1:A photovoltaic enterprise imported German-made coating equipment throughSplit customs declarationSeparate declaration of main unit (5%) and control system (0%) saved 420,000 yuan in tariffs
Case 2:Medical EquipmentThe company incurred 17% VAT non-deductible due to incorrect classification of laboratory glassware, recovering 830,000 yuan in losses after professional reclassification service