What Should Be Considered When Importing Daily Chemical Products for Children?

 

 

Chemicals for daily use (hereinafter referred to as "daily chemicals") are essential items in people's lives. With the improvement of living standards, the usage of daily chemicals has significantly increased, and special attention is being given to daily chemicals designed for children. To meet the demand for imported children's daily chemicals and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese consumers, the Customs has established clear requirements for the declaration of these products. This article introduces the key aspects companies need to know, such as commodity classification and standardized declaration, before importing children's daily chemical products.

I. Introduction to Commodity Knowledge

According to the Industrial Classification for National Economic Activities (GB/T 4754-2017), daily chemical products (Medium Category 268) fall under the chemical raw materials and chemical product manufacturing industry (Major Category 26) within the manufacturing sector (Category C). Common children's daily chemicals include six categories: daily chemical products for washing, daily chemical products for skin care, daily chemical products for oral cleaning, fragrance-based daily chemical products, insecticide- and repellent-related daily chemical products, and other daily chemical products.

(I) Daily chemical products for washing. The products primarily refer to chemicals with decontamination properties, usually fine chemical products containing surfactants. These mainly include soap, washing powder, laundry detergent, hand wash, and dishwashing liquid, among others.

(II) Daily chemical products for skin care. The products primarily refer to fine chemical products applied to the surface of the human skin through methods such as smearing, spraying, or similar techniques, with the purpose of cleansing, maintaining, and preserving the skin's condition. These mainly include skin care products, lotions, sunscreen creams, diaper rash creams, and so on.

(III) Daily chemical products for oral cleaning. The products primarily refer to fine chemical products used for cleaning and polishing the surface of the teeth, or freshening breath. These mainly include toothpaste, mouthwash, and other related products.

(IV) Fragrance-based daily chemical products. The products primarily refer to fine chemical products composed mainly of aromatic substances (such as essential oils and synthetic fragrances) and designed to produce pleasant scents when applied to the human body. These mainly include products like Florida Water and Prickly Heat Water.

(V) Insecticide- and repellent-related daily chemical products. The products primarily refer to fine chemical products intended for killing or repelling insects such as mosquitoes. These mainly include mosquito repellents, electric mosquito repellent liquid, and similar products.

(VI) Other daily chemical products. The products primarily refer to fine chemical products not categorized in the specific categories listed above, such as disinfectant wet wipes.

The state has established strict standards and requirements for the production and supervision of daily chemical products for children, with specific regulations on the permitted levels of heavy metals, toxic and hazardous substances, as well as safety performance.

II. Guidelines for Classification, Tax Rates, and Standardized Declaration Elements of Imported Daily Chemical Products

According to the 2025 edition of the Customs Import and Export Tariff of the People's Republic of China, the specific tariff numbers for daily chemical products in customs classification should be determined based on their purpose, ingredients, and packaging specifications. As per the 2025 edition of the Customs Import and Export Commodity Specification Declaration Catalogue of the People's Republic of China, the classification and declaration elements for some common retail-packaged daily chemical products by the Customs are as follows:

 

 

 

 

Among these, the GTIN code mentioned in the table above refers to the commodity barcode, an abbreviation for Global Trade Item Number. It is comprised of 8, 12, 13, or 14 digits. Currently, imported infant skin care products and similar commodities are mandatory fields. Enterprises are required to truthfully fill in the GTIN found on the smallest retail packaging of the product. The filled-in GTIN should comply with global standards (ISO 15459 or GB 12904). If the declared goods have no GTIN, fill in as "No GTIN".

III. Examples of Standardized Declaration for Imported Daily Chemical Products for Children

Example I: The declared product name is "Children's Body Wash"

The "specification and model" column shall be filled with: water 30%, glycerin 10%, BG 10%, TEA glutamic acid cocoate 10%, sodium cocoyl amphoacetate 10%, sodium lauroyl aspartate 10%, glycosyl trehalose 10%, hydrogenated starch xylitol 10%, and more; milky appearance; retail packaging 460ml/bag; a specific brand; a specific model.

Analysis: Body wash is prone to being mistakenly declared as a bathing preparation. Based on the description, the main active ingredient of this product is surfactant, categorizing it as a skin cleansing surfactant product. Hence, it should be classified under tariff line 3401.3000.

Example II: The declared product name is "Children's Mosquito Repellent Sunscreen Lotion"

The "specification and model" column shall be filled with: mosquito repellent; water 70%, active mosquito-repellent ingredients such as citronella oil 2%, glycerin 5%, aloe flower extract, titanium dioxide, surfactants, etc., 23%; retail packaging 150ml/bottle; a specific brand; a specific model.

Analysis: According to the description, this product offers both sun protection and mosquito repellent functions, making it susceptible to being misdeclared as a skin care product. According to the Customs Import and Export Tariff of the People's Republic of China, mosquito repellent products in retail packaging should be classified under Heading No. 38.08 rather than the tariff line for skin care products. Therefore, this product should be classified under tariff line 3808.9119.

Example III: The declared product name is "Children's Anti-mosquito Silicone Wristband"

The "specification and model" column shall be filled with: mosquito repellent; citronella essential oil, polypropylene plastic, etc.; 50 pieces/box; a specific brand; a specific model.

Analysis: The main active ingredients of such products are essential oils, which are prone to being incorrectly declared as aromatic products. According to the Customs Import and Export Tariff of the People's Republic of China, mosquito repellent products in retail packaging should be classified under Heading No. 38.08 instead of the tariff line for essential oil products. Therefore, this product should be classified under tariff line 3808.9119.

 

(Chen Jingwan, Mo Zhengjuan, Zeng Ning, Wei Xiao)

 

 

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Disclaimer：The above content is translated from Chinese version of China Inspection and Quarantine Times. The China Inspection and Quarantine Times version shall prevail.