An In-Depth Guide to the Import of Special Equipment

Issue Date：2025-04-10 Source：Alayongguan

With the acceleration of globalization, special equipment, known for its distinctive characteristics and diverse forms of import and supervision, is increasingly being imported. Today, let me guide you through the essential knowledge regarding the import of special equipment.

I. Definition of Special Equipment

According to the Special Equipment Safety Law of the People's Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as the "Special Equipment Safety Law"), special equipment refers to boilers, pressure vessels (including gas cylinders), pressure pipelines, elevators, hoisting machinery, passenger ropeways, large-scale amusement facilities, special motor vehicles for internal sites (factories), which pose a greater threat to personal and property safety, as well as other equipment regulated by this law as specified in relevant laws and administrative regulations. The state administers special equipment through a catalogue system, primarily following the relevant provisions of the former Announcement No. 114 of 2014 issued by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

Pursuant to Article 30 of the Special Equipment Safety Law, imported special equipment must comply with the safety technical standards of our country and pass inspection. If a production license for special equipment is required by our country, a license must be obtained. Currently, the regulatory certificates for imported special equipment are being verified through an integrated online system.

II. Classification of Special Equipment

Pressure equipment

Boilers, pressure vessels, and pressure pipelines

1. Boiler

A boiler is defined as a device that uses natural gas, electricity, or other energy sources to heat the contained liquid and organic heat carrier to specific technical parameters, thereby supplying heat energy or power by discharging steam, organic heat carriers, and other media. The scope includes pressure-bearing steam boilers with a designed normal water level volume of 30L or more and a rated steam pressure of at least 0.1MPa (gauge pressure); pressure-bearing hot water boilers with an outlet water pressure of at least 0.1MPa (gauge pressure) and a rated power of at least 0.1MW; and organic heat carrier boilers with a rated power of at least 0.1MW.

2. Pressure vessel

A pressure vessel is defined as a sealed apparatus that contains gases or liquefied gases and is designed to withstand certain pressure levels. This includes storage containers, heat exchange containers, and separation containers, among others. Some pressure vessels may hold flammable, explosive, or toxic and hazardous substances. The scope includes gases with a maximum working pressure of 0.1MPa (gauge pressure) or more, liquefied gases, and liquids with a maximum working temperature at or above the standard boiling point. This applies to both stationary and mobile containers with a volume of 30L or more and an internal diameter (for non-circular cross-sections, the greatest geometric dimension of the internal boundary) of 150mm or more. It also covers gas cylinders with a nominal working pressure of 0.2MPa (gauge pressure) or more, where the product of pressure and volume is 1.0MPa•L or greater, and their contained liquids have a standard boiling point of 60°C or lower; and oxygen chambers.

3. Pressure pipeline

A pressure pipeline refers to a tubular device used to transport gas or liquid under a specified pressure. The scope covers pipelines with a maximum working pressure of 0.1MPa (gauge pressure) or more, designed to carry gaseous, liquefied gas, steam, or flammable, explosive, toxic, corrosive liquids, with a maximum working temperature at or exceeding the standard boiling point, and a nominal diameter of 50mm or more. It does not include the pipelines with the nominal diameter less than 150mm and the maximum working pressure less than 1.6MPa (gauge pressure) which deliver non-toxic, non-combustible and non-corrosive gas, and the inherent pipelines of the equipment.

Electromechanical equipment

Elevators, hoisting machinery, passenger ropeways, amusement facilities, and motor vehicles within premises (factories).

4. Elevator

An elevator is defined as power-driven electromechanical equipment that employs a cabin running along rigid guide rails or steps operating along a fixed path to vertically or horizontally transport people and goods. This includes passenger elevators, freight elevators, escalators, among others. Elevators installed in non-public areas for exclusive use by a single household are not subject to the supervision of special equipment regulations.

5. Hoisting machinery

Hoisting machinery is defined as electromechanical equipment used for the vertical lifting or for both vertical lifting and horizontal transportation of heavy loads. The scope includes lifts with a rated lifting capacity of 0.5t or more; cranes with a rated capacity of 3t or more and a lifting height of 2m or more; and mechanical parking devices with two or more levels.

6. Passenger ropeway

A passenger ropeway refers to power-driven electromechanical equipment that transports individuals by using flexible ropes to haul cabins or similar carriers.

7. Large-scale amusement facilities

Large-scale amusement facilities are those intended for business use, designed to carry passengers for entertainment purposes. The scope includes large-scale manned amusement facilities with a designed maximum operating linear speed of 2m/s or more, or an operating height 2m or more above the ground.

8. Special motor vehicles for internal sites (factories)

Special motor vehicles for internal sites (factories) refer to special motor vehicles used only in specific areas such as factory areas, tourist attractions, and amusement parks, except for road traffic and agricultural vehicles.

III. Important Considerations for Import Declarations

When declaring the import of special equipment, besides providing standard trade documents like contracts, invoices, and packing lists, the following must also be submitted:

1. Special Equipment Type Test Certificate

Imported pressure pipelines, elevators, hoisting machinery, passenger ropeways, large-scale amusement facilities, and special motor vehicles for internal sites (factories), as listed in the "Special Equipment Safety Law" and the "Special Equipment Catalogue", are required to provide a "Special Equipment Type Test Certificate".

The online verification and comparison of this certificate primarily focus on the license number and the certificate's validity period. If the online verification identifies no issues, the system will not prompt a new dialog box. The applicant simply needs to click the 'Save' button on the left side of the dialog box to save the information. If a new dialog box continues to appear, indicating issues such as an incorrect license number and/or an expired license, please verify or amend the information and resubmit your declaration. Once the declaration information is submitted, if the product license category or license number within the applicable scope does not match the customs database, or if the license is beyond its validity period, the entry will be returned.

2. Special Equipment Manufacturing License

Imported boilers and pressure vessels, as specified in the Special Equipment Safety Law and the Special Equipment Catalogue, must provide a "Special Equipment Manufacturing License."

When declaring the import of special equipment, the attributes of the imported goods must be accurately and truthfully filled in.

For products that align with the definition and description within the "Special Equipment Catalogue"—including those attached to the main equipment that are considered parts of special equipment—"39-Special Equipment" should be selected for the goods attributes. Concurrent entries for "40-Non-special Equipment" or "20-Waste" are not permitted. For products whose principles, structures, functions, etc., are similar to special equipment but do not meet the definition and description of the "Special Equipment Catalogue", "40-Non-special Equipment" should be selected for the goods attributes. Concurrent entries for "39-Special Equipment" or "20-Waste" are not permitted. For goods designated as "39-Special Equipment" and those that have acquired the import regulatory certificates for special equipment, the license category and number must be specified according to the requirements for each type of special equipment.

Among these, there are 16 cases where it is not obligatory to provide import regulatory certificates for special equipment. The detailed cases and requirements for completing the "license number" field are outlined in the table below.

IV. Inspection and Supervision Precautions

Imported special equipment is required to comply with national quality and safety standards as well as technical standards. The customs will inspect the imported special equipment following inspection instructions. This will include assessing the packaging, appearance, product nameplates, safety warning signs, and their descriptions. Additionally, the inspection will verify if the manufacturer's details, the scope of the manufacturing license, product name, specifications, and models align with those stated in the 'Special Equipment Manufacturing License', the 'Special Equipment Type Test Certificate', or other relevant documentation.

Due to the high safety risks associated with special equipment, any imported special equipment that does not pass inspection and cannot be rectified, or still fails after rectification attempts, will be subject to return or destruction by customs in accordance with the law.

Tips

Imported special equipment categorized as used electromechanical products is prohibited from import under the 'Announcement on the Adjustment of the Catalogue of Used Electromechanical Products Prohibited from Import' (Ministry of Commerce and General Administration of Customs Announcement No. 106 [2018]). Other permitted used special equipment for import must obtain the necessary access permit from China and undergo pre-shipment inspection as per the regulations. For non-road mobile machinery, valid emission compliance inspection reports and other supporting documentation must also be provided.

If an enterprise encounters any questions during the import declaration process, it can promptly consult customs for assistance. For required licenses, please provide them according to the requirements set by the market supervision department.

Note: Part of this article references the "Special Equipment Safety Law of the People's Republic of China" and the former General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine's Announcement No. 114 of 2014 on the "Special Equipment Catalogue".

Disclaimer：The above content is translated from Chinese version of Alayongguan. The Alayongguan version shall prevail.