Solving the dilemma of choosing import equipment payment solutions

Under the framework of the latest Electromechanical Equipment Management Measures issued by the General Administration of Customs in 2025, import equipment payment operations face stricter foreign exchange verification requirements. As agency experts handling over 100 equipment import cases annually,?Equipment import?we have identified three most common financial risk traps enterprises fall into:?Foreign trade?Uncontrolled prepayment ratio

• Importer accepted 50% TT prepayment terms, suffered production line suspension due to supplier delivery delays: A certain?Medical Devices?Document flaw losses
• : LC payment rejected by bank due to incorrect weight unit on packing list, incurring over 120,000 yuan port detention fees: Exchange rate fluctuations eroding profits
• : 3.2% RMB depreciation during 6-month payment cycle directly eroded equipment procurement budget: 2025 mainstream payment methods practical comparison

According to 2025 SAFE Announcement No.15 requirements, import equipment payment methods must simultaneously meet dual standards of trade authenticity and fund security:

TT wire transfer (30% prepayment + 70% payment against documents)

• Advantage: Convenient operation, commonly used for small/medium equipment procurement
  • Risk point: Supplier credit risk requires key assessment
  • (Sight/Usance)
• LC?L/C?Advantage: Bank credit endorsement reduces transaction risk
  • Risk point: Documentation must 100% comply with ISBP745 rules
  • Risk point: Documentation must be 100% compliant with ISBP745 rules
• D/P documents against acceptance
  • Advantage: Balances risk allocation between buyers and sellers
  • Risk point: Need to confirm political and economic stability of importing country

Strategies for new foreign exchange regulatory policies

The Cross-border Trade Foreign Exchange Receipts and Payments Classification Management Measures implemented in 2025 proposes three key requirements for equipment imports:

• Single payments exceeding $500,000 require 5 working days advance reporting
• Deviation between customs tax certificates and payment amounts must not exceed ±2%
• Advance payments require original supplier performance bonds

Recommended for enterprise adoptionPhased payment + bank guaranteeCombination solution: Pay 30% advance payment before equipment shipment (requires supplier advance payment guarantee), pay 50% progress payment against bill of lading copy, final 20% balance payment after equipment installation and commissioning. This solution successfully reduced capital risk by 37% in 2025 equipment import cases.

Risk prevention operation flow chart

• Step1 Contract review: Focus on verifying applicability of INCOTERMS 2025 clauses
• Step2 Payment reporting: Online declaration through SAFE digital platform
• Step3 Document verification: Verify consistency between mechanical & electrical certificate codes and customs HS codes
• Step4 Fund transfer: Use bank hedging tools to avoid exchange rate risks
• Step5 Verification and archiving: Retain complete document set for at least 5 years

After adopting this process, an auto parts manufacturer successfully avoided 1.26 million yuan exchange loss due to euro fluctuations in their German precision machine tool import project, with customs clearance time 8 working days shorter than industry average.

Guidelines for handling special scenarios

For 2025 new customs bond regulations, recommend usingCustoms Duty Guarantee Insuranceto replace traditional cash bonds:

• Saves 90% capital occupation
• Electronic insurance policies enable second-level clearance
• Insurance rates as low as 0.3‰ of goods value

For used equipment imports, special attention should be paid to payment terms andCCIC certificatesacquisition timing. Recommend retaining 10%-15% balance payment until equipment passes local inspection, effectively preventing technical trade barrier risks.