Import, export & customs in Chinese 进出口
jìnchūkǒu
Import and export in Chinese is 进出口 (jìn chū kǒu).
Also searched for as: customs, import and export, customs clearance, tariffs, import duty, foreign trade.
Duties, declarations and getting through customs. 15 essential import, export & customs words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
Trade vocabulary in Chinese is pleasingly logical: 进口 (jìn kǒu), literally 'enter the opening', means to import, and 出口 (chū kǒu), 'exit the opening', means to export. Between the two sits 海关 (hǎi guān), customs, where goods must be declared before they can move on. Getting 清关 (qīng guān), customs clearance, done quickly depends on having the right paperwork in order before the goods arrive.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 进口 | jìn kǒu | to import |
| 出口 | chū kǒu | to export |
| 外贸 | wài mào | foreign trade |
| 海关 | hǎi guān | customs |
| 报关 | bào guān | to declare goods at customs |
| 清关 | qīng guān | customs clearance |
| 关税 | guān shuì | tariff; customs duty |
| 退税 | tuì shuì | tax rebate (on exports) |
| 原产地证 | yuán chǎn dì zhèng | certificate of origin |
| 装箱单 | zhuāng xiāng dān | packing list |
| 商检 | shāng jiǎn | commodity inspection |
| 离岸价 | lí àn jià | FOB price |
| 到岸价 | dào àn jià | CIF price |
| 认证 | rèn zhèng | certification |
| 进出口权 | jìn chū kǒu quán | import-export rights |
Usage tips
- 报关 (bào guān) is the declaration itself, while 清关 (qīng guān) is the whole process of getting goods released; the agent who handles it is a 报关行 (bào guān háng), customs broker.
- Many traders simply say FOB and CIF in English, but you'll see 离岸价 (lí àn jià) and 到岸价 (dào àn jià) on formal quotes and documents.
- 退税 (tuì shuì), the export tax rebate, matters a lot to Chinese suppliers, which is one reason they care about having complete, accurate export paperwork.
Common mistakes
- Using 进口 (jìn kǒu) for people entering a country: goods 进口, but people 入境 (rù jìng).
- Treating the 装箱单 (zhuāng xiāng dān), packing list, and 发票 (fā piào), invoice, as roughly matching; customs expects quantities and values to be 一致 (yī zhì), identical, across both.
- Using 税 (shuì) loosely for 'duty': import duty is specifically 关税 (guān shuì), while VAT is 增值税 (zēng zhí shuì), and both can apply.
Mini dialogue
- A我们的货到港了吗？Wǒ men de huò dào gǎng le ma?Have our goods arrived at port?
- B到了，可是被海关扣了。Dào le, kě shì bèi hǎi guān kòu le.Yes, but customs are holding them.
- A怎么回事？报关资料不全吗？Zěn me huí shì? Bào guān zī liào bù quán ma?What's going on? Are the customs documents incomplete?
- B装箱单和发票上的数量不一致。Zhuāng xiāng dān hé fā piào shàng de shù liàng bù yī zhì.The quantities on the packing list and the invoice don't match.
- A我马上让工厂改。清关大概要多久？Wǒ mǎ shàng ràng gōng chǎng gǎi. Qīng guān dà gài yào duō jiǔ?I'll get the factory to fix it right away. How long will clearance take?
- B资料改好的话，三到五天吧。Zī liào gǎi hǎo de huà, sān dào wǔ tiān ba.Once the documents are corrected, about three to five days.
Example sentences
- 我们从中国进口家具。We import furniture from China.
- 这些产品主要出口到欧洲。These products are mainly exported to Europe.
- 我在一家外贸公司上班。I work for a foreign trade company.
- 货被海关扣了。The goods are being held by customs.
- 报关资料都准备好了吗？Are the customs documents ready?
- 清关一般要三到五天。Customs clearance usually takes three to five days.
- 关税要算进成本里。Tariffs need to be factored into the cost.
- 出口可以申请退税。You can apply for a tax rebate on exports.
- 客户要我们提供原产地证。The client wants a certificate of origin from us.
- 装箱单和发票要一致。The packing list and the invoice must match.
- 这类产品出口要做商检。This kind of product needs inspecting before export.
- 我们报的是离岸价。Our quote is FOB.
- 能报个到岸价吗？Can you give us a CIF price?
- 这个产品有CE认证吗？Does this product have CE certification?
- 我们公司有进出口权。Our company has import-export rights.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Import, export & customs speaking island has 8 everyday questions about import, export & customs to prepare your own answers to.