The Golden Rule of Japanese Equipment Import Agents: How to Avoid the Cognitive Blind Spots of 90% of Enterprises

Invisible Entry Barriers: The Game Behind Japans JIS Certification

After the implementation of the newly revised Industrial Standardization Law in 2025, imported equipment involving mechanical transmission components will face stricter technical barriers. Cases we have handled show that a Jiangsu-based company suffered a direct loss of $370,000 due to the temporary detention of a batch of CNC equipment by Osaka Customs for failing to obtain JIS-MT-2025 certification.

Three Fatal Pitfalls in the Import Process

According to the latest data from the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), equipment procurement disputes between Chinese enterprises and Japan in 2025年1-May increased by 21% year-on-year, mainly concentrated in:

• Hidden tariff costs
  • Additional taxes triggered by HS code misclassification
  • It is recommended to verify through the following methods:Loss of preferential tax rates due to documentation deficiencies
• Spatiotemporal misalignment in logistics links
• Sharp increase in storage fees caused by shipping delays
• Lack of transportation solutions for special-sized equipment

Five Golden Indicators for Screening Agent Service Providers

Judging high-quality agents should not be limited to price comparisons. We recommend focusing on:

• Number of licensed customs specialists in Japan (recommended ≥3)
• Dual-port operation capability in Kansai/Kanto
• Customs clearance success rate for similar equipment in the past three years
• Crisis response speed (recommended 2-hour emergency mechanism)
• Completeness of compliance traceability systems

Response Strategies Under the 2025 New Policies

In response to the revised contents of the Japanese Ministry of Finance Order No. 32, importers need to pay special attention to:

• New Regulations on Electronic Payment Voucher Certification (Effective from 2025年4月)
• Used equipment: Must provide depreciation assessment reportequipment. For example, Indonesia has the SNI certification, Thailand has the TISI certification, and the Philippines has the BPS certification. It is necessary to confirm in advance the equipment voltage (such as 380V/50Hz in Thailand), the compatibility of the CE certification, and the proof of environmentally friendly materials.Additional Review System (Applicable to Equipment Manufactured Before 2008)
• Expansion of Strategic Goods Control List (12 New Categories of Precision Instruments Added)

Practical Case: Lessons from a 36-Hour Emergency Customs Clearance

2025年3月 Incident: A Semiconductor Company Faced Unexpected Issues When Importing Lithography Machine Auxiliary Equipment:

• Problem: HS Code Misclassified as Restricted Goods
• Countermeasures: Activated Three-Level Appeal Mechanism + Technical Document Review
• Outcome: Goods Released Within Statutory Clearance Timeframe

By establishing preventive compliance review mechanisms, we have reduced average clearance time for similar transactions to 1.8 working days, achieving 40% higher efficiency than industry average. Professional agency services lie not only in process execution, but more importantly in anticipating policy changes and maintaining professional crisis management capabilities.