Container Inspection Storm Escalates: China Ports Tighten Crackdown on Dangerous Goods Exports

Recently, the Chinese logistics and foreign trade sector has been shaken by a series of high-profile incidents. From port seizures to vessel accidents, the message is clear — customs inspections are getting tougher than ever.

1. Major Smuggling Case Discovered in Yantian Port

In late May, Shenzhen Yantian Port customs officers uncovered a major concealment case. The declared item was ''lead-antimony'' under HS Code 7801910000, but the actual cargo turned out to be 1.6 tons of antimony, a material classified as dual-use for nuclear purposes.

The shipment was part of OOCL MALAYSIA voyage 064E, which has now been flagged and controlled by authorities.

The consequences were immediate:

• The involved freight forwarder and customs broker were taken into custody.
• Over 200 containers were forcibly opened for inspection.
• The company’s export profile was placed under full customs surveillance.

 This is a loud warning: it’s no longer about whether you haveisbutwhether your goods l

2. What’s Being Strictly Inspected?

Customs across China are now focusing on seven high-risk product categories:

1. Magnetic materials, especially rare-earth magnets such as neodymium-iron-boron.
2. Metal products, including steel, aluminum, and alloy components—checked for trace rare-earth elements.
3. Zero-tariff goods, such as steel, aluminum, paper, and other seemingly low-risk items.
4. Lithium batteries containing thionyl chloride, sulfuryl chloride, and similar controlled substances.
5. Knives and blades, including kitchen knives — may fall under restricted or controlled goods.
6. Chemicals, such as epoxy resin, UV glue, ink, hot melt powders — must have accurate MSDS matching declaration to avoid classification as dual-use or toxic precursors.
7. Sensitive tech with keywords like ''laser,'' ''remote control,'' ''pump,'' ''3D printer,'' combined with stainless steel or alloy materials — trigger red flags.

These items may be sent for lab testing. Penalties range fromfines to f

3. Vessel Accidents Heighten Inspection Pressure

In addition to port enforcement, several recent maritime disasters have pushed regulatory agencies into higher alert:

• On June 9, the vessel Wan Hai 503 caught fire and exploded en route from Shenzhen Shekou to Nhava Sheva, India.
• On May 25, MSC’s ''MSC Elsa 3'' capsized off the coast of Kerala, India, due to ballast water failure — resulting in container spills and major marine pollution.

These back-to-back incidents are raising global concerns over dangerous goods mismanagement at sea

4. Illegal Fireworks Export Cases Continue

Authorities also uncovered multiple smuggling cases of fireworks:

• On June 15, Ningbo Customs seized 15.5 tons of fireworks hidden in general cargo.
• Similarly, Nansha Customs in Guangzhou found 15 tons of undeclared fireworks falsely declared as ''carpet and webbing.''

Note: Fireworks fall under Class 1 Dangerous Goods as defined by Chinese law. Exporting them via concealment or false declaration is illegal and dangerous, and subject to severe penalties.

5. China Launches Nationwide ''100-Day Crackdown'' Campaign

To address the rising risks, China’s Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) launched a 100-Day National Campaign starting from June 2 to September 10, 2025, targeting false or concealed declarations of dangerous goods.

Key enforcement actions include the ''Three 100% + Full Coverage'' policy:

• 100% comparison between customs declarations and real logistics data.
• 100% onboard inspections for ships carrying bulk dangerous goods.
• 100% review of enterprise safety declaration systems.
• Full personnel coverage, ensuring all certification officers comply—no proxy signatures, no false documents, no remote approvals.

 Both packaged and bulk dangerous goods in domestic and internationshipments will be tho

6. Advice for Exporters and Importers

Given the current regulatory climate, everyone in the logistics chain—exporters, freight forwarders, brokers, and receivers—must take compliance seriously.

Our reminder to all clients and logistics partners:

Always double-check your documentation, ensure your MSDS and declaration match the actual cargo.

Importers must remain alert during delivery — receiving undeclared lllllllllllll goods can result in liabili

Conclus

In today’s shipping environment:

''If your cargo isn’t being inspected, it feels like a holiday.

But once it is, it’s a nightmare you can’t aff

This is not a temporary trend, but the new normal.

The best—and only—way forward is to declare truthfully