Ming Li

Ming Li brings 15 years of concentrated experience in international trade law, with particular expertise in customs compliance, import and export regulations, and cross-border supply chain management.

Practice Focus

Li's practice at Heilongjiang Zhongcheng Law Firm covers the entire import-export lifecycle: from tariff classification and customs valuation to export controls, sanctions compliance, and trade remedy measures. He has extensive experience handling disputes with China Customs involving valuation challenges, tariff reclassification, and penalty proceedings. Li regularly advises these ventures on the import of specialized equipment, technology licensing arrangements, and commodity export procedures.

He represented a US-based oilfield services company in a customs dispute involving the tariff classification of specialized drilling equipment. The case, which involved approximately RMB 12 million in disputed duties, was resolved through administrative reconsideration with a favorable outcome. The Customs Law of the People's Republic of China and its implementing regulations require importers and exporters to declare goods accurately, pay the correct amount of duties, and maintain proper records.

The Customs Tariff Commission periodically adjusts tariff rates, requiring companies to stay current with classification changes. He helps companies classify their products, determine whether export licenses are required, and implement internal compliance programs. He assisted a German precision machinery manufacturer in obtaining an export license for controlled technology components, navigating the inter-agency review process between the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

Li's practice has grown significantly as China continues to reform its trade facilitation procedures. In addition to his customs practice, Mr. Li advises on trade sanctions and economic sanctions compliance.

He is a regular contributor to trade law publications and has spoken at conferences organized by the China Ministry of Commerce on topics including customs valuation methodology, trade remedy responses, and the impact of China's revised Import and Export Commodity Inspection Law. He is fluent in English and maintains close professional relationships with customs brokers, freight forwarders, and trade compliance professionals throughout Heilongjiang province, enabling him to provide integrated legal and logistical advice that many standalone law firms cannot offer. He has developed a network of reliable customs professionals throughout Heilongjiang's border ports and inland cargo terminals, enabling him to provide coordinated legal and logistical support for import and export transactions.

Li's client base includes major players in the oil and gas equipment, heavy machinery, chemical, and agricultural commodity sectors — industries central to Heilongjiang's economy. Daqing hosts numerous joint ventures between Chinese state-owned enterprises and foreign technology partners.

He also advised a South Korean steel manufacturer on anti-dumping proceedings initiated by China's Ministry of Commerce, successfully demonstrating that the client's products did not cause material injury to the domestic industry. Li conducts regular compliance audits for multinational clients to identify potential customs exposure before it results in penalties.

Heilongjiang's strategic location along China's northern border makes it a hub for cross-border trade. Li advises clients on utilizing special customs regimes including bonded warehouse operations, processing trade procedures, and customs clearance protocols.

Li also guides clients through China's evolving export control regime, which has expanded significantly to cover dual-use items, military goods, and certain sensitive technologies. from Harbin Institute of Technology and a Master of Laws in International Trade Law from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.

He is a certified Customs Broker and a member of the Chinese Society of International Economic Law. He closely monitors developments in the China International Import Expo framework and the expansion of pilot free trade zones, which offer streamlined customs procedures and reduced bureaucracy for qualifying importers.

He has advised several clients on establishing operations in the Heilongjiang Pilot Free Trade Zone, which covers Harbin, Heihe, and Suifenhe areas, helping them benefit from expedited customs clearance, duty deferral programs, and simplified import-export documentation requirements. As China aligns more closely with international sanctions frameworks while maintaining its own independent sanctions regime, multinational companies face increasing complexity in ensuring their China operations do not violate applicable sanctions.

Li helps clients conduct sanctions risk assessments, screen counterparties, and implement compliance policies that address both Chinese and international sanctions requirements. Li works extensively with customs brokers and freight forwarders to optimize customs clearance procedures for his clients.

His clients benefit from his ability to resolve customs holds and inspection issues quickly, minimizing delays that can disrupt supply chains and damage customer relationships. He also advises on the customs implications of cross-border e-commerce transactions, a rapidly growing channel for international trade that presents unique regulatory challenges under China's evolving e-commerce legal framework.

Based in Daqing, Heilongjiang's industrial heartland, Mr. Violations can result in penalties ranging from confiscation of goods to suspension of import-export rights. He has extensive experience with the Suifenhe and Heihe border ports, which handle substantial volumes of timber, agricultural products, and industrial raw materials.