The classification screen

4 questions before you choose the route.

This page identifies the right question and evidence. It does not determine the legal outcome on a reader’s facts.

01

What is the invoice/transaction value?

Base.

Base
02

Royalties/assists/packing to add?

Adjustments.

Add
03

Related party?

Test.

RP
04

HS code already stable?

Resolve the hs code already stable question separately before choosing the route.

HS

Working rule: China follows transaction-value logic with permitted additions and valuation methods when transaction value fails.

What changes the answer

The signal ledger.

These facts move the question beyond a label and into a product, money-flow and control analysis.

Signal
Ask the operating question
Why it changes the route
Two invoices culture
Fraud risk.
Stop.
Ignore royalty clauses
Later adjustment.
Model.
Broader Trade & Customs analysis needed
Do the facts extend beyond the threshold Customs Valuation in China question?
Additional facts can change the Trade & Customs route, evidence and next step.
Prepare before you escalate

Bring a compact evidence docket—not a pitch deck.

Give a compliance team or counsel the operating facts that reveal the perimeter.

01Contracts and invoicesPrice.
02Royalty/licence agreementsAdds.
03Transfer-pricing packRelated party.
Common confusions

Questions people ask before they build.

Short answers for orientation. The right result can change with the service model and current rules.

Is CIF always the answer?

Incoterms help explain cost elements; customs value rules still control.

Where is classification?

Use the linked specialist resource when Customs Valuation in China turns on detailed evidence, procedure or risk assessment.

Primary authorities

Reviewed sources support orientation, not a fact-specific assessment.

General Administration of Customs (GACC)
Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM)
National laws database (NPC)
SAMR