Essential information: The main functions and application scenarios of customs data!

As a newcomer to the foreign trade industry, you may often hear that "customs data is very important", but facing the dense import and export records, you don't know where to start. Don't worry! This article will use actual cases and operational demonstrations to help you easily master the core uses and practical methods of customs data, so that you can avoid detours and get started quickly.

1. What exactly is customs data?

Simply put, customs data is a collection of bills of lading and customs declarations generated during the global import and export of goods . Each piece of data contains real records of buyers, suppliers, goods details, transaction quantities and amounts, which is equivalent to the "account book" of international trade.

The core fields that are most useful to newcomers include:

• Name of Importer/Exporter

• HS Code (internationally used commodity code)

• Detailed product description

• Transaction quantity and amount

• Country of origin and destination

• Shipping Date

Tips : The first 6 digits of the global HS code are universal. When searching, give priority to the 6-digit code to avoid omissions.

2. Four core application scenarios of customs data

Scenario 1: Targeted customer development - Say goodbye to "casting a wide net" type of development emails

Steps:

1. Target customers by product keywords or HS codes

   For example, if you are selling LED light bulbs (HS code 85395210), after entering the code into the customs database, the system will display a list of all overseas buyers who have recently imported this product.

2. Analyze customer purchasing patterns

   Open the records of the Philippine lighting importer "Firefly Electric" and you will find:

   • Stable monthly purchases

   • Summer and autumn are peak seasons for purchasing

   • Mainly purchase from companies in Shenzhen and Hangzhou, China

3. Connect with customers through multiple channels

   Combine the official website and LinkedIn to find the person in charge of procurement and send targeted development letters:

   "We have noticed your company's increased purchases in summer. Our new low-power waterproof LED bulbs are just right for the rainy season in the Philippines. Here are the parameters for comparison with your existing suppliers..."

Successful case : A beauty equipment manufacturer found through US customs data that a buyer's procurement cycle was a perfect match for its own production capacity , and then contacted the buyer via email and WhatsApp. The buyer was surprised by his professionalism and eventually reached a long-term cooperation.

Scenario 2: Market trend analysis - avoid the red ocean and find the blue ocean

Practical demonstration:

Take LED bulb (HS85395210) as an example:

1. Check the export data for 2023-2024 on the official website of the General Administration of Customs

2. Key findings:

   • Demand in traditional markets such as the United States, Italy, and the Netherlands has declined

   • Emerging markets such as Saudi Arabia, Poland and Brazil are growing rapidly

3. Further look at the source of procurement:

   • Enterprises in Zhejiang and Guangdong account for more than 60% of exports

   • Jiangxi and Hunan have the fastest growth rates

Decision value : As a newcomer, you can give priority to developing less competitive markets such as Saudi Arabia and Brazil , and refer to the pricing strategies of Jiangxi companies.

Scenario 3: Competitor research - Know yourself and your competitors to grab orders

Case analysis:

When you find that the customer "Firefly Electric" mainly purchases LED bulbs from Shenzhen L Company, you can:

1. Enter the name of Company L in the customs data

2. Get a list of all its customers and transaction details

3. Key analysis:

   • Customer Distribution Countries

   • Main product price range

   • Order Fluctuation Pattern

Practical strategy : proactively contact competitors during their off-seasons (such as Firefly in spring and winter), provide transitional stocking solutions , and gradually penetrate orders.

Scenario 4: Smart customs declaration improves efficiency - say goodbye to manual form filling errors

Industry innovation : The new generation of ERP systems (such as Wangdiantong) has realized customs declaration automation:

• Automatically capture product information, transaction price, sender and receiver data in the order

• Intelligently match the global HS code database with an accuracy rate of >99%

• Risk warning : Automatically intercept when the declared value is abnormal

Effectiveness comparison : After application by a cross-border maternal and infant enterprise in Beijing:

• Order processing time from 6 hours to 40 minutes

• Error rate from 15% to 0.8%

• Annual loss avoidance exceeds 3 million yuan

3. New industry trends you must know

1. “No-contact customs clearance” accelerates cross-border logistics

• Lanzhou Customs' new system enables vehicles to pass through the checkpoint in seconds : license plate recognition → automatic inspection and release → data verification without interruption

• Guangxi's first remote inspection : 26 tons of dried mangoes were inspected and released in 20 minutes via video link , and the company called it "high efficiency"

• Hubei Chinese herbal medicine exports : Inspection time reduced from 4 hours to 20 minutes , goods arrive directly in Hong Kong on the same day

2. Intelligent upgrade of data platform

Take AB customer customs data as an example:

• Enter "smart home" to automatically recommend related words (such as smart door locks, smart lighting)

• Generate a panoramic profile of the enterprise with one click: trade records + credit status + partners

• Data can be exported to Excel to facilitate customer file management

4. Three starting suggestions for newcomers

1. Clarify your search goals before you start

   Think clearly first: "Am I looking for customers? Analyzing the market? Or researching competitors?" Avoid getting lost in the data.

2. Develop 3-4 high-quality customers every day

   Writing targeted development letters is more effective than sending 100 of them in bulk.

3. Use free resources to test the waters

   The General Administration of Customs’ official website and Futong Tianxia Cloud Platform provide basic data inquiries.

When a luggage supplier in Shenzhen uses customs data to lock in the stocking cycle of American buyers and delivers samples during the competitor's unsuccessful period;

When the Chinese medicinal herb growers in Enshi sat in the warehouse and completed the customs inspection using mobile phone video, they sent the Poria cocos to Hong Kong on the same day;

These data-driven “new customs clearance speeds” are reshaping the competitive logic of China’s overseas manufacturing.

For newcomers, customs data is not only a weapon to avoid price wars , but also a decoder to open up the global market . Mastering the core scenarios and methods of this article, you are fully capable of digging the first pot of gold in the "data gold mine"!