Realogistics completed freight forwarding services for the return (re-export) of used/obsolete machines

Scope: realogistics was commissioned by a factory to handle the return (re-export) of a batch of imported goods containing used stamping machines. The goods were detained by customs at the import clearance stage for non-compliance with import regulatory requirements and required direct return from the bonded warehouse. The return was executed via air (round-trip), with realogistics acting as the core coordinator — liaising with the factory, customs broker, airline, customs and the bonded warehouse — and the entire return process took about two months to complete.

Core Operational Stages

1. Initiation

2. On the same day realogistics received notification from the customs broker that the goods could not be cleared, realogistics confirmed the factory’s intention to return the goods and contacted the bonded warehouse to verify the in-warehouse status and obtain an in-warehouse certificate.

3. The return agreement was signed within three days. The agreement specified the parties’ details and cargo information (including models, specifications, quantities, weights of the used stamping machines, and original import declaration numbers) and used the customs-issued “Notice of Non-clearance” as the basis for return. The agreement set the target to pick up goods from the bonded warehouse and airlift them out by mid‑August.

4. Responsibilities were clearly defined: the factory must provide truthful and complete documentation and make payments on time; realogistics would coordinate resources and ensure compliance. realogistics then prompted the customs broker to draft the direct-return application, customs liaison forms and other basic documents to enter the document-preparation phase.

5. Documentation Preparation and Problem Resolution

realogistics led and iteratively refined all documentation required for return, including:

• Regulatory documents: Import cargo direct-return approval form, statement of circumstances (revised 7 times to clarify cargo nature and return necessity), in-warehouse/in-port certificate.

• Logistics documents: Air arrival notice, export airway bill (repeatedly verified with the airline for space), white card and packing list (3 onsite verifications to ensure consistency).

• Compliance documents: Return agreement (specified cost breakdown and payment milestones — 50% prepayment within 3 days after signing, balance within 7 days after departure upon presentation of AWB and fee list), complete import declaration (obtained a missing copy), customs liaison form.

• In response to customs review comments, documents were revised a total of 15 times until all approvals were obtained.

• Logistics Execution and Multi-party Coordination

Execution covered bonded-warehouse pickup, inland transport, terminal handover, airline coordination and export customs declaration. realogistics managed end-to-end coordination and real-time communication.

• Bonded-warehouse pickup coordination: Booked pickup slot 3 days in advance and submitted the “Bonded Warehouse Cargo Outbound Application” to customs. One day before pickup, organized an online coordination meeting with the factory, customs broker and trucking team to confirm inspection standards (check quantities per packing list, packaging integrity and markings), transport route (avoid restricted sections) and emergency contact mechanisms. On pickup day, dispatched two operations specialists to the site to verify cargo with warehouse staff and record the full process on video to ensure actual cargo matched the in-warehouse certificate.

• Transport control: Verified driver customs registration and white card validity before the white-card truck arrival; when one white-card endorsement entry was incorrect, immediately coordinated on-site correction with customs to avoid pickup delays. During transit, used GPS tracking and contacted the driver every 30 minutes to confirm cargo status and maintain customs-supervised transport requirements.

• Terminal handover and airline liaison: Notified the terminal 2 hours before arrival to prepare the inspection area. On arrival organized a three-party unpacking and verification with customs and terminal — compared declaration documents with physical cargo and resolved a machine model marking discrepancy on site (the factory issued a clarification and customs accepted it). Coordinated with the airline’s ground agent to prioritize warehouse acceptance; when a flight was rescheduled, realogistics urgently arranged for the airline to reserve space and updated the export airway bill to ensure cargo made the flight.

• Export customs follow-up: Closely monitored the customs broker’s export declaration progress. When the system flagged a “cargo information vs. manifest mismatch,” realogistics immediately contacted the airline to correct the manifest and ensured consistency between the export declaration and the manifest, achieving customs release one hour before the flight cut-off.

  
  

Key Challenges and Countermeasures

• Information asymmetry: The factory was unfamiliar with return procedures, causing incomplete initial documents.

  • Countermeasure: Prepared a detailed document checklist, assigned a dedicated contact, followed up at least three times per week, and completed missing items one by one.

• Conflicting time sensitivities among parties: Airline space hold period (7 days) conflicted with customs approval timelines (average 10 days).

  • Countermeasure: Reserved backup flight space in advance and provided daily customs status updates; used parallel preparations to reduce schedule risk.

• Cumbersome data verification: White card, packing list and customs declaration required exact consistency in machine models, weights and other data.

  • Countermeasure: Organized joint verification sessions among factory, customs broker and bonded warehouse and produced a signed verification checklist for the record to ensure all documentation matched.

    
    

Project Outcomes and Lessons Learned

• Successful compliant return: The project achieved compliant re-export of the goods, helping the factory avoid overstay storage penalties and regulatory violations.

• Process knowledge accumulation: realogistics consolidated full-process experience for bonded-warehouse cargo returns, including document templates, common customs communication issues and remedies, airline space/manifest/cut-off management strategies, and on-site verification and evidence retention procedures.

• Clarified roles and optimized workflows: Defined responsibilities and collaboration mechanisms among stakeholders and optimized handling of critical nodes (document resolution, conflict between space reservation and approval timing, on-site verification standards).

• Recommendation: Formalize the document checklist, verification forms and emergency contact procedures produced in this case into a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to enable efficient handling of similar cases in the future.

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Realogistics International Group Co., Ltd. Established in 2012 in Hong Kong.