Greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprints have become pressing global challenges in recent decades. Numerous solutions and recommendations have been proposed to mitigate the impact of global pollution. One widely adopted approach is the use of refurbished or second-hand products. Leading companies, such as Apple, offer services to collect old devices and sell refurbished products at lower prices, contributing to sustainability efforts.
What Is The Refurbished Or Second-Hand Products?
Used products or second-hand goods refer to items that have been previously owned, used by someone else before being sold again. These items are suggested to return back to manufacturer after they have been used, or sold to a new owner if the goods are still in usable condition.
Refurbished goods are products, often electronics, that are typically returned to the manufacturer by customers. These returns happen for various reasons (for example RMA), and the customer either receives a refund or exchanges the item for a different one. Once returned, the product is sent to a facility where it undergoes thorough testing to ensure all functions work properly, and any necessary repairs or part replacements are made. After this process, the product is put back on the market, having been restored to proper working condition.
However, among different countries will have different regulations related to these type of goods. Some countries do not let refurbished products to be imported, some others required many tests to make sure of the quality standard being met before bring to the market.
What is Taiwan's Stance on The Importation or Sale of Refurbished or Used Goods?
If you search online for refurbished goods on e-commerce platforms, you might discover that some refurbished items on Amazon can be shipped to Taiwan. You may also find refurbished products available on sale on Apple’s official website. These examples clearly indicate that Taiwan allows the import of refurbished and used goods.
YES! Taiwan accept refurbished/used/second-hand goods imported into the country with some conditions:
- Customs valuation process: once declare second-hand goods, we will also need to go through this process. Customs will contact with the manufacturer of the similar products in Taiwan to check for the value of the second-goods. This process will take several week and might be stuck in the warehouse for months to wait for the final feedback from customs. This will raise quite a charge in storage charges.
- Explanation of import’ purpose: besides, customs will also request of the proof of why importing this shipment as second-hand. What is the year of manufacturing? Before importing, how many years has been used? And where had it been used before imported to Taiwan? Customs will raise many questions on this and request proof papers.
- Customs checking quality of goods: this process will be depend on customs queue at the moment of the clearance declaration submitted.
In some case, The Importing Goods Will be Rejected During The Customs Checking Process.
If the goods have, the proof showing has been used in 10 years, but the manufacturer in Taiwan feedback to customs that the similar item can only use for 5 years and should be changed to new one. The shipment will be considered as waste and will be rejected to be imported. As we have no control on what the manufacturer in Taiwan feedback to the customs, this is very big disadvantage when provide any explanation to the customs.
As customs officer advised, if the appearance and outside boxes is old and seem to be crumple; or during inspection, if package opened and found that machine is not in good condition, the shipment will also be considered as waste and will be rejected to enter the country.
For an oversea investor with language barrier and lack of trustful team handling locally in Taiwan, the process will be a struggle to a new business aiming to explore Taiwan market. You might need a local team like us to give instruction and simplify the process.
Get Help With Importing of REFURBISHED or USED Products Into Taiwan
The above is not available on any official docs. It’s the process that our KOR-PLUS local team gain from experience and keep record of it. If your business would like to import refurbished for RMA or used goods for internal company projects, we are always available to assist.
Not only in Taiwan, Kor-plus available in other 15 countries among South East and North East Asia area. We are here to support you any your business. You grow your business; we take care of your goods to be available on time at the right place.