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Exporting toys from Taiwan

Taiwan sets no export certificate specific to toys. The exporter registers with TITA, declares the goods and their trademark to Customs, and marks them with their origin. BSMI inspects exports only where it has designated them by public notice, and duty paid on imported materials can be refunded after export.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Exporter
Registered with TITA
Export permit
Only for goods on TITA's restriction list
Origin marking
"Made in Taiwan" or an equivalent
Certificate of origin
TITA or an entrusted body, NT$250
BSMI inspection
Where designated for export by public notice

Before the goods leave

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Is the exporter registered with TITA, and are the toys on any export restriction list? Read more
  2. 2Are the toys and their packaging marked with the country of origin? Read more
  3. 3Is the trademark on the toys declared on the export declaration? Read more
  4. 4Has BSMI designated the goods or destination for export inspection? Read more
  5. 5Does the buyer need a certificate of origin, or preferential origin? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

Exporter registration and the export declaration

Who may export, when an export permit is needed, and what goes to Customs.

  • A company or business registered with the International Trade Administration (TITA, formerly the Bureau of Foreign Trade) as an exporter/importer may engage in export business; its English name is reviewed first (Foreign Trade Act, Article 9).
  • Registration is applied for electronically; TITA publishes the registration data online and transmits it automatically to Customs.
  • A registered firm exporting goods not on the List of Commodities Subject to Export Restriction needs no export permit; listed goods follow the regulations on that list (Regulations Governing Export of Commodities, Articles 5 and 6).
  • An export permit is valid for 30 days from licensing and cannot be extended (Article 19).
  • The exporter declares the trademark on the export declaration, or "without trademark" (Article 10).
  • Exporters declare goods to Customs before the clearance or departure of the means of transport, with the export declaration, loading list, booking note, packing list and any export permits (Customs Act, Articles 16 and 17).
  • Declarations, trade licensing, inspection and quarantine services run through the Customs-Port-Trade (CPT) Single Window, operated by the Customs Administration.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the exporter registration, any export permit and the export declaration with the shipment, dated, and shows a permit that will lapse before the goods leave. Ask about this

Origin marking and certificates of origin

How goods for export are marked with their origin, and how a certificate of origin is issued.

  • Goods for export are marked with the country of origin on the goods or their packaging, conspicuously and durably; goods made in Taiwan are marked "Made in Taiwan", "Made in Taiwan, Republic of China" or an equivalent (Regulations Governing Export of Commodities, Articles 14 and 15).
  • TITA, or a body it entrusts, issues certificates of origin and certificates of processing for exports (Foreign Trade Act, Article 20-2).
  • Goods originate in Taiwan if wholly obtained there, or if the last substantial transformation happened there: a change in the first six digits of the tariff number, or added value above 35% (Certificates of Origin Regulations, Articles 3 and 5).
  • Packing, re-labelling, simple assembly or mixing, and simple cutting do not count as substantial transformation (Article 5).
  • The applicant is the exporter on the export declaration, normally within 180 days after Customs releases the goods; the fee is NT$250 per certificate (Articles 11, 23 and 29).
  • The applicant keeps the documents proving origin for five years (Article 28).
  • Customs publishes the rules of origin for Taiwan's agreements, including ECFA, ANZTEC with New Zealand, ASTEP with Singapore, and the agreements with Guatemala, Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras, Paraguay and Eswatini.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the origin evidence behind each certificate with the lot, dated, and shows a certificate request coming up against its 180-day window. Ask about this

Commodity inspection and duty drawback

How BSMI inspection reaches goods for export, and the refund of duty on imported materials.

  • Goods to be exported are inspected where BSMI has designated their category, item or destination by public notice (Commodity Inspection Act, Article 3).
  • Goods subject to inspection that do not conform may not be exported (Article 6).
  • For goods made in Taiwan, the manufacturer or exporter files the inspection application (Article 8).
  • Goods imported or made in Taiwan to be exported after further processing or assembly may be exempted from inspection, as may commercial samples and exhibition goods (Article 9).
  • Where an exported commodity's specifications differ from the official standards, it may be inspected to the standards agreed by buyer and seller, with the trade authority's prior approval (Article 10).
  • Customs duty paid on imported raw materials used in export products is refundable after export; the manufacturer applies within one year and six months of the materials' release (Customs Act, Article 63).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps any inspection exemption or certificate and the drawback documents with the shipment, and shows a drawback claim nearing its deadline. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ExporterRegistration with TITA, the export declaration, any export permit, and the certificate of origin application.Registration, permits and certificates kept with each shipment, dated.
ManufacturerThe evidence of where the toys were made and transformed, and any BSMI inspection application for goods made in Taiwan.Bills of materials and production records kept with each lot.
Customs broker or freight forwarderLodging the export declaration and its documents through the CPT Single Window on the exporter's behalf.The documents the declaration needs, in one place before the goods leave.
Certifying authorityTITA or an entrusted body for certificates of origin; BSMI for designated export inspection.Each certificate kept beside the shipment it covers.

Where are the goods going?

Most of what toys have to meet is set where they are sold. Each guide sets out the rules on arrival, with the official source for each.

Questions businesses ask

Do I need an export licence to export toys from Taiwan?
Not as a registered exporter, unless the goods are on TITA's List of Commodities Subject to Export Restriction. Listed goods follow the rules on that list.
How do I register as an exporter in Taiwan?
Apply electronically to TITA, first for review of the company's English name and then for registration. TITA publishes the data online and transmits it to Customs automatically.
How must toys exported from Taiwan be marked?
With the country of origin on the toys or their packaging, conspicuously and durably. Toys made in Taiwan are marked "Made in Taiwan", "Made in Taiwan, Republic of China" or an equivalent in a foreign language.
Can toys made in Taiwan carry a foreign brand?
Yes, but the exporter checks the trademark ownership itself and declares the trademark on the export declaration; Customs may ask for proof of the right to use it (Regulations Governing Export of Commodities, Articles 10 and 11).
Do toys need BSMI inspection before export?
Only where BSMI has designated the goods, or their destination, for export inspection by public notice. Goods subject to inspection that do not conform may not be exported.
When do toys count as made in Taiwan for a certificate of origin?
When wholly obtained there, or when the last substantial transformation happened there: a change in the first six digits of the tariff number, or added value above 35%. Packing and simple assembly do not count.
Can I get duty back on imported parts used in exported toys?
Customs duty paid on imported raw materials used in export products is refundable after export, if the manufacturer applies within one year and six months of the materials' release (Customs Act, Article 63).
How do I get a certificate of origin for toys from Taiwan?
Apply through TITA's online system to TITA or an entrusted issuing body, as the exporter on the export declaration, normally within 180 days after Customs releases the goods. The fee is NT$250.
How does Compliant Always help with exporting from Taiwan?
Our team reads the rules for the routes you ship. Compliant Always shows which export documents apply to your product, keeps them with the shipment beside what the destination asks for, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in Taiwan and what your paperwork needs to show.

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