Cosmetics clear customs with the same documents as any other cargo. They fail earlier than that, at the point where nobody held a licence to sell them.

Why Cosmetics Fail Before They Ship

The Philippines regulates cosmetics through the Food and Drug Administration, following the ASEAN harmonised scheme. Two things must exist before a product can be sold lawfully: a licensed local establishment, and a product notification covering that specific product.

Neither is issued to a Chinese factory. A notification is filed by a locally licensed entity, which is why importers who plan to sell directly need to sort out the commercial structure before they order stock, not after.

The freight consequence is practical. A container can be shipped and cleared, and still be unsellable on arrival if the notification does not cover the SKU. That is a commercial loss that no amount of customs brokerage repairs.

Licence, Notification and File

Licence to operate

The establishment that imports or distributes must hold a valid licence for that activity. An importer without one cannot file a notification in its own name, which usually means appointing a licensed local partner or distributor.

Product notification

Notification is product by product. A serum and its refill may be different entries, and a shade extension is not automatically covered by the base product. We ask for the notification reference for every SKU on the invoice, not for the range as a whole.

Product information file

Cosmetics also carry a product information file obligation, held by the notifying party and produced on request. It is not a shipping document, but an importer who cannot produce one when asked has a problem that starts after clearance.

What We Check Before Booking

Three fields cause most of the delay: the brand name as notified, the product name as notified, and the variant. We compare all three against the carton artwork.

Labelling is the second trap. The notified name, the ingredient list and the importer details must match what is printed. A carton printed for another market with a different brand spelling will clear customs and fail the retail check.

Liquids and aerosols also need a transport check. Alcohol-based products and pressurised cans fall under dangerous goods rules, and a shipment declared as general cargo will be rejected at the gate. We review the safety data sheet before confirming a sailing, not after.

How the Shipment Moves

1. Collection. Factory pickup with a carton artwork check against the notification.
2. Export. Booking, loading, and an export declaration that matches the invoice.
3. Clearance. Duty and VAT assessed, documents presented, container released.
4. Delivery. Trucked to your warehouse or distributor, with cold-chain avoided unless specified.

Where a shipment sits near the threshold in our Philippines BOC de minimis rules 2026 note, we check the duty position before booking. The document sequence is on our service flowchart.

Why Shippers Choose Sunny Worldwide Logistics

We do not issue notifications and we do not act as your licensed entity. What we do is check that the shipment, the invoice and the notification describe the same product before the container is sealed, which is the point where correcting a mismatch is still cheap.

Most cosmetic cargo we handle lands in Manila and moves to Makati, Quezon City and Cavite. Route detail is on the China to Manila page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you ship before the notification is approved?

We can ship and clear, but the goods cannot be sold until the notification covers them. If the launch date depends on selling quickly, we advise waiting for the reference rather than paying storage on unsellable stock.

Does DDP cover FDA fees?

No. Our DDP rate covers transport, duty and VAT. Notification and licence fees are paid to the regulator through your local entity, and we keep that boundary explicit so it does not appear as a surprise invoice later.

Are samples treated differently?

Samples still need correct declaration and, for liquids or aerosols, a transport check. Small quantities do not remove the dangerous goods question, and they do not create a right to sell.

Send your SKU list and notification references through our contact page and we will tell you what is missing before you place the production order.