1. The expectation
An exporter submits the contract for certification, expecting to collect it in a few days.
A week later, the file is still open.
2. The reasons files stall
Signature authority not evidenced
The person who signed is not the legal representative, and the authorisation chain is not documented.
Customs and CCPIT both examine this, and it is the most common cause of delay.
Seals not matching the registered specimen
The company replaced its seal without updating the registration.
The document copy is poor
Illegible seals, missing pages, photographed rather than scanned.
Inconsistency with accompanying documents
The contract names the buyer differently from the invoice.
Translation not acceptable
Machine translation of legal terms, or translation outside the notarised bundle.
3. What to fix before submitting
Confirm the signatory and prepare the authorisation chain in advance.
Check the seal specimen registration.
Scan at adequate resolution.
Compare names and amounts across the document set.
Commission a proper translation where required.
4. The cost
Each round of questions costs days that the production schedule has already allocated elsewhere.
5. A working habit
Maintain a standing document pack: business licence, seal specimen registration, legal representative’s identity document, authorisation template, standard company details in Chinese and English.
Draw from the pack for every application.
6. Closing view
Delays are almost never about the certification process. They are about the condition of the file that arrives.
*This article is based on CCPIT commercial certification practice.*