Filling Material

Filling Material in foreign trade usually refers to auxiliary materials used to fill, support, protect, or secure goods, commonly seen in packaging, construction, furniture, and electronics industries. Its core function is to prevent goods from shifting, colliding, or deforming during transportation, and it can also be used to meet the importing country's environmental and safety requirements for packaging. Usage scenarios include: using foam, bubble wrap, wood shavings, etc. to fill gaps when exporting large equipment; using sponge, EPE foam to fill corners for furniture exports; joint fillers, sealants, etc. exported in the construction industry also fall into this category. Precautions: 1) The material must be clearly specified (e.g., polyurethane, polystyrene, paper, etc.), as different countries have different regulations on its environmental friendliness and recyclability (e.g., EU Packaging Directive); 2) If the filling material is wooden, it must comply with ISPM 15 fumigation standards; 3) Accurate HS code classification is required during declaration to avoid confusion with 'packaging materials'—packaging materials usually constitute the outer packaging of goods, while filling materials are internal auxiliary items; 4) If filling materials are exported together with goods and not separately priced, they are generally included in the customs value of the goods, but if declared separately, they must be declared separately. Difference from 'cushioning material': cushioning material focuses on absorbing impact, while filling material focuses on filling space; in practice, they are often used interchangeably.