Video Tutorials・Customs Compliance・2025-06-19・Last updated:
In June 2025, the founder of HowBridge recorded this video: starting in July, customs would require both the inner and outer bags used for sea express shipments to be transparent—previously, only the outer packaging had to be transparent when burlap sacks were used, but now the contents must also be visible through the inner bags. He believes this move targets Shopee shipments and the practice of combining goods belonging to different customers in one bag and declaring them under a single person's name. Parcel consolidation, by contrast, combines goods purchased by the same person under one declaration and is entirely legitimate, lawful and reasonable. This article traces the transparent-bag requirements back to Taipei Customs' notice on bag consolidation and the Regulations Governing Customs Clearance Procedures for Maritime Express Consignments. It explains which requirements are expressly documented, which were communicated directly to operators by customs, and why the founder says, “The more rules there are and the stricter they are, the better.”
Key points in 30 seconds: 1. Expressly documented rules: Taipei Customs announced that starting 2023-04-01, bag consolidation would be completely prohibited for general cargo other than documents. E-commerce goods may be conditionally consolidated in bags only if each bag contains no more than 10 house bills of lading; each bag consolidated by an overseas logistics provider not designated by the platform has a total gross weight of no more than 20 kg; the outer packaging is transparent unless it is a carton; and each item in the bag bears a shipping label clearly identifying the platform or overseas logistics provider. The purpose is risk control and improving the readability of X-ray inspection images. 2. Industry practice: since October 2021, burlap sacks, woven bags and opaque bags have been automatically routed to the C3 inspection area. Starting in July 2025, operators were instructed by customs to use transparent inner bags as well, as described in the video. After the guidance period, noncompliant shipments would be inspected and returned. 3. Regulatory basis: Article 14 of the Regulations Governing Customs Clearance Procedures for Maritime Express Consignments provides that goods filed under a consolidated declaration, other than documents, may not be cleared in consolidated bags, while Article 15 provides that goods in the same shipment may not be split across separate declarations. 4. Combining goods belonging to different buyers in one bag and declaring them under one person's name is illegal; parcel consolidation—combining goods purchased by the same person and filing one declaration under that person's verified identity—is legal. Transparent bags allow customs officers to distinguish the two at a glance.
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Starting 7/1, customs requires transparent inner and outer bags, clearly targeting Shopee shipments #TaiwanShippingLines #HowBridge
The video was recorded on June 19, 2025. The new policy described by the founder is that starting July 1, both the inner and outer bags used for sea express shipments must be transparent—previously, only the outer packaging had to be transparent when burlap sacks were used, but now the inner bags must be transparent as well. He openly says he is unconvinced by the claim that the measure is intended to prevent goods from being re-exported to the United States, and he also believes transparent bags will have limited effectiveness in preventing undeclared items from being concealed in shipments. What concerns him more is something else: this move targets Shopee shipments and the practice of combining goods purchased by different customers and declaring them under one person's name.
His conclusion is actually in favor of the rules: “The more rules there are and the stricter they are, the better.” The greater the transparency and the stricter the compliance requirements, the less opportunity unscrupulous parcel-forwarding providers have to put customers at risk. Customers' goods can then enter Taiwan only through legitimate, compliant providers. This article matches each part of his explanation to the relevant official documents.
Transparent bags did not suddenly become a requirement in 2025. They are the result of rules that have been tightened over time. The clearest official document is the Taipei Customs notice titled “Small Quantities of Imported Express E-Commerce Goods Shipped by Air May Be Consolidated in Bags for Customs Clearance in Accordance with Applicable Rules.” It states that starting April 1, 2023, bag consolidation would be completely prohibited for general cargo other than documents. E-commerce goods may be consolidated in bags subject to an application and four conditions. The notice expressly states its purpose: to facilitate risk control for imported express goods and improve the readability of cargo X-ray inspection images.
| Condition | Wording of the Notice | In Plain English |
|---|---|---|
| Number of shipments | The number of house bills of lading consolidated in one bag may not exceed 10 | Each bag may contain no more than 10 shipments |
| Weight | For consolidated shipments handled by an overseas logistics provider not designated by the e-commerce platform, the total gross weight of each consolidated bag may not exceed 20 kg | If the logistics provider is not designated by the platform, each bag may not exceed 20 kg |
| Outer packaging | The outer packaging of a consolidated bag must be made of transparent material unless a carton is used | The outer packaging must be transparent, except for cartons |
| Items inside | Each carton or item inside the consolidated bag must bear a shipping label that clearly displays an identifiable mark of the e-commerce platform or overseas logistics provider | Every item must bear a shipping label showing which platform or logistics provider it came from |
Regulatory Basis: Articles 14 and 15 of the Customs Clearance Regulations：Article 14, Paragraph 5 of the Regulations Governing Customs Clearance Procedures for Maritime Express Consignments expressly provides that goods filed under a consolidated declaration “may not be cleared in consolidated bags unless they are documents”. Article 15 provides that goods shipped by the same consignor on the same voyage to the same consignee may not be split across separate declarations. In the event of a violation, their customs value will be calculated on a consolidated basis under Article 30. Transparent bags and individual shipping labels allow customs officers, both on X-ray images and during physical inspection, to verify at a glance whether every item in the bag belongs to the same consignee.
The requirement described in the video that “the inner bags must also be transparent” is an operational requirement communicated to businesses in sea express clearance zones. It comes from notices and guidance issued by individual customs offices to express operators. No standalone press release has been found to date. The publicly available industry timeline is summarized below and distinguished from official public notices:
Why Transparent Bags? So X-Ray Images Can Be Read：Sea express shipments pass through X-ray inspection by the bag. Burlap sacks, woven bags and multiple layers of opaque packaging can turn the images into an unreadable blur, leaving physical inspection of the opened bag as the only option. This delays everyone’s goods in the same bag. Transparent bags plus individual shipping labels allow inspection officers to compare each item against the manifest. This is what the notice means by “improving the readability of X-ray inspection images.”
The most valuable part of the video is this comparison. Parcel consolidation: you buy 8 items on Taobao and Pinduoduo, send them to a warehouse in Shenzhen, combine them into one box addressed to you, and import them into Taiwan under your verified identity using one simplified declaration. The declarant is one person, and that same person purchased all the goods, so the arrangement is legitimate, lawful and reasonable. Combining multiple buyers’ goods under one declaration: an operator puts goods belonging to 20 different buyers into one bag and declares everything under the name of one of them or a nominee. There is only one named declarant, but the goods belong to 20 different people. This creates fertile ground for identity misuse, split declarations and false declarations, so customs naturally does not permit it.
Transparent bags and individual shipping labels allow customs officers to distinguish the two situations immediately, both on X-ray images and during physical inspection: the labels in a legitimately consolidated bag all identify the same consignee, while the labels in a bag combining multiple buyers’ goods identify many different people. This is also why, in 2026, customs requires official parcel-forwarding shipments to be “cleared item by item”—every item must be matched to its own consignee.
| Parcel Consolidation | Combining Multiple Buyers’ Goods Under One Declaration | |
|---|---|---|
| Source of goods | Multiple parcels belonging to the same buyer | Parcels belonging to multiple buyers |
| Declarant | The buyer personally, using an EZ WAY-verified identity | One person or a nominee declares goods on behalf of everyone |
| Legal status | Legal: one consolidated declaration for the same consignee | Illegal: identity misuse, split declarations or false declarations |
| With transparent bags | All labels identify the same person, so the shipment can be cleared at a glance | The labels identify many different people, so the shipment is flagged immediately |
| After 2026 | One declaration and one confirmation | Each item must be separated and confirmed under each recipient's verified identity, making the process slow and high-risk |
Does “Shipping Something for a Friend” Also Count?：Yes. If goods purchased by a friend are declared under your name, the declarant and actual buyer do not match, which constitutes the use of a borrowed identity. If the shipment is caught, you are listed as the importer on the declaration, so you are also responsible. If you want to help a friend ship goods, have your friend register and use their own verified identity. For details, see Complete Guide to the Responsibilities of a Nominal Importer.
The second half of the video explains how competition works in the parcel-forwarding industry: the greatest difference between compliant and unscrupulous operators is professionalism, and professionalism means transparency, openness and compliance with the rules. The stricter the rules become, the harder it is for operators that cut costs by combining multiple buyers’ goods under one declaration, underdeclaring values or using borrowed identities to remain in business. If customers want their goods to enter Taiwan, they will have to use legitimate, compliant providers. That is good news for operators that take compliance seriously.
For consumers, the test is also becoming simpler: ask your parcel-forwarding provider whether your goods are declared separately under your own verified identity. Are they packed in a transparent bag or carton, and does every item have a shipping label? Providers that can answer these questions are the ones most likely to continue importing goods reliably after customs tightens its rules in 2026. For details on sea express delivery times and customs clearance, see Complete Guide to Taiwan Customs Clearance Times. For commercial sea express services, see Commercial Sea Express.
How HowBridge Handles Shipments：The Shenzhen warehouse consolidates parcels separately for each individual customer. Your goods are packed in a carton or transparent bag, your shipping label is attached to the package, and one declaration is filed for import into Taiwan using your EZ WAY-verified identity. Your goods are not combined in a bag with anyone else's. For consolidation instructions, see Warehouse Parcel Consolidation Guide. For the 2026 change to item-by-item sea express clearance, see 2026 Taiwan Customs Policy Changes.
Cartons are allowed. Taipei Customs' bag-consolidation rules state that “the outer packaging must be made of transparent material unless a carton is used,” and operator notices also list cartons as an exception. Burlap sacks, woven bags and opaque bags are not allowed. Since 2021, shipments using this type of packaging have automatically been routed to C3 inspection, and starting in July 2025, noncompliant shipments identified during inspections have been returned.
No standalone official press release has been found to date. It is an operational requirement in sea express clearance zones, based on customs notices received by operators and enforced after a guidance period. The expressly documented requirements are Taipei Customs' bag-consolidation rules dated 2023-04-01, requiring transparent outer packaging and individual shipping labels; Article 14 of the Regulations Governing Customs Clearance Procedures for Maritime Express Consignments, prohibiting clearance in consolidated bags; and Article 15, prohibiting goods in the same shipment from being split across separate declarations.
Sea express shipments pass through X-ray inspection by the bag. Opaque or multilayer packaging makes the images unreadable, leaving physical inspection of the opened bag as the only option and delaying all the goods inside. Transparent bags and individual shipping labels allow officers to compare each item against the manifest and confirm that every item belongs to the same consignee. The Taipei Customs notice expressly identifies “risk control” and “improving the readability of X-ray inspection images” as the purposes of the rules.
Parcel consolidation combines multiple parcels belonging to the same buyer into one box and files one declaration under that buyer's verified identity. This is legal. Combining multiple buyers’ goods under one declaration means placing goods belonging to several buyers in the same bag and declaring everything under one person's name. This involves identity misuse, split declarations or false declarations and is illegal. Transparent bags and individual shipping labels allow customs to distinguish the two at a glance.
If goods purchased by your friend are declared under your name, you are allowing your identity to be used for the declaration. If the shipment is caught, responsibility rests with the importer named on the declaration—you. The correct approach is for your friend to register with the parcel-forwarding provider and declare the goods under their own EZ WAY-verified identity.
The video questions this explanation. The official notice states that the purposes are risk control for imported express goods and improving the readability of X-ray inspection images. In practice, the most direct effect is to make it easier to detect goods belonging to multiple buyers combined under one declaration, concealed items and declarations filed under another person's identity.
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This article is based on the Taipei Customs notice titled “Small Quantities of Imported Express E-Commerce Goods Shipped by Air May Be Consolidated in Bags for Customs Clearance in Accordance with Applicable Rules,” Articles 14, 15 and 30 of the Regulations Governing Customs Clearance Procedures for Maritime Express Consignments, as amended on 115-02-23, and publicly available customs notices published by parcel-forwarding providers. It distinguishes between “official notices” and “operational requirements communicated to operators.” For packaging and bag-consolidation requirements, refer to the latest notices from the relevant customs office and express operator. This article is provided for general reference only and does not constitute customs clearance advice for any individual case.
Your Goods Enter Taiwan Under Your Name and One Declaration Only At HowBridge's Shenzhen warehouse, parcels are consolidated separately for each customer, packed in a carton or transparent bag, and labeled with your shipping label. One declaration is filed using your EZ WAY-verified identity—your goods are never combined in a bag with anyone else's, allowing customs to clear them at a glance. Register Free and Get Your Shenzhen Consolidation Warehouse Address