Comprehensive Step-by-Step Operation Guide for Dried Fruit Import Customs Declaration Agency in 2026

Market Access Background and Customs Clearance Pain Points of Imported Dried Fruits in 2026

As we enter 2026,domestic consumers’ attention to healthy eating has reached a new level,and various dried fruit products from Southeast Asia,Central Asia and the Americas continue to be popular in the market.However,importing dried fruits is not a simple transaction; it involves strict plant quarantine thresholds and complex food compliance standards.Many importers new to this field often find that after their goods arrive at the port after a long sea voyage,they are held up at the border due to inconsistent documents or quarantine issues,facing dual risks of accumulating storage fees and product deterioration.

Dried fruits belong to plant-derived foods,and the General Administration of Customs has strict restrictions on its access list; not all varieties from all countries can enter the Chinese market.In addition,in 2026,the audit intensity of imported food labels has been further strengthened,and the marking format of nutritional ingredient lists,allergen prompts and the standardization of Chinese labels all need to be precisely controlled.If enterprises do not conduct sufficient compliance pre-review before shipment,they are very likely to face order returns or inspections during the customs declaration process,leading to a significant extension of the customs clearance cycle.As a professional agency that has been deeply engaged in the industry for more than 20 years,Zhongshen often receives urgent help from customers due to lack of professional foresight,which also highlights the necessity of professional customs declaration agents in the dried fruit import chain.

Core Value of Zhongshen in the Entire Dried Fruit Import Chain

Facing the complex import environment,Zhongshen provides not only customs declaration services,but also full-process risk management and control.We are familiar with the latest customs inspection and quarantine requirements,and can assist enterprises in completing access confirmation and document review before shipment.After the goods arrive at the port,we use our professional customs declaration team and rich port operation experience to quickly respond to customs instructions,cooperate with the inspection process,and ensure that the goods are cleared and put into storage as quickly as possible.

Our core role is to translate complex regulatory clauses into actionable operation plans for enterprises.From signing import contracts and reviewing the qualifications of overseas suppliers,to arranging international transportation,handling foreign exchange payments,and finally completing port customs clearance and domestic distribution,Zhongshen efficiently integrates the originally scattered logistics,capital flow and information flow through one-stop services.For products with high requirements for timeliness and storage conditions such as dried fruits,we effectively reduce logistics costs and compliance risks through precise process control,allowing enterprises to focus on back-end sales and market expansion.

Practical Breakdown of the Entire Process of Imported Dried Fruit Customs Declaration

Document Pre-Review and Label Compliance Rectification

The first hurdle for dried fruit import is not at the port,but during the document preparation stage.In the initial stage of operation,Zhongshen will focus on reviewing the following core documents: certificate of origin,phytosanitary certificate,sanitary certificate and translation of the original foreign labels.Under the 2026 regulatory environment,the statement content on the phytosanitary certificate must be completely consistent with the requirements of the General Administration of Customs’ protocols; any deviation in a single word may lead to customs clearance delays.

Label compliance is another difficult point.According to GB 7718 and relevant national food safety standards,imported dried fruits must be affixed with Chinese labels that meet Chinese specifications.We will assist enterprises in pre-reviewing Chinese labels,focusing on checking the accuracy of information such as product names,ingredient lists,production dates,shelf lives,storage conditions and the registration number of overseas production enterprises.For new varieties imported for the first time,we will also help sort out and confirm whether the product is on the General Administration of Customs’ List of Allowed Entry Plant-Derived Foods,avoiding the embarrassing situation of discovering that it cannot be imported only after the goods arrive at the port.

Port Customs Declaration and Animal and Plant Quarantine Inspection

After the goods arrive at the declared port,Zhongshen will immediately make a declaration to the customs.As goods subject to statutory inspection,dried fruits must go through the customs inspection and sampling inspection procedures.At this stage,we focus on the integrity of the goods’ packaging and intuitive issues such as pests and mildew.The customs will conduct unpacking inspections of the goods based on risk control instructions,and check whether the product name,quantity,origin and other information of the goods are consistent with the declaration.

Quarantine inspection is the most time-consuming link in dried fruit import.The customs will focus on detecting whether there are quarantine pests,whether pesticide residues exceed standards,and whether the use of additives complies with national standards.Zhongshen’s operation team will follow up the entire inspection process,cooperate with the customs in unpacking and sampling,and ensure that the samples are sent to the designated laboratory for testing within the specified time.If abnormal test results occur,we will quickly use professional experience to assist enterprises in analyzing the cause,and apply for re-inspection or technical rectification according to the actual situation to minimize losses.

Practical Case: Assisting Mr.Hong in Resolving the Detention Problem of Imported Almonds

At the end of last year,Mr.Hong,who mainly sells nuts,encountered a thorny problem.A container of almonds he imported from the United States was detained by the customs at Yangshan Port,Shanghai,because a small amount of suspected insect corpses were found at the bottom of the packaging box during the initial inspection,and the fumigation treatment date format on the attached phytosanitary certificate had a slight difference from the system requirements.Mr.Hong was very anxious,because this batch of goods was the main supply for the Spring Festival sales season.If customs clearance was delayed,he would not only face high port detention fees,but also miss the best sales period.

After receiving the entrustment,Zhongshen immediately assigned a senior operation specialist to intervene.We first calmed Mr.Hong’s emotions,and quickly contacted the customs officer in charge of the inspection to review the detailed inspection records.Regarding the certificate format issue,relying on our familiarity with the US-China plant quarantine requirements,we guided Mr.Hong to contact the overseas supplier to make a system note at the original issuing authority and provide an official explanatory letter.Regarding the suspected insect corpses,we coordinated with the customs to conduct further species identification,which confirmed that they were non-quarantine pests.

While waiting for the test results,we assisted Mr.Hong in sorting out all the revised documents in advance and prepared a follow-up release plan.Finally,after confirming that there was no quarantine risk,the customs carried out pest control treatment on the batch of goods and released them.The entire process from intervention to release was shortened by five days compared to the expected time,winning precious storage and packaging time for Mr.Hong.Mr.Hong later said that without Zhongshen’s professional intervention,the losses of this batch of goods would have been incalculable.

Summary of Compliance Risk Prevention for Dried Fruit Import

Based on years of practical experience,we have found that the risks of dried fruit import mainly focus on three aspects: inconsistent documents,excessive quarantine detection and non-standard labels.To help more enterprises avoid these risks,we have summarized the following key control points:

• Access Confirmation: Before shipment,be sure to verify whether the product category and country of origin have obtained access approval from the General Administration of Customs,and never ship blindly.
• Document Review: The phytosanitary certificate is the "pass" for customs clearance,and it is necessary to ensure that the information such as fumigation treatment and origin declaration is accurate.
• Label Standardization: Design Chinese labels strictly in accordance with GB standards,and pay special attention to allergen prompts and the calculation accuracy of nutritional ingredient lists.
• Packaging Cleanliness: Ensure that containers and goods packaging are clean and hygienic,free of soil,mildew and live insects,reducing the unpacking rate and detention rate during port inspection.

Different types of dried fruits also have different import risks.We have compiled the following risk level comparison table based on 2026 regulatory data for importers’ reference:

Zhongshen always believes that professional import agency services should be forward-looking and predictive.In the field of dried fruit import,we help customers transform uncertain customs clearance risks into controllable operation processes by placing compliance actions in advance.Whether it is the detailed review of documents or the emergency handling during the inspection process,we use professional capabilities to escort import enterprises,ensuring that every batch of imported dried fruits reaches consumers safely and efficiently.