What Are Import Agency Customs Brokerage Firms? How to Evaluate Core Competencies

Southeast Asian Tropical Fruit Import: Background and Common Pain Points

In the first half of 2026,the import volume of Southeast Asian tropical fruits at Shanghai Port reached 128,000 tons,up 22% year on year,with Thai Monthong durian and Vietnamese mangosteen accounting for more than 60% of the total.Many trading enterprises report that imports of such fruits often get stuck in three links: First,document inconsistency.Thai authorities updated the variety code on phytosanitary certificates in 2025,and 8% of enterprises had their cargo returned for failing to update the code in time.Second,quarantine process.Fresh fruits need to be stored in the port isolation area for 24 hours.If inspection is not booked in advance,detention at the port for more than 3 days will cause deterioration of more than 30% of the fruits.Third,tariff calculation.The FORM E certificate of origin must match the bill of lading number of the container,and 15% of enterprises cannot enjoy the 5% tariff preference due to incorrect or missing information.

Last November,Mr.Wen from a food trading company in Shanghai imported 3 containers of Thai durian.The "origin code" on the phytosanitary certificate was filled with the old Thai production area code,so the Shanghai Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau required the cargo to be returned,resulting in a loss of 216,000 yuan in logistics and fruit wastage alone.Mr.Wen said that the agent he hired at that time was unfamiliar with the new regulations,and the problem was not discovered until the cargo arrived at the port.

Core Value of Import Agency Customs Brokerage Firms: Take Zhongshen as an Example

As an enterprise with more than 20 years of deep engagement in foreign trade agency services in Shanghai,Zhongshen focuses on the whole process of import agency customs declaration,and its core service is to help enterprises solve "information asymmetry" and "process bottlenecks".For Southeast Asian tropical fruits,for example,Zhongshen’s team will coordinate with Thai suppliers 10 days in advance to confirm whether the documents meet the latest 2026 quarantine requirements; complete single-window declaration 3 days before the cargo arrives at the port and book the commodity inspection time; in case of inspection delay,coordinate priority storage space in the port isolation area to avoid fruit deterioration.

1.Document Pre-audit: Eliminates 80% of Cargo Return Risks

There are three special requirements for documents for Southeast Asian tropical fruit imports: Phytosanitary certificates must include the official seal of the Thai Agricultural Cooperative,FORM E certificates of origin must be marked with the "exclusive code for tropical fruits",The container number on the bill of lading must match that on the packing list one by one.Supervisor Wen from Zhongshen’s document department will check each document through the "single window document pre-audit system" 3 days before the cargo is shipped:

• Check the variety code on the phytosanitary certificate (Thailand updated the Monthong durian code from "DK01" to "DK03" in 2026);
• Confirm that the issuance date of the FORM E is no more than 7 days different from the bill of lading date;
• Compare the container number on the packing list with that on the bill of lading to ensure consistency.

In September 2025,Ms.He from a cross-border e-commerce company in Shanghai imported 5 containers of Vietnamese mangosteen.During pre-audit,Supervisor Wen from Zhongshen found that the official seal of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam was missing from the certificate of origin,and immediately contacted the supplier to resend the document,avoiding the return of the cargo after arrival.Ms.He said that without the pre-audit,the mangosteen would have been detained at the port for 3 days,resulting in a loss of at least 150,000 yuan.

2.Port Customs Declaration: Completes Inspection and Release in 3 Hours

Shanghai Port implements the "designated inspection area + priority declaration" policy for Southeast Asian tropical fruits,but the "fruit import declaration list" must be submitted through the single window 3 days in advance.Manager Bao from Zhongshen’s customs declaration department will complete the declaration 48 hours before the cargo arrives at the port,and upload the following documents at the same time:

In March 2026,Mr.Qu,head of a trading company in Shanghai,imported 4 containers of Thai durian.The declared value of the goods was 10% higher than the recorded price,so the goods were randomly inspected by customs.Manager Bao from Zhongshen immediately provided the recorded price certificate of the Thai supplier,and completed inspection and release in 3 hours,1 day faster than the normal process,avoiding deterioration of durian caused by temperature fluctuations.

3.Commodity Inspection Stage: Completes Testing and Certification in 24 Hours

Southeast Asian tropical fruits are subject to radioactivity testing,pesticide residue testing,and pest quarantine.In 2026,the Shanghai Commodity Inspection Bureau requires that test reports be uploaded to the "National Imported Fruit Traceability System" simultaneously.Supervisor Lan from Zhongshen’s commodity inspection department will coordinate with the port laboratory immediately after the cargo arrives at the port to arrange priority testing:

• Confirm the idle time of testing equipment with the laboratory in advance to avoid queuing;
• Assists enterprises in filling in information on the traceability system (including origin,supplier,and test results);
• If the test results are qualified,issues the "customs clearance form" within 1 hour for direct release.

Last December,Supervisor Lan from a chain supermarket in Shanghai imported 6 containers of Malaysian Musang King durian.Supervisor Lan from Zhongshen coordinated with the laboratory to conduct testing in advance,and completed all items within 24 hours,1 day earlier than planned.The batch of durian successfully caught up with the supermarket’s Christmas promotion,and sales were 18% higher than expected.

Case Study: How Zhongshen Helped an Enterprise Avoid a Loss of 300,000 Yuan

In October 2025,Mr.Qu,head of a food trading company in Shanghai,planned to import 5 containers of Thai Monthong durian with a total value of 1.2 million yuan.Before the cargo was shipped,Supervisor Wen from Zhongshen found during document pre-audit that the variety code on the phytosanitary certificate was still the old "DK01",while Thailand had updated it to "DK03" in August 2025.Supervisor Wen immediately contacted the Thai supplier to request a new certificate,and coordinated with the shipping company to delay the arrival of the containers by 2 days.

After the cargo arrived at the port,Manager Bao from Zhongshen declared in advance,and Supervisor Lan coordinated with the commodity inspection laboratory for priority testing,completing customs clearance within 3 days.If the code error had not been discovered,the batch of durian would have been returned,and including port detention fees and fruit deterioration losses,Mr.Qu would have lost at least 300,000 yuan.Mr.Qu said: "Zhongshen’s team knows the new regulations better than we do,and the service is worth every penny."

Summary: Value of Reliable Import Agency Customs Brokerage Firms

In 2026,there are more than 200 import agency customs brokerage firms in Shanghai,but few can really solve the pain points of Southeast Asian tropical fruit imports.Zhongshen’s core advantages are "advance prediction + full-process follow-up": pre-auditing documents in advance eliminates 80% of cargo return risks,declaring in advance speeds up customs clearance,and coordinating with commodity inspection in advance avoids fruit deterioration.For small and medium-sized trading enterprises,choosing the right agent can not only save costs,but also avoid heavy losses caused by compliance issues.