---
title: "Complete Guide to Customs Clearance of Imported Infant Formula Milk Powder, Key Points to Avoid Compliance Risks - Zhongshen Trading China"
description: "In 2026，the market of imported infant formula milk powder continues to grow，but complicated registration quarantine requirements have brought compliance challenges to enterprises. Starting from the background of importing from Europe，this article analyzes the unique requirements of core links such as document pre-audit，port customs declaration，and commodity inspection. Combined with 20 years of agency experience of Zhongshen，it interprets how to avoid risks such as non-compliant labels and inval..."
url: "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/customs-declaration-knowledge/import-infant-formula-compliance-guide.html"
language: "en"
type: "Article"
category: "Customs Declaration Basics"
datePublished: "2026-07-09"
dateModified: "2026-07-09"
brand: "Zhongshen Trading China"
image: "https://cndpic.sh-zhongshen.com/uploads/tradepics/dCGiaFcyrKpv7.webp"
---

# Complete Guide to Customs Clearance of Imported Infant Formula Milk Powder, Key Points to Avoid Compliance Risks

## Background and Core Difficulties of Importing European Infant Formula Milk Powder

In 2026,domestic demand for high-quality infant formula milk powder continues to rise.As a major supplier,Europe has significant advantages in formula research and development and milk source control.Factories in Italy,the Netherlands,Ireland and other countries have become the preferred partners for importers.However,this type of product belongs to special dietary food,and the supervision level is much higher than that of ordinary dairy products.When enterprises operate independently,they often get stuck in several links: the registration information of overseas manufacturers in China is not updated in time,leading to invalid registration number during customs declaration; the product formula has not obtained registration approval from the State Administration for Market Regulation; in the pre-review stage of Chinese label samples,the format of nutrition information table and warning words do not meet the requirements of national standards; there is a deviation in understanding of testing standards for indicators such as chlorate and aflatoxin in the commodity inspection link.These difficulties directly cause cargo detention at port,return shipment,and even affect the enterprise’s credit record.

![Zhongshen: Professional Agency Service for Compliance Clearance of Imported Infant Formula](https://cndpic.sh-zhongshen.com/uploads/tradepics/dCGiaFcyrKpv7.webp)

## Core Role of Zhongshen in Import Agency

Zhongshen has been deeply engaged in the imported food field for more than 20 years,and has handled more than 3,000 containers of infant formula milk powder in total.The team includes overseas liaison specialists familiar with EU regulations,customs officers stationed at major ports,and inspection personnel with a food engineering professional background.This configuration allows Zhongshen to intervene at the early stage when customers confirm their purchase intention,instead of handling documents until the cargo arrives at the port.The core value is reflected in three levels: identify risks in advance,and move compliance review forward to the contract signing stage; coordinate multiple parties,including overseas manufacturers,international logistics providers,and port regulatory authorities; establish an emergency mechanism,with a standardized disposal process for unexpected situations such as sudden inspection and abnormal sampling test results.After China Customs launched the "Smart Commodity Inspection" system in 2026,Zhongshen completed system connection in the first batch,realized automatic verification of inspection declaration data,and controlled the document error rate within 3‰.

## Phased Decomposition of Import Process and Compliance Points

### Document Pre-audit Stage: Registration,Filing and Label Compliance

This stage determines whether the cargo can enter the declaration process smoothly.Overseas production enterprises must be included in the *List of Registered Overseas Production Enterprises of Imported Food* published by the General Administration of Customs of China,and the registration validity has not expired.Zhongshen will require the foreign party to provide the latest registration certificate,and check whether the factory name,address,and registered category are completely consistent in the system.In terms of product formula registration,it is necessary to check the *Registration Certificate for Special Medical Purpose Formula Food* or *Infant Formula Milk Powder Product Formula Registration Certificate* issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation,and confirm that the product name,stage,and formula ingredients are consistent with the declaration materials.

Label pre-audit is the top priority.The *National Food Safety Standard: Labeling of Prepackaged Special Dietary Foods* implemented in 2026 has more detailed regulations on font height,warning content,and labeling method of nutrition components.Zhongshen’s label review checklist includes:

- Whether the product name contains standard terms such as "Infant Formula Milk Powder" or "Follow-up Infant Formula Milk Powder"
- Whether the units and rounding intervals of energy,protein,fat and carbohydrates in the nutrition information table comply with GB10765
- Whether the labeling order and content range of essential components and optional components match the formula registration content
- Whether the warning statement "The most ideal food for infants aged 0-6 months is breast milk" is printed in bold font with a height of not less than 3mm
- Whether the information of origin country,agent and importer is complete,and the address is specific to street and house number

![Zhongshen: Professional Agency Service for Compliance Clearance of Imported Infant Formula](https://cndpic.sh-zhongshen.com/uploads/tradepics/DCOZ4UBKNN2bD.webp)

Once our client Mr.An imported a batch of organic infant formula milk powder from Germany.The nutrition information table on the label used the labeling method per 100kJ,but the national standard requires that both per 100g and per 100kJ must be labeled at the same time,with different rounding rules.Zhongshen found this problem in the pre-audit stage,coordinated the German party to redesign the label,and completed the rectification before the cargo was shipped,avoiding the risk of being required to carry out technical rectification or return shipment due to unqualified label after arrival at the port.

### Port Customs Declaration Stage: Accurate Declaration and Tariff Application

The filling accuracy of the customs declaration directly affects tax collection and subsequent supervision.The HS code of infant formula milk powder is classified under 0402.21 or 0402.29,depending on the fat content and packaging specification.The most-favored-nation tariff rate is 15% in 2026,but products from some countries that have signed free trade agreements with China can enjoy preferential tariff rates.Zhongshen will focus on checking during operation:

| Declaration Elements | Specific Requirements | Common Errors |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Brand | Declare both Chinese and English brand,consistent with the label | Only declare English or Chinese,miss sub-brand |
| Formula Stage | 0-6 months is Stage 1,6-12 months is Stage 2 | Confused with the foreign product classification standard |
| Production Date | Accurate to year,month and day,consistent with the bottom spray code of the can | Format error,e.g.writing 20260506 instead of 2026/05/06 |
| Shelf Life | Counted in months,consistent with the label | Not deduct the time from production to arrival at port |

In terms of price declaration,the customs will refer to the transaction price of similar products in the same period,and start a questioning procedure for obviously low prices.Zhongshen will assist customers to prepare complete pricing basis,including certificates of ex-factory price from foreign parties,international freight,insurance premium,royalty and other supporting documents.In 2026,customs’ review on royalties has become stricter.If the brand fee charged by the brand owner is related to the imported goods,it needs to be included in the customs value.Zhongshen’s customs team will review the license agreement in advance,judge whether the fee should be included,and avoid subsequent tax back collection and late fee charged by the customs.

### Commodity Inspection Stage: On-site Inspection and Laboratory Testing

Infant formula milk powder is a high-risk food,so the random inspection rate is much higher than that of ordinary food.The key inspection points at ports in 2026 include: packaging integrity check to prevent moisture and damage during transportation; label compliance verification to check whether the on-site cargo label is consistent with the filed sample; sensory inspection to observe whether the powder is uniform and free of foreign matters.When Zhongshen cooperates with on-site inspection,it will arrange a special person to bring the filed label sample,original formula registration certificate,and ex-factory inspection report from the foreign party,to answer questions immediately and shorten the inspection time.

Laboratory testing items cover two categories: safety indicators and nutrition indicators.Safety indicators include heavy metals,mycotoxins,microorganisms,nitrite,etc.; nutrition indicators test whether the content of protein,fat,vitamins,minerals,etc.meet the standards.The testing cycle is usually 15-20 working days.Zhongshen has established a testing progress tracking mechanism,obtains testing progress from the laboratory every week,and gives early warning of possible abnormal data.In 2026,new testing requirements for chloropropanol esters and glycidyl esters were added,these two substances may be produced during oil refining.Zhongshen will require the foreign party to provide the test report of these two substances before the customer purchases,to ensure compliance with both EU and Chinese standards.

## Actual Case: Avoidance of Invalid Registration Number Risk

In March 2026,client Mr.An planned to import a batch of infant formula milk powder from the Netherlands,and had signed a purchase contract with the foreign party and paid the deposit.Zhongshen found in the document pre-audit stage that the Chinese registration number of this Dutch manufacturer would expire on April 15 of that year,and the estimated arrival time of the cargo was April 20.If shipped according to the original plan,the registration number would be invalid when the cargo arrives,and the cargo would be refused entry.Zhongshen immediately launched the emergency procedure: on the one hand,notified the foreign party to suspend shipment to avoid the risk of cargo in transit; on the other hand,assisted the foreign party to prepare registration renewal materials,including production records in the past year,export inspection report,system audit report,etc.Since Zhongshen maintains regular communication channels with the Agricultural Office of the Dutch Embassy in China and the competent department of the General Administration of Customs of China,we coordinated the foreign party to submit the renewal application through an expedited procedure.Finally,the new registration number was approved on April 10,the cargo was postponed to April 25 for shipment,and cleared smoothly at the port in mid-May.The enlightenment of this case is that the validity management of the registration number must be included in the timeline consideration of purchasing decision,and cannot only focus on the quality and price of the product itself.

## Value Summary of Professional Agency

The compliance chain of importing infant formula milk powder is long and the professional threshold is high,so the cost-benefit ratio of building an in-house team by enterprises is not ideal.Through 20 years of data accumulation,Zhongshen has established a regulatory database covering 30 major exporting countries,which can track policy changes in real time.In 2026,the average customs clearance time for Zhongshen’s clients is 11.2 working days,4.5 days faster than the industry average; the abnormal inspection rate is controlled at 2.1%,far lower than the industry average of 8.7%.This efficiency improvement comes from changing the original serial links to parallel advancement,and completing label filing,registration verification,document pre-entry and other work before the cargo is shipped.In terms of risk avoidance,Zhongshen’s early warning mechanism has helped customers avoid many potential losses,including invalid registration number,label design defects,missing testing items and other problems.For importers,choosing a professional agency like Zhongshen is essentially purchasing a set of verified compliance solutions,transforming uncertain risks into predictable costs,so that they can focus more on core businesses such as channel expansion and brand operation.

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