Full Process Guide for Imported Snacks Agency, Analysis of Key Compliance Customs Clearance Points

Imported Snacks Agency: Focus on Customs Clearance Difficulties and Solutions for Southeast Asia,Japan and South Korea Markets

In 2026,Shanghai’s imported snacks market shows a clear growth trend.The import volume of Southeast Asian dried mango,Thai durian cake,Japanese matcha snacks and South Korean puffed food increased by 12% year-on-year.However,many trading enterprises encounter setbacks due to compliance issues during the import process.For example,when a startup trading company imported cookies from Malaysia,it was required by customs to rectify due to failure to review Chinese labels in advance,delaying delivery by 10 days; another enterprise overpaid 12,000 RMB in tariffs due to incorrect commodity code filling.The core value of imported snacks agency is exactly helping enterprises solve these seemingly trivial but overall critical difficulties.

1.Document Pre-review: The First Line of Defense for Imported Snack Compliance

The document requirements for imported snacks are much higher than ordinary commodities.In 2026,China Customs has further strengthened supervision on the registration of overseas production enterprises and the review of Chinese labels,which is the first bottleneck for most enterprises.

Product-specific Compliance Requirements:

• Official health certificate issued by the exporting country is required (needs to be notarized or certified,and bilingual version in Chinese and English is required for some regions)
• Registration number of overseas production enterprises for imported food must be provided (starting from January 2026,products from unregistered enterprises are prohibited from import)
• Chinese labels must comply with GB7718 General Standard for Labeling of Prepackaged Foods,and must mark nutrition facts table,allergens (such as nuts,dairy products),shelf life,origin and other necessary information
• Preferential certificate of origin (such as ASEAN FORM E,Japan-ROK FTA certificate) can enjoy tariff reduction and exemption

Assistance Provided by Zhongshen:

Manager Lai’s document pre-review team will intervene before customers sign purchase contracts,and check the completeness and compliance of all documents 10 days in advance.There was a case last year: a Shanghai e-commerce company imported 15 tons of durian cake from Thailand,and only prepared commercial invoice and bill of lading.Manager Lai found that it lacked Thai official health certificate and overseas enterprise registration number,and the Chinese label did not mark "contains gluten" (durian cake contains wheat flour).The team assisted the customer to contact the Thai supplier to reissue the health certificate,and completed the registration and filing of the overseas enterprise on the official website of the General Administration of Customs of China,solving the registration problem in only 5 days; the Chinese label was adjusted according to GB 7718 requirements to add allergen information,and finally the document pre-review passed at the first attempt.

2.Port Customs Declaration: Accurate Classification is the Key to Cost Saving

The core difficulty of customs declaration is commodity code classification.The difference in tariff rates corresponding to different codes can reach more than 15%,and in 2026,China Customs has stricter review standards for codes.Incorrect classification will lead to increased inspection rate and delayed customs clearance.

Product-specific Compliance Requirements:

• Snacks must be accurately classified according to raw materials and processing technology.For example,codes for dried fruits and candied fruits are different,and snacks containing dairy products need separate classification
• Tariff preferences can only be enjoyed with valid certificate of origin; without certificate of origin,tariff will be levied at the most-favored-nation rate
• Declared information including gross weight,net weight and packing method must be consistent with actual goods

Assistance Provided by Zhongshen:

Manager Wu’s team is familiar with the latest 2026 tariff schedule and can accurately determine the commodity code for snacks.For example,a customer imported Japanese matcha cake,initially filled in wrong code 19059000 (25% tariff rate).After checking raw materials,Manager Wu found that the cake contains matcha powder (belongs to tea products),so adjusted the code to 19053000 (20% tariff rate).Meanwhile,the team provided the Japan-ROK FTA certificate of origin to enjoy the 15% preferential tariff rate,saving 18,000 RMB in tariff for this single batch of goods.In addition,the team completes declaration in advance by using the customs "advance declaration" policy,so customs clearance is finished within 24 hours after goods arrival at port,which is 3 days shorter than the conventional process.

3.Commodity Inspection (Inspection and Quarantine): Sampling Details Determine Success or Failure

Commodity inspection is a mandatory link for imported snacks.In 2026,testing standards for microorganisms (such as Salmonella),heavy metals (such as lead,cadmium) and pesticide residues have been further improved,and some enterprises have their goods returned due to unqualified sampling.

Product-specific Compliance Requirements:

• 3-5 batches need to be sampled for testing,2-5 kg of samples are taken from each batch
• Allergen testing is a mandatory inspection item,and allergens such as nuts,dairy products and gluten must be clearly marked
• Chinese labels must be checked on site,no falling off,blurring or other non-compliance conditions are allowed
• The Entry Inspection and Quarantine Certificate must be obtained after passing the test before the goods can be sold

Assistance Provided by Zhongshen:

Supervisor Lan’s team communicates the sampling plan with the commodity inspection department in advance to avoid testing delay caused by insufficient sampling quantity.There was a case last year: a Shanghai trading company imported South Korean puffed food,and only prepared 1 kg of sample during sampling,which did not meet the requirement of 3 kg.Supervisor Lan assisted the customer to draw additional samples from the warehouse,and checked the Chinese label on site.He found that the shelf life marked on the label was 12 months,but it was 10 months on the actual packaging,and immediately assisted in modification.Finally,the test passed,the inspection and quarantine certificate was obtained within 3 days,and the goods entered the market smoothly.

Comparison of Common Commodity Codes and Tariff Rates for Imported Snacks (2026)

Core Values of Zhongshen’s Imported Snacks Agency Service

Zhongshen has been deeply engaged in the foreign trade industry for 20 years,and helps enterprises avoid more than 90% of compliance risks through full-process services.For example,a Shanghai trading company imports 300 tons of snacks every year.When it operated on its own before,the average customs clearance time was 15 days,and the compliance risk rate was 15%; after entrusting Zhongshen as the agency,the customs clearance time was shortened to 7 days,the compliance risk rate dropped to 1%,and the annual cost saving is about 120,000 RMB.Manager Lai concluded: "The difficulty of importing snacks does not lie in complex processes,but in detail compliance.Our team can predict risks in advance and help customers avoid unnecessary detours."