---
title: "2026 Full Process Analysis and Precautions for Seafood Import Customs Clearance - Zhongshen Trading China"
description: "As an international shipping hub，Shanghai has seen continuous growth in seafood imports in 2026. However，customs clearance involves multiple links such as quarantine approval and document review，which are prone to delays due to improper operations. Director Pan of Zhongshen points out that systematic sorting of import customs clearance processes and key nodes can effectively help customers avoid compliance risks and improve customs clearance efficiency. This article will break down the core stag..."
url: "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/customs-declaration-knowledge/seafood-import-customs-clearance-process-analysis-2026-precautions.html"
language: "en"
type: "Article"
category: "Customs Declaration Basics"
datePublished: "2026-07-15"
dateModified: "2026-07-15"
brand: "Zhongshen Trading China"
image: "https://cndpic.sh-zhongshen.com/uploads/tradepics/6vuHWz1TRsY9d.webp"
---

# 2026 Full Process Analysis and Precautions for Seafood Import Customs Clearance

As the core port for domestic seafood imports in China,Shanghai handles over one million tons of frozen seafood and live aquatic products annually in 2026.However,the customs clearance link requires coordination among multiple departments covering quarantine,documentation,storage and other sectors.Any minor negligence may lead to cargo detention at the port,high container detention fees,or even return of goods due to compliance issues.Many customers have reported to Ms.Duan of Zhongshen that when they first deal with seafood import customs clearance,they often fail to clarify the sequence of pre-declaration and inspection and quarantine,resulting in 3 to 5 days longer customs clearance time than expected.This article will systematically sort out the core processes of seafood import customs clearance,and break down the key operations and pitfall avoidance points at each stage based on Zhongshen’s more than 20 years of practical experience.

## I.Preparatory Stage for Seafood Import Customs Clearance (Objective: Frontload compliance to avoid subsequent risks)

![Common Problems of Seafood Import Customs Clearance and Professional Agency Solutions](https://cndpic.sh-zhongshen.com/uploads/tradepics/6vuHWz1TRsY9d.webp)

### 1.Objectives and Key Operations

The core objective of this stage is to confirm import qualifications,handle quarantine approval,and prepare necessary documents to lay a solid foundation for subsequent customs clearance.Key operations include:

- Confirm whether you have the required import qualifications,such as food business license,import and export operation right,etc.;
- Apply for the Quarantine Permit for Entry Animals and Plants from the customs (apply 30 days in advance for live seafood,15 days in advance for frozen seafood);
- Prepare basic documents such as commercial invoice,packing list,bill of lading,certificate of origin,health certificate of the exporting country,etc.

### 2.Common Problems and Roles of Zhongshen

Common problems focus on missing qualifications and document errors:

- Some customers are unaware that pre-inspection and quarantine are required for live seafood,resulting in failure to declare in time after the goods arrive at the port;
- Document information is inconsistent with the actual goods,for example,the place of origin is marked as "Norway" but actually "Chile",leading to customs rejection of the declaration.

Roles of the team led by Ms.Duan of Zhongshen:

![Common Problems of Seafood Import Customs Clearance and Professional Agency Solutions](https://cndpic.sh-zhongshen.com/uploads/tradepics/6Vzv7V5lCFNYV.webp)

- Review customer qualifications in advance.If the customer has no import and export operation right,we can provide qualification affiliation service subject to relevant customs regulations;
- Assist customers in sorting out application materials for the Quarantine Permit for Entry Animals and Plants and track the approval progress;
- Check all document information to ensure consistency with cargo packaging and labels,and avoid declaration rejection.

## II.Cargo Arrival at Port and Declaration Stage (Objective: Declare promptly to reduce port detention time)

### 1.Objectives and Key Operations

The objective of this stage is to complete customs declaration and inspection declaration in time and obtain customs clearance instructions.Key operations:

- After the goods arrive at the port,exchange for the delivery order from the shipping company with the bill of lading (pay attention to whether the bill of lading endorsement is clear);
- Submit customs declaration form,quarantine declaration form and other materials to the customs,and confirm the manifest simultaneously;
- Pay the declaration deposit (required for some live seafood,refundable after customs clearance).

### 2.Common Problems and Roles of Zhongshen

Common problems:

- Unclear bill of lading endorsement during document exchange leads to failure in smooth document exchange and delayed declaration;
- Incorrect filling of declaration elements in the customs declaration form,such as wrong HS code of seafood,leading to customs rejection and re-declaration.

Roles of the team led by General Manager Bao of Zhongshen:

- Communicate with the shipping company in advance to confirm the requirements for bill of lading endorsement,and avoid obstruction in document exchange;
- Professional customs brokers are familiar with the latest 2026 HS codes for seafood,for example,frozen salmon is **0306191000**,live lobster is **0306311000**,ensuring accurate declaration elements and a declaration pass rate of over 98%;
- Provide expedited declaration service,and declaration of live seafood can be completed within 2 hours after arrival at the port.

The latest 2026 HS codes for common seafood and declaration precautions are as follows:

| Seafood Variety | Latest 2026 HS Code | Key Declaration Precautions |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Frozen Salmon | **0306191000** | Indicate farmed/wild origin,and provide farming certificate |
| Live Lobster | **0306311000** | Complete pre-inspection and quarantine in advance,indicate transportation temperature (0-4) |
| Frozen Shrimp Meat | **0306161000** | Provide component analysis certificate,indicate processing technology,such as freezing,vacuum packaging |
| Dried Sea Cucumber | **0307991000** | Indicate place of origin and processing method,such as salting,freeze-drying,provide health certificate |

## III.Inspection,Quarantine and Examination Stage (Objective: Pass quarantine in compliance to avoid cargo return)

### 1.Objectives and Key Operations

The objective of this stage is to pass customs inspection and quarantine,and obtain the Inspection and Quarantine Certificate for Inbound Goods.Key operations:

- Cooperate with customs sampling (on-site sampling is required for live seafood,and thawing sampling is required for frozen seafood);
- Wait for quarantine results (1-2 days for frozen seafood,results available within 12 hours for expedited processing of live seafood);
- Obtain the Inspection and Quarantine Certificate for Inbound Goods if quarantine is qualified; assist in re-sampling and testing if unqualified.

### 2.Common Problems and Roles of Zhongshen

Common problems:

- Improper temperature control during transportation of live seafood leads to unqualified quarantine;
- Failure to operate in accordance with customs requirements during sampling,such as failing to avoid damaged packaging,affects test results.

Roles of the inspection team led by General Manager Yin of Zhongshen:

- Cooperating cold chain transportation companies are equipped with the latest 2026 temperature control equipment to monitor temperature throughout the whole process (keep live seafood at 0-4,frozen seafood below -18);
- Familiar with customs sampling requirements,sort out cargo samples in advance to ensure sampling meets specifications;
- Maintain communication with the quarantine department,and assist in applying for re-sampling if the first test is unqualified,with a quarantine pass rate of over 95%.

## IV.Release and Follow-up Service Stage (Objective: Pick up goods quickly and complete follow-up procedures)

### 1.Objectives and Key Operations

The objective of this stage is to complete customs release,pick up goods and handle follow-up procedures.Key operations:

- Pay customs duties and value-added tax (some seafood enjoy tariff preferences,which need to be confirmed in advance);
- Arrange vehicles to pick up goods after customs release (live seafood should be picked up within 12 hours);
- Store the goods in the designated cold chain warehouse if storage is required;
- Handle follow-up procedures such as foreign exchange receipt and payment,foreign exchange settlement,etc.

### 2.Common Problems and Roles of Zhongshen

Common problems:

- Unaware of the tariff preference policies for some seafood,for example,seafood traded with ASEAN countries enjoys zero tariff,resulting in overpayment of tariffs;
- Incomplete documents during foreign exchange receipt and payment lead to delayed foreign exchange settlement.

Roles of the tax team led by Mr.Che of Zhongshen:

- Familiar with the latest 2026 tariff policies,confirm preferential qualifications for customers in advance,such as ASEAN certificate of origin,to save tariff costs;
- Provide one-stop service for foreign exchange receipt,payment and settlement.Under the condition of complete documents,the foreign exchange settlement time is shortened to less than 1 working day;
- Own exclusive cold chain warehouse,located in Shanghai Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone,covering an area of 5,000 ㎡,which can provide temporary storage and distribution services.

Zhongshen has been engaged in seafood import customs clearance for more than 20 years,and has accumulated the following core advantages in 2026 practical operations:

- Familiar with the latest inspection and quarantine procedures of Shanghai Port,the customs clearance time for live seafood is 2 days faster than the industry average;
- Maintain long-term communication with customs and quarantine departments,and can respond to emergency problems quickly,for example,assist in re-sampling and testing when cargo sampling is unqualified;
- Provide full-process services from qualification review to foreign exchange settlement.Customers only need to provide cargo information,and the rest of the links are followed up by the team throughout the whole process;
- Handled over 2,000 seafood import customs clearance businesses in 2026,with customer satisfaction rate reaching 96%.

Competition in the seafood import market intensified in 2026,and efficient and compliant customs clearance procedures are the key for enterprises to seize market share.Many customers reported that after choosing Zhongshen as their agent,the seafood customs clearance time was shortened from an average of 7 days to 3-4 days,and container detention fees were reduced by more than 60%.If you have needs for seafood import customs clearance,you can contact Director Pan of Zhongshen for consultation.The professional team will tailor a customs clearance plan for you to avoid risks and improve efficiency.

## Related Resources
- [Customs Declaration Basics](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/customs-declaration-knowledge/)
- [Trade Services](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/services/)
- [Trade Cases](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/cases/)
- [Trade Wiki](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/wiki/)
- [Trade Class](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/guide/)
- [Global Trade Services](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/country/)
- [Trade Q&A Hub](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/)

## Structured Data

```json
[
  {
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
    "itemListElement": [
        {"@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/"},{"@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "FT Academy", "item": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/guide/"},{"@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Customs Tips", "item": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/customs-declaration-knowledge/"}
        ,{"@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "2026 Full Process Analysis and Precautions for Seafood Import Customs Clearance - Zhongshen Trading China"}
    ]
  },
  {
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "Article",
  	
  	"url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/customs-declaration-knowledge/seafood-import-customs-clearance-process-analysis-2026-precautions.html",
      "headline": "2026 Full Process Analysis and Precautions for Seafood Import Customs Clearance - Zhongshen Trading China",
      "keywords": "seafood import customs clearance, import customs clearance process, customs clearance agency services",
      "articleSection": "Customs Declaration Basics",
      "image": [
  		        "https://cndpic.sh-zhongshen.com/uploads/tradepics/6vuHWz1TRsY9d.webp"
  		],"description": "As an international shipping hub，Shanghai has seen continuous growth in seafood imports in 2026. However，customs clearance involves multiple links such as quarantine approval and document review，which are prone to delays due to improper operations. Director Pan of Zhongshen points out that systematic sorting of import customs clearance processes and key nodes can effectively help customers avoid compliance risks and improve customs clearance efficiency. This article will break down the core stages of seafood import customs clearance and share practical experience from professional agencies.。",
      "datePublished": "2026-07-15T19:42:39Z",
      "dateModified": "2026-07-15T19:42:39Z"
  	
      ,"isPartOf": {
        "@type": "WebPage",
        "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/customs-declaration-knowledge/",
        "name": "Customs Declaration Basics"
      },
      "inLanguage":"en",
      "publisher":{ "@id":"https://www.ok-tool.com/#organization" }
  }
]
```