Complete Analysis of Full Process of Water Import Customs Declaration and Detailed Explanation of 2026 Latest Quarantine Requirements

Import Background and Core Difficulties of Italian Mineral Water

In 2026,domestic demand for high-end drinking water is concentrated in the segmented categories of natural mineral water and functional drinking water.Water sources from the Italian Alps,the Evian production area in France,and deep artesian well water in New Zealand have become the focus of importers.The import of such products is not simply logistics and transportation,but involves multiple technical thresholds such as food hygiene quarantine,water source authenticity verification,and mineral composition standard comparison.

At the beginning of this year,Mr.Xiang contacted a small mineral water plant in northern Italy,planning to introduce a mid-to-high-end water product containing metasilicic acid.The first batch of goods is worth about 120,000 euros,shipped in a 20-foot container.Supervisor Guo found in the pre-review stage that the water source geological report provided by the foreign party was a local Italian document,which had not been certified and translated by EU official authorities; the wording "natural mineral water" on the product label did not meet the specific labeling requirements for mineral content in China’s General Rules for Prepackaged Food Labels.If such details are left until the goods arrive at the port,they will inevitably face return or label rectification,resulting in additional costs such as container detention fees and terminal storage fees.

Core Role of Zhongshen in Water Import Agency

Zhongshen’s involvement is not simply running errands to submit documents.Supervisor Guo’s team first conducted a full-chain compliance mapping of the Italian materials provided by Mr.Xiang: sent the Italian geological report to a professional translation institution for certified translation; checked the content of metasilicic acid,lithium,strontium and other minerals item by item against the limit indicators in GB 8537-2018 National Food Safety Standard for Drinking Natural Mineral Water; communicated with the port commodity inspection laboratory in advance to confirm the equivalence between testing methods and international standards.This pre-emptive risk identification avoids the passive situation after the goods arrive at the port.

Full Process Breakdown of Water Import Customs Declaration

Document Pre-Review Stage: Plug Compliance Gaps from the Source

The document system for imported water products is more complex than ordinary food.Core documents include: certificate of origin,sanitary certificate,official water source certificate,composition analysis report,and label sample.In 2026,customs has tightened the review of "water source certificates",requiring an annual water quality monitoring report for the water source issued by the central or federal environmental department of the exporting country,instead of a local municipal document.

Supervisor Guo sorted out the document list for Mr.Xiang:

• Original official water source certificate certified by the Italian Embassy in China
• Mineral composition test report issued by an EU-recognized laboratory,with Chinese translation attached
• Label design draft complying with GB7718-2011,where the wording "natural mineral water" and mineral content data must be placed on the same page
• Overseas production enterprise registration number in China (GACC registration)
• Trade documents such as packing list,invoice and contract

The pre-review stage takes about two weeks,with most efforts spent on coordinating the Italian side to supplement the central-level water source document and guiding them to adjust the label design.The team of Zhongshen is familiar with the subtle differences in requirements for translated documents among different port customs.For example,Shanghai Yangshan Port requires that the original test method name must be retained for mineral indicators,while Ningbo Port accepts free translation.

Port Customs Declaration Stage: Accurate Classification and Valuation Declaration

There are traps in HS code classification for water products.Natural mineral water is classified under 2201.90,while flavored water and functional water added with vitamins are classified under 2202.10 or 2202.90.In 2026,customs has strengthened the review of functional water.If a product claims to have "antioxidant","electrolyte supplement" and other effects,it may be classified into the beverage category,involving more complex additive compliance review.

Mr.Xiang’s product is pure natural mineral water.Supervisor Guo noted the water source geological layer information in detail on the customs declaration form and proactively declared the mineral content data.This transparent declaration strategy reduces the probability of customs questioning the price or classification after clearance.Another key point in the customs declaration link is dutiable value declaration.Supervisor Guo guided Mr.Xiang to include water source certification fees,special water quality testing fees and other expenses into the actual payment price of the goods,avoiding subsequent audits caused by under-reporting of the price.

Commodity Inspection Stage: Laboratory Testing and Label Rectification

After water products arrive at the port,100% of them will accept commodity inspection sampling.The key testing items in 2026 include: microbial indicators (Pseudomonas aeruginosa,coliform),heavy metals (lead,cadmium,arsenic),and compliance with mineral limit indicators.The testing cycle is usually 7-10 working days.

After Mr.Xiang’s goods were sampled at Yangshan Port,the laboratory feedback showed that there was a slight deviation between the detected metasilicic acid content and the Italian test report.Supervisor Guo immediately retrieved the original Italian test spectrum,communicated with the domestic laboratory about the difference in testing methods,and finally confirmed that the deviation was within the allowable error range of the method.Without this professional communication,the goods may be judged as unqualified.

Label rectification is another common link.Mr.Xiang’s product label was required to add a small English description of "drinking natural mineral water" in the commodity inspection link to comply with international trade practices.Zhongshen coordinated with the port supervised warehouse and completed the label pasting under customs supervision,avoiding the huge cost of returning to the factory for rectification.

Practical Case: Detail Control to Avoid Return Risk

In March 2026,Mr.Xiang’s first batch of Italian mineral water cleared customs smoothly.But one detail in the process is worth reviewing: the original water source certificate provided by the Italian side had a handwritten modification.Although it was stamped with the local municipal seal,customs considered it did not meet the specification of official documents.Supervisor Guo contacted the Italian side overnight,obtained the unmodified original re-issued by the Italian Ministry of Environment,and delivered it via expedited international express.If following the conventional process,this document defect may lead to the return of the entire batch of goods.

Another risk point lies in the claim of mineral content.Mr.Xiang initially wanted to highlight the wording "rich in metasilicic acid" on the Chinese label.Supervisor Guo reminded that GB 8537 stipulates that the metasilicic acid content must be ≥25mg/L to claim "rich in",and the tested value of this product is 28mg/L.Although it meets the standard,there is not much margin.He suggested changing it to "contains metasilicic acid",avoiding subsequent complaints from professional counterfeiters for exaggerated publicity.This pre-consideration of advertising law reflects that the value of customs declaration agency goes beyond simple customs clearance.

Core Value of Zhongshen’s Agency Service

Water import customs declaration is not document transfer,but a comprehensive application of food regulations,geological knowledge and understanding of customs review rules.The value accumulated by Zhongshen over 20 years lies in:

• Pre-emptive risk identification: Intervene in document feasibility assessment before the trade contract is signed
• Port resource coordination: Establish regular communication mechanisms with major port laboratories and supervised warehouses
• Precise cost control: Avoid hidden costs such as container detention fees and return freight through pre-review,the total cost of Mr.Xiang’s first batch of goods is controlled within 98% of the budget
• Dynamic compliance tracking: In 2026,the General Administration of Customs of China launched a new "carbon footprint" declaration pilot for imported drinking water,Zhongshen has already prepared response plans for customers in advance

For small and medium-sized importers without a dedicated customs affairs team,Zhongshen’s agency service means converting uncertain compliance risks into predictable service costs.The second batch of Mr.Xiang’s goods has been launched in advance.This time,he directly handed over the Italian contact information to Supervisor Guo,and the Zhongshen team communicates directly with the foreign side on technical document requirements,and the efficiency has been significantly improved.

In the 2026 water import market,competition has shifted from channel competition to compliance efficiency competition.Essentially,Zhongshen’s agency service builds a professional firewall for importers,disassembles complex regulatory requirements into actionable steps,and changes customs clearance from "a matter of luck" to "predictable and controllable".