Xi'an Cheese Import Customs Clearance Agent Process and Compliance Key Points Analysis

Xi’an Cheese Import Customs Clearance: Compliance Pain Points and Breakthroughs Amid Northwest Market Growth

In the first half of 2026,the cold chain throughput of imported food in Xi’an International Port Zone increased by 15% year-on-year,with cheese products accounting for more than 22%.Many local bakery owners and supermarket procurement directors in Xi’an told Director Ye that their biggest headache when importing cheese is not the source connection,but the "hidden thresholds" in the customs declaration process.As the core hub for dairy product consumption in Northwest China,Xi’an imports more than 2,000 tons of cheese annually from countries such as the Netherlands,France and Italy.As a prepackaged fermented food,cheese has strict quarantine requirements and numerous details in document review.Many enterprises have had their goods detained at the port for more than 7 days or even faced the risk of return shipment due to missing or non-compliant documents.

Zhongshen: Core Value of Full-chain Agency for Xi’an Cheese Imports

Zhongshen has been engaged in foreign trade agency for over 20 years.In response to the special needs of cheese imports in Xi’an,it has long established a customized service system covering "pre-shipment document review at origin - port customs declaration and inspection - cold chain warehouse supervision".Unlike the one-size-fits-all approach of general agents,Zhongshen intervenes in the origin of goods in advance to help enterprises check core documents such as the certificate of origin and sanitary certificate for cheese,avoiding customs clearance delays due to missing documents after the goods arrive at the port.Since 2026,among the Xi’an cheese import enterprises served by Zhongshen,the average customs clearance period has been shortened by 40%,and the rate of order cancellation due to document issues has dropped from the industry average of 12% to 1.5%.

Core Process Breakdown of Xi’an Cheese Import Customs Clearance

1.Document Pre-review: Avoid "Source Risks" in Advance

As a fermented dairy product,document review is the first step of import customs clearance.In 2026,Xi’an Customs’ key requirements for cheese documents include milk source traceability and ingredient compliance.The team led by Director Ye of Zhongshen will connect with foreign suppliers of Xi’an enterprises 10 days before the goods are shipped to check the signature,date and content consistency of each document.The core check list is as follows:

• Health Certificate for Dairy Products Exported to China (must be issued by the official quarantine authority of the origin,and must include electronic signature verification information in 2026)
• Cheese composition analysis report (clearly mark lactose content,mold types and limits,in compliance with GB 2760 Food Additive Use Standards)
• Certificate of Origin (must show the filing number of the milk source pasture,and Xi’an Customs requires online verification with the origin’s official database in 2026)
• Packaging label sample (must be translated in advance and marked with Chinese nutritional composition table,in compliance with GB 7718 General Rules for Prepackaged Food Labels)

Case: In March 2026,Mr.Zou,head of a local bakery in Xi’an,imported Italian hard cheese.The foreign supplier mistakenly filled the ingredient list of "hard cheese" as "soft cheese".After Director Ye discovered this in advance,he immediately coordinated with the supplier to reissue a compliant ingredient list,avoiding the loss of order cancellation after the goods arrived at the port.

2.Port Customs Declaration: Accurately Connect with Customs Declaration Requirements

The ports for cheese imports to Xi’an are mainly concentrated in Xi’an International Port Zone.Two special requirements should be noted in the customs declaration process: First,cheese is a prepackaged food,and the "prepackaged food" code (code 0902) must be marked on the customs declaration form; Second,Xi’an Customs requires the submission of full-chain temperature records for cold chain transportation in 2026 (the temperature must be maintained at 0-4℃ throughout the process,and real-time temperature data must be uploaded to the single window).

The team led by Director Yu of Zhongshen will communicate with the customs of Xi’an International Port Zone in advance to confirm the latest declaration requirements of the year.For example,for the newly added "milk source traceability code" declaration in 2026,Zhongshen has connected to the system in advance to help enterprises automatically associate the traceability code during customs declaration.In April 2026,a batch of Dutch Gouda cheese purchased by a local supermarket in Xi’an arrived at the port.As the foreign supplier failed to upload the traceability code as required,Director Yu coordinated with the supplier to retransmit it on the same day and synchronized with the Xi’an Customs green channel.The original 3-day customs declaration process was shortened to 1 day,avoiding cheese deterioration due to temperature fluctuations.

3.Commodity Inspection and Quarantine: Focus on Microbial and Cold Chain Compliance

The commodity inspection link for cheese is the most risky part.In 2026,Xi’an Customs’ sampling inspection requirements for cheese include: total mold count (≤50 cfu/g),pathogenic bacteria (Salmonella,Listeria must not be detected),and it is necessary to verify whether the temperature curve of cold chain transportation is continuous.Zhongshen will arrange a dedicated person to connect with the commodity inspection sampling personnel in advance,prepare the sample storage conditions for cheese (refrigerated at 0-4℃),and assist enterprises in filling out the sampling form to avoid information errors.

Case: In May 2026,when sampling French Brie cheese from an importer in Xi’an,the sampling was almost required to be redone due to blurry sample labels.Director Ye immediately contacted the foreign supplier to provide a high-definition electronic version of the label,and the commodity inspection personnel confirmed it and completed the test smoothly,without affecting subsequent customs clearance.

Comparison of Service Differences Between General Agents and Zhongshen

Summary: Professional Agency is the Core Guarantee for Xi’an Cheese Imports

The Xi’an cheese import market is still growing rapidly in 2026,but compliance requirements are also becoming more detailed.Zhongshen helps Xi’an enterprises avoid a large number of customs clearance risks by intervening in document pre-review in advance,accurately connecting with customs requirements,and fully controlling cold chain compliance.For bakeries and catering enterprises that rely on imported cheese,choosing a professional agency can not only shorten the customs clearance period,but also ensure the freshness and compliance of raw materials,and gain an advantage in the competition in the Northwest market.