2026 Import Customs Clearance for Imported Snack Foods: Common Pain Points and Efficient Clearance Paths

Core Difficulties in Customs Clearance of Imported Snack Foods from Southeast Asia in 2026

Demand for imported snack products in the domestic snack food market continues to rise in 2026.Nuts,dried fruits and puffed food from Southeast Asia (Thailand,Vietnam,Malaysia) account for 42% of total import volume.However,customs clearance of these products is often stuck due to three problems: first,special origin quarantine requirements,with a new rule added in 2026 that "fumigation/heat treatment certificate must be provided for nut products"; second,it is difficult to ensure the compliance of Chinese labels,as trans fatty acid content labeling is mandatory from this year; third,the consistency check of documents is strict,and about 18% of goods are temporarily detained due to inconsistency between the certificate of origin and the actual processing location.Statistics from Shanghai Port last year show that 15% of imported snack foods were detained at the port for more than 7 days,directly increasing the warehousing cost of enterprises by more than 2,000 yuan per shipment.

Core Value of Zhongshen in Imported Snack Food Customs Clearance

Zhongshen has been engaged in foreign trade agency for more than 20 years.In view of the characteristics of imported snack foods from Southeast Asia,it has established a service mechanism of "pre-audit + dynamic tracking + local coordination".Among the 320 snack food importers served last year,96% of the orders were cleared within 5 working days,far lower than the industry average of 8 working days.Among them,it helped 27 enterprises solve problems such as "trans fatty acid not labeled on the label" and "incomplete information on fumigation certificate",avoiding return shipment losses of 1.2 million yuan.

Full Process Breakdown and Compliance Key Points for Imported Snack Food Customs Clearance

Stage 1: Document Pre-audit (Pre-shipment Preparation)

The document requirements for imported snack foods from Southeast Asia are quite different from those for ordinary goods.The core difficulties lie in the pertinence of quarantine documents and the compliance of Chinese labels.From 2026,China has added the requirement of "fumigation/heat treatment certificate" for nuts imported from Southeast Asia.Failure to provide the certificate will directly lead to temporary detention of goods.

• List of core required documents:
  • Certificate of Origin (specific origin and product processing technology shall be indicated,such as "Roasted Cashews from Chiang Mai,Thailand")
  • Health and Quarantine Certificate (for Southeast Asian countries,it shall be issued by official quarantine institutions,including test data of heavy metals and pesticide residues)
  • Sample of Chinese label (compliant with GB7718-2011,with the new requirement of "trans fatty acid content labeling" added in 2026)
  • Fumigation/heat treatment certificate (required for nuts,specifying treatment temperature above 121℃,duration ≥30 minutes and type of reagent used)

Assistance provided by Zhongshen: Before the customer signs the procurement contract,the document team led by Director Huo conducts pre-audit on all documents.Since 2026,it has helped 17 enterprises find problems in advance,avoiding the risk of return shipment caused by document errors.

Stage 2: Port Customs Clearance (Goods Arrival at Port)

The core of port customs clearance is document consistency check and accurate classification of HS codes.Puffed food imported from Southeast Asia is often misclassified in HS code due to "component differences".For example,puffed food with more than 50% grain content is classified under heading 1905 (tariff rate 15%).If misclassified under heading 2008,the tariff rate will reach 25%,directly increasing the cost.

Assistance provided by Zhongshen: Before customs declaration,the classification team led by Mr.Cheng accurately determines the HS code based on product components and processing technology.In 2026,it helped a food company in Shanghai adjust the code for a batch of misclassified puffed food,saving more than 30,000 yuan in tariff costs.

Stage 3: Commodity Inspection and Release (Port to Warehouse)

Commodity inspection is a key link for imported snack foods.From 2026,a new "rapid pesticide residue test" item has been added for products imported from Southeast Asia,focusing on testing prohibited pesticides such as methamidophos and chlorpyrifos.If the test fails,the goods will be returned or destroyed,with losses up to 100% of the cargo value.

• Key inspection items of commodity inspection:
  • Whether the products come from the "List of Allowed Import Countries/Regions" (two categories,dried pineapple from Malaysia and cashews from Vietnam,are added to the Southeast Asia list in 2026)
  • Whether the test data of pesticide residues and heavy metals comply with the GB2762-2017 standard
  • Whether the Chinese label is consistent with the actual product (it shall be pasted on the smallest sales package and shall not cover the original label)

Case Sharing: In April 2026,a trading company in Shanghai imported 8 tons of cashews from Vietnam.After the goods arrived at the port,the commodity inspection found that "the heat treatment temperature was not indicated on the origin quarantine certificate",and the goods were temporarily stored in the supervised warehouse.General Manager Liao of Zhongshen immediately contacted the Vietnamese supplier to supplement the official certificate,and coordinated with Shanghai Customs Inspection Bureau for advance review.The commodity inspection and release were completed within 3 days,avoiding demurrage charges of 500 yuan per day and possible return shipment loss (the cargo value is about 400,000 yuan).

Core Advantages of Zhongshen’s Agency Services

Compared with the industry average,Zhongshen’s imported snack food agency service can achieve: 40% shorter customs clearance time (from 8 working days to 5 working days),90% lower document error rate (from 18% to 2%),and 0 tariff misclassification rate.These advantages help customers respond to demands quickly in the 2026 market competition and avoid compliance risks.

The imported snack food market continues to expand in 2026,but the compliance requirements for customs clearance will only become stricter.With more than 20 years of industry experience,Zhongshen controls the whole process from document pre-audit to commodity inspection and release,helps customers solve difficulties in each link,and realizes efficient and compliant customs clearance.It is a reliable partner for imported snack food enterprises.