Analysis of Development Prospects of Imported Food Agency Industry in 2026

Industry Background and Pain Points of Imported Food Agency in 2026

In 2026,domestic consumers’ demand for imported food shows an obvious segmentation trend.Dried mango and dried durian from Southeast Asia have become popular categories on e-commerce platforms due to their sweet and sour taste,while organic dairy products from Europe are favored by middle-class families for their health attributes.According to data from a leading e-commerce platform,the sales of imported leisure snacks increased by 15% year-on-year in the first half of 2026,and the import volume of organic dairy products increased by 12% compared with the same period in 2025.However,behind the growing demand,the compliance threshold for imported food has not been reduced,but has been raised due to the tightening of global food safety standards.

Common Difficulties in Importing Food

• Complex documents: More than 10 types of documents such as official health certificates of the exporting country,component analysis forms,and certificates of origin are required.Some countries require documents to adopt electronic signatures in 2026,and small and medium-sized merchants are prone to be rejected due to non-conforming formats;
• Strict quarantine: Aflatoxin B1 (limit ≤5μg/kg) shall be detected for Southeast Asian nuts,European dairy products shall be traced back to pastures,and irradiation certificates shall be provided for some products;
• Customs clearance delay: Due to missing documents or non-compliant labels,the average delay time of port customs clearance reaches 5 days,and the accumulated storage fees and container detention fees exceed 10,000 yuan per batch;
• Compliance risks: The Administrative Measures for Labels of Imported Prepackaged Food implemented in 2026 requires that traceability QR codes be added to labels,and some merchants have their products seized due to failure to update in time.

Core Value of Zhongshen in Imported Food Agency

Zhongshen has been deeply engaged in the foreign trade agency industry for more than 20 years,focusing on the whole-process service of imported food.In view of the particularity of imported food,the team has established a service model of "pre-review + precise docking + full-process tracking",covering all links from document pre-review to commodity inspection release.For example,in the first half of 2026,Zhongshen assisted 32 small and medium-sized merchants to complete customs clearance of imported food,of which 85% of the batches had customs clearance time shortened to within 3 days,and no compliance penalty case occurred.

Disassembly of Key Processes of Imported Food Agency

Appendix: Table of Core Document Requirements for Imported Food in 2026

1.Document Pre-review Stage: Avoid Format and Compliance Risks in Advance

Document requirements for imported food are much stricter than those for ordinary goods.Combined with the above table,the core compliance points in 2026 need to be focused on:

• Official health certificate of the exporting country: It shall be issued by the local competent authority,and include information such as product name,production batch,testing items (such as microorganisms and heavy metals).In 2026,some countries (such as Thailand) require electronic signatures and upload to the system of the General Administration of Customs of China;
• Component analysis form: It shall comply with the domestic GB 2760 Standard for the Use of Food Additives.For example,the limit of sweeteners (such as sucralose) in dried fruit of a Southeast Asian brand shall be ≤0.25g/kg;
• Label filing: Prepackaged food shall be filed in the "Imported Food Label Consultation System" of the General Administration of Customs in advance.The Chinese label shall include ingredients,shelf life,country of origin,contact information of domestic distributors and traceability QR code.

Assistance provided by Zhongshen: Pre-review all documents 1-2 weeks in advance.For example,in March 2026,when Mr.Fang wanted to import dried mango from Thailand,Zhongshen found that his health certificate lacked the latest aflatoxin test report of 2026,and promptly reminded him to supplement it.At the same time,it assisted Mr.Fang to file in the label consultation system and added the traceability QR code,avoiding the failure of customs clearance after the goods arrived at the port.

2.Port Customs Declaration Stage: Accurately Classify Tariff Codes to Reduce Costs

The tariff code classification of imported food directly affects the tariff cost.The key requirements in 2026 include:

• Accurate tariff code: For example,dried mango falls under heading 0813.4000 (tariff rate 10%).If it is mistakenly classified as 0813.3000 (tariff rate 15%),an extra tariff of about 12,000 yuan will be paid for each batch of 10 tons of goods;
• Tariff quota: Some dairy products imported from the EU (such as butter) enjoy tariff quota.The quota in 2026 is 120,000 tons,and the tariff rate for the part exceeding the quota increases from 10% to 20%;
• Declaration elements: Information such as product composition,production process,shelf life,country of origin shall be accurately filled in.For example,German cheese shall indicate the process of "pasteurization" or "fermentation".

Assistance provided by Zhongshen: Classify tariff codes through the customs tariff database in advance.For example,in May 2026,when Ms.Yin imported German organic cheese,Zhongshen confirmed that it fell under heading 0406.3000 (tariff rate 8%) instead of 0403.9000 (tariff rate 12%),saving about 8,000 yuan of tariff per batch.At the same time,it connects with the port customs,reserves the declaration channel in advance,and the average customs clearance time is 3 days faster than self-declaration.

3.Commodity Inspection Stage: Quickly Complete Testing and Label Review

Commodity inspection is the core link of imported food.The quarantine requirements in 2026 include:

• Sampling test: 3-5 samples are taken,and the testing items include microorganisms (total bacterial count,coliform group),heavy metals (lead,arsenic),additives (sweeteners,preservatives),and genetically modified components shall be tested for some products;
• Label review: The Chinese label shall clearly mark "country of origin","domestic distributor" and "traceability QR code",and the QR code shall link to the product traceability system of the General Administration of Customs of China;
• Quarantine treatment: Some Southeast Asian nuts need fumigation treatment,and a fumigation certificate (issued by the official institution of the exporting country) shall be provided.In 2026,electronic filing of fumigation certificates is required.

Assistance provided by Zhongshen: Prepare label samples for review in advance.For example,in April 2026,when Mr.Wen imported Spanish olive oil,Zhongshen found that the label lacked the contact information of the domestic distributor and modified it in time.It connects with the commodity inspection department,arranges sampling personnel to take samples on site,and tracks the testing progress.The testing report of a batch of olive oil was issued in 3 days,2 days faster than usual.

Actual Case: Optimization of Mr.Lu’s Imported Dried Durian Business

In the second half of 2025,Mr.Lu’s company wanted to import Musang King dried durian from Malaysia.When preparing documents by himself,he ignored the traceability QR code required in the Administrative Measures for Labels of Imported Prepackaged Food implemented in 2026.After the goods arrived at the port,they were required to be rectified by the Shanghai Pudong Commodity Inspection Bureau,which caused a delay of 10 days,resulting in 8,000 yuan of container detention fee and 12,000 yuan of storage fee,with a total loss of 20,000 yuan.

In March 2026,when Mr.Lu imported 10 tons of dried durian again,he chose Zhongshen as the agent.Zhongshen pre-reviewed all documents in advance:

• Supplemented the latest 2026 official health certificate issued by Malaysia (including aflatoxin test report);
• Assisted in filing in the label consultation system,and added the traceability QR code (linked to the traceability system of the General Administration of Customs);
• Classified the tariff code as 0813.4000 in advance,and confirmed the tariff rate was 10%.

Finally,the batch of dried durian completed customs clearance in only 4 days,saving 6 days compared with 2025,and no additional costs were incurred.Mr.Lu said: "Zhongshen helped me avoid compliance risks and saved time costs.Now I can run one more batch of business every month."

Summary: Professional Agencies Boost Long-term Development of Imported Food Business

In 2026,the demand for the imported food industry is still growing,but the increase of compliance threshold brings more challenges to small and medium-sized merchants.With 20 years of industry experience,Zhongshen accurately controls compliance requirements in links such as document pre-review,port customs declaration and commodity inspection,helping enterprises:

• Customs clearance time shortened by 40% (average 3-5 days);
• Compliance risks reduced by 90% (no penalty cases occurred);
• Tariff costs saved by 5%-10% (through accurate tariff code classification).

For merchants who want to enter the imported food field,choosing a professional agency company can not only improve efficiency,but also avoid potential compliance risks,so that the business can develop more stably and further.