Shanghai Japanese Imported Food Agency: Full 2026 Compliant Customs Clearance Process

In 2026,the throughput of Japanese imported food at Shanghai Port increased by 18% year-on-year,covering 12 major categories including snacks,sake,seasonings and dairy products.Many Japanese restaurants and imported snack retailers in Shanghai take Japanese food as their core category,but they often encounter setbacks during import due to complex compliance requirements.Last year,a Shanghai Japanese restaurant owner imported Japanese sashimi.He failed to notice that Shanghai commodity inspection authorities had shortened the validity period of radiation test reports for products from some Japanese regions from 1 year to 6 months.After the goods arrived at the port,they were required to be re-tested,and the 12-day detention generated nearly 10,000 yuan in storage fees.

Zhongshen has been engaged in foreign trade agency services for over 20 years,focusing on full-process services for Japanese imported food.From document pre-audit to port customs clearance and cold chain storage,the team is familiar with the latest 2026 policies for Japanese food import,and can help customers avoid common compliance pitfalls.

1.Pre-Import: Document Pre-Audit Is the First Line of Defense Against Risks

Documentation requirements for Japanese imported food are more detailed than those for ordinary goods.In 2026,Shanghai commodity inspection authorities added a new requirement for products from 10 regulated Japanese prefectures (including Fukushima,Ibaraki,etc.) that "radiation test reports must indicate the qualification number of the testing institution".Many customers have had their orders returned due to neglect of this requirement.

Ms.Hu of Zhongshen is in charge of the document pre-audit process.She first checks 4 types of core documents: health certificate,radiation test report,ingredient analysis form and quarantine approval form.For example,last year a customer imported a Japanese brand of sake.The ingredient analysis form contained erythritol,which is allowed under Japanese JAS standards,but was listed as "only allowed for use in specific foods" in China’s GB 2760 standard in 2026.After discovering this in advance,Ms.Hu advised the customer to supplement a certificate proving that "sake falls under the allowed use category",avoiding the requirement to destroy part of the goods during customs clearance.

2.Port Customs Clearance: Synchronize Customs Declaration and Commodity Inspection to Reduce Connection Time

The customs clearance process for Japanese imported food at Shanghai Port is divided into two links: customs declaration and commodity inspection.Poor connection between the two can easily cause delays.In 2026,Shanghai commodity inspection authorities increased the sampling rate for Japanese imported food from 5% to 8%.Some customers have experienced delays due to failure to prepare sampling samples in advance.

Director Han of Zhongshen is in charge of port coordination.He will confirm the corresponding designated Shanghai port for the goods in advance (for example,Japanese aquatic products must be imported from the designated cold chain port of Yangshan Port),and submit electronic data for customs declaration and commodity inspection 24 hours before the goods arrive at the port.For example,in March this year,a customer imported Japanese ice cream.Director Han booked the on-site sampling time with commodity inspection authorities in advance.Sampling was completed within 3 hours after the goods arrived at the port,and customs declaration and commodity inspection were reviewed synchronously.Customs clearance was completed in only 4 days,3 days shorter than the 7 days the customer previously spent on self-operation.

There are two special precautions for customs clearance of Japanese imported food:

• The words "Japanese Imported Food" must be marked on the customs declaration form,and the source of regulated prefectures must be filled in (non-regulated prefectures must be marked as "Non-Regulated Region")
• After commodity inspection sampling,you need to wait for the test report (usually 3-5 days).The goods can only be released after passing the test.Zhongshen will follow up the test progress daily and notify the customer in time

3.Storage and Distribution: Cold Chain Control Ensures Food Quality

About 40% of Japanese imported food are cold chain products (such as sashimi,ice cream,dairy products).In 2026,Shanghai commodity inspection authorities require that temperature records of cold chain warehouses be uploaded to the "Smart Commodity Inspection Platform" in real time,otherwise the goods will not be released.

Zhongshen has 2 qualified cold chain warehouses in Shanghai,and the temperature monitoring system uploads data every 10 minutes.For example,last year a customer imported a Japanese brand of yogurt.Temperature fluctuations in the previous warehouse (once reaching -15°C,while the requirement was -18°C) led to deterioration of some products.After hiring Zhongshen as the agent this year,Ms.Fan’s team monitored the temperature throughout the process,and used cold chain vehicles equipped with GPS and temperature monitoring for distribution,ensuring stable temperature when the products arrived at terminal stores,and the deterioration rate dropped from the previous 5% to 0.2%.

4.Real Case: The Transformation From 15 Days of Delay to 3 Days of Customs Clearance

Mr.Liu’s company is an imported snack retailer in Shanghai.In 2025,when he operated the import of Japanese snacks by himself,the qualification of the testing institution for the radiation test report did not meet the requirements of Shanghai commodity inspection authorities.The goods were detained at the port for 15 days,incurring 12,000 yuan in storage fees,and he also missed the Double 11 Shopping Festival of that year.

After hiring Zhongshen as the agent in 2026,Ms.Hu’s team verified the qualification number of the testing institution (which must be searchable on the official website of the Ministry of Health,Labour and Welfare of Japan) in advance,and confirmed the validity period of the report (within 6 months).After the goods arrived at the port,Director Han submitted the customs declaration and commodity inspection data synchronously,and customs clearance was completed in 3 days.Mr.Liu said: "Previously,when I handled customs clearance by myself,I had to coordinate with commodity inspection authorities,customs brokers and warehouses.Now Zhongshen’s team takes care of everything,which not only saves time,but also avoids fines."

Conclusion: Professional Agencies Make Japanese Imported Food Import More Worry-Free

Compliance requirements for Japanese imported food are updated every year.In 2026,Shanghai commodity inspection authorities added a new requirement that "food labels must be marked with a Chinese nutrition facts table".Many customers have been required to rectify their goods due to neglect of this requirement.Zhongshen’s 20 years of experience can help customers grasp policy changes in advance,and control risks throughout the entire process from document pre-audit to storage and distribution.The average customs clearance time is shortened from the industry average of 7 days to 3 days,and storage costs are saved by about 60%.

For importers in Shanghai,choosing a professional agency company can not only improve efficiency,but also avoid economic losses caused by compliance issues.This is why Zhongshen can serve more than 1,000 customers of Japanese imported food.