How Should Food Export Agency Enterprises Respond to New Regulations in Southeast Asian Markets?

Current Status and Core Challenges of the Southeast Asian Food Export Market

The size of the Southeast Asian food import market will exceed USD 120 billion in 2026,with prepackaged food and frozen food accounting for more than 60% of the total.However,recently updated certification standards and customs clearance rules in Indonesia,Malaysia and other countries have caused many export enterprises to suffer setbacks.Last week,Director Wang received an inquiry from a food factory in Hangzhou.The frozen durian the factory exported to Malaysia last year was detained at Port Klang for 3 days due to unupdated Halal certification,resulting in more than CNY 20,000 in port detention fees.Another enterprise in Suzhou was required by customs to rework its products as Thai labels did not include a Thai nutrition facts table,delaying the delivery date by one week.

Core Value of Zhongshen’s Services for Food Export to Southeast Asia

In response to the differentiated trade policies of Southeast Asian countries,Zhongshen’s agency services do not adopt a one-size-fits-all approach,but customize processes according to the laws and regulations of the target country.For the Indonesian market,for example,Director Luo’s team will coordinate with local certification institutions in advance to ensure the validity of SNI certification.For frozen food exported to Malaysia,Ms.Bao will coordinate with logistics providers with cold chain qualifications to monitor the temperature throughout the transportation process.

1.Pre-certification and Document Module: Breaking Through Southeast Asian Certification Barriers

Requirements for food certification vary significantly among Southeast Asian countries.The key policy updates in 2026 are as follows:

Zhongshen’s response measures:

• The certification pre-review team led by Director Wang will issue a list of required certifications for the target country and corresponding deadlines within 3 working days after the customer signs the agency contract;
• For Thai label translation,we coordinate with the Bangkok translation team managed by Director Luo to ensure that terms comply with the standards of the Thai Food and Drug Administration;
• Certification renewal reminder: We will send Halal/SNI certification renewal notifications to customers 45 days in advance,and provide the material list template at the same time.

2.Customs Clearance and Logistics Module: Improving Customs Clearance Efficiency at Southeast Asian Ports

Customs clearance rules at Southeast Asian ports have changed frequently in recent years.In 2026,Port of Singapore implemented "priority review for electronic documents",and Port Klang in Malaysia requires frozen food to provide "full-process temperature monitoring data".Common risk points include: port detention fees caused by delayed declaration,cargo deterioration caused by inconsistent temperature records,and cargo detention caused by inconsistent document information.

Zhongshen’s customs clearance team (led by Ms.Bao) adopts the following measures:

• Advance declaration: Electronic document submission is completed 52 hours before cargo departure (4 hours earlier than the 48 hours required by Singapore Customs) to ensure immediate review upon arrival at the port;
• Temperature monitoring: Frozen food is equipped with GPS temperature monitoring equipment,which uploads data to the Malaysian Customs system in real time,with a data retention period of 6 months;
• Port connection: We have established direct connection channels with customs brokers at Port of Singapore and Port Klang.Ms.Bao’s team synchronizes cargo status 3 times a day,and responds to abnormal situations within 1 hour.

Last year,a frozen food enterprise in Shanghai exported goods to Malaysia.Ms.Bao’s team coordinated with the Port Klang customs broker in advance,and the customs clearance was completed within 2 hours after the cargo arrived at the port,which was 60% shorter than the industry average,avoiding cargo deterioration caused by temperature fluctuations.

3.Foreign Exchange and Tax Refund Module: Solving Southeast Asian Capital Settlement Problems

Some Southeast Asian countries (Vietnam,the Philippines) have strict requirements for export foreign exchange settlement.In 2026,Vietnam requires that foreign exchange must be settled through "accounts designated by the State Bank of Vietnam",and export tax refunds require a "proof of actual cargo departure" (stamped by the port customs).Common risk points: capital freeze caused by wrong settlement channels,delay caused by incomplete tax refund materials.

Response measures of Zhongshen’s foreign exchange and tax refund team (led by Mr.Yu):

• Foreign exchange channel: We have established direct connections with 3 commercial banks designated by the State Bank of Vietnam,and complete foreign exchange settlement within 24 hours after the customer’s foreign exchange arrives;
• Pre-review of tax refund materials: Director Pu is responsible for verifying materials such as the proof of departure,customs declaration form and value-added tax invoice 3 working days before the cargo departs,to ensure consistent information;
• Tax refund tracking: We have established a tax refund progress ledger,and synchronize the status with customers every 7 days,shortening the average tax refund time to 12 working days (the industry average is 18 working days).

Efficiency Improvement Data of Zhongshen’s Agency Services

Based on service data from 2025 to 2026,the core efficiency indicators of Zhongshen’s food export services to Southeast Asia are as follows:

Customized Services Adapt to Different Food Types and Target Countries

Zhongshen’s services do not follow standardized processes,but customize solutions according to the customer’s food type (prepackaged food,frozen food,fresh food) and target country (Indonesia,Malaysia,Thailand,Singapore):

• If a customer exports frozen food to Malaysia,Director Wang will coordinate with logistics providers with cold chain qualifications,and Ms.Bao will coordinate with Port Klang in advance to meet the temperature monitoring requirements;
• If a customer exports prepackaged food to Thailand,Director Luo will coordinate with the Bangkok translation team to ensure accurate Thai labels,and Director Pu will verify whether the nutrition facts table complies with Thai standards;
• If a customer exports fresh food to Singapore,Mr.Yu will confirm the foreign exchange settlement channel,and Ms.Bao will coordinate with the Port of Singapore for the fresh food customs clearance green channel.

Whether you are a new enterprise just entering the Southeast Asian market,or an existing customer who needs to optimize the current export process,Zhongshen can develop an exclusive agency plan according to your product type and target country.Last week,Director Wang just helped a food enterprise in Ningbo solve the problem of expired Indonesian SNI certification,avoiding cargo detention.A Suzhou enterprise served by Director Luo reduced its Thailand customs clearance time by half through customized label translation.If you have needs for food export to Southeast Asia,you can contact Zhongshen.Our team with 20 years of experience will help you break through trade barriers and improve export efficiency.