How to Choose a Food Import Agent? Five Key Links to Focus On

Current Status of Imported Tropical Fruits from Southeast Asia and Dairy Products from the EU

In the first quarter of 2026,the value of imported food at Shanghai Port increased by 23% year-on-year,with tropical fruits from Southeast Asia and dairy products from the EU accounting for nearly 40% of the total.Mr.Xu’s company mainly deals in high-end baking ingredients,and plans to import 20 tons of frozen durian pulp from Thailand and purchase infant formula from the Netherlands.The customs broker notified him that the registration information of the Thai factory in China had expired,and the nutrient composition test report from the Dutch supplier failed to label choline content in accordance with the latest national standards.These two issues directly caused customs clearance delays,resulting in detention fees and freezer container fees exceeding 8,000 yuan per day.

Such situations are not uncommon in the food import process.After the implementation of General Administration of Customs Orders No.248 and No.249,the professional thresholds for links such as registration of overseas production enterprises,review of Chinese labels,and handling of quarantine permits have significantly increased.Enterprises operating independently often fall into three dilemmas: regulations are updated rapidly,making it difficult for internal teams to keep up in a timely manner; the document chain is long,and a mistake in one link will lead to the detention of the entire shipment; customs inspection standards are refined,and the laboratory test cycle is highly uncertain.After Manager Xiao from Zhongshen took over,he reorganized the registration extension materials for the Thai factory,coordinated with the Dutch supplier to supplement the test report,completed the rectification within three days,and the goods were released smoothly.

Document Pre-review: Resolve Issues Before Shipment

Document pre-review for food imports is far from simply checking the document list.Taking Thai durian as an example,it is necessary to review the validity of the overseas production enterprise registration number,the filing information of orchards and packaging factories,the additional statement of the plant quarantine certificate,and the format specifications of the FORM E certificate of origin.In 2026,the customs has added a check on the cold treatment temperature probe calibration records to the quarantine requirements for tropical fruits,and many exporters have not yet realized this change.

The operation mode of Zhongshen is: after receiving the customer’s purchase contract,Manager Xiao’s team will issue a "Document Compliance Pre-review Report" within three working days.The report lists four modules: registration status of overseas production enterprises,compliance of health certificate templates,20 mandatory label contents for Chinese label drafts,and completeness of nutrient composition test items.Once a customer imported Parma ham from Italy,the pre-review found that the labeling method of nitrite content did not comply with the latest revised version of GB 2760-2025,and the team promptly requested the Italian side to adjust the label,avoiding a 150,000 yuan loss from rectification after the goods arrived at the port.

Core Document List and Review Key Points

• Registration Certificate of Overseas Production Enterprises: The status must be queried as "Valid" on the General Administration of Customs website,and the product category must cover the declared product name
• Official Health Certificate: Must include the signature and seal of the competent authority of the exporting country,product description,production date,shelf life,container number,and seal number
• Chinese Label Draft: Mandatory contents include food name,ingredient list,net content,country of origin,importer information,production date,shelf life,and storage conditions,with a font height of no less than 1.8mm
• Nutrient Composition Test Report: Must be issued in accordance with the format of GB28050-2026,and the five core nutrients of energy,protein,fat,carbohydrates,and sodium are all required
• Quarantine Permit: For goods such as live poultry,aquatic products,and meat,applications must be submitted to the customs 20 working days in advance

Port Customs Declaration: HS Code Classification and Applicable Tax Rates

There are many error-prone points in HS code classification for food imports.Taking dairy products as an example,the tariff rate of infant formula (HS 1901.10) differs by 5 percentage points from that of ordinary full-fat milk powder (HS 0402.21),and the VAT rate is 13% for both.After the full implementation of the RCEP agreement in 2026,tropical fruits imported from ASEAN can enjoy zero tariffs with the certificate of origin,but many enterprises cannot enjoy the preferential treatment due to non-standard certificate filling.

The operation logic of Manager Xiao’s team is: first determine the most accurate HS code based on product ingredients,processing technology,and usage,then check the applicability of free trade agreements,and finally calculate the comprehensive tax burden.Once there was a batch of dried mangoes imported from Vietnam.The customer initially declared them as "other dried fruits" (HS 0813.50) with a tariff of 25%.Zhongshen re-reviewed their sugar pickling process,adjusted the classification to "sugared fruits" (HS 2006.00),reduced the tariff to 5%,and saved 180,000 yuan in taxes for this single shipment.

Commodity Inspection: Laboratory Testing and Abnormal Handling

In 2026,the customs sampling rate for imported food remains at 15%-20%,and the sampling rate for high-risk goods such as dairy products,meat,and aquatic products can reach 50%.Inspection methods include on-site inspection and laboratory testing.The latter usually takes 7-15 working days,during which the goods must be stored in the customs-designated supervision sites,incurring considerable storage fees.

The value of Zhongshen is reflected in two aspects: first,reducing the sampling probability through pre-inspection services; second,establishing a laboratory green channel to shorten the testing cycle.Manager Xiao’s team has signed cooperation agreements with three CNAS-accredited laboratories,and can produce results for conventional test items within 3 working days.Once there was a batch of butter imported from New Zealand.The customs suspected that its peroxide value exceeded the standard.Zhongshen immediately initiated the retest procedure and obtained a qualified report within 72 hours,avoiding the goods being returned.

Common Test Items and Non-Conforming Handling

• Microbial Indicators: Total bacterial count,coliform bacteria,Staphylococcus aureus,Salmonella.Non-conforming goods must be destroyed or returned
• Food Additives: Scope and limits of use of preservatives,pigments,and sweeteners.Label rectification or technical rectification can be implemented
• Contaminants: Heavy metals,mycotoxins,nitrites.Goods exceeding the standard must be returned
• Nutritional Components: If the deviation between the energy and core nutrient content exceeds the allowable error range,re-labeling is required

Warehousing and Distribution: Temperature Control Management and Label Rectification

Food imports have strict requirements for warehousing conditions.Frozen food must be kept below -18℃,refrigerated food at 0-4℃,and constant-temperature food at 15-25℃.In 2026,the freezer storage fee at the Shanghai Port inspection site is 400 yuan per day,and the ordinary warehouse fee is 80 yuan per day.After the goods are released,if the labels do not meet the requirements,rectification must be carried out under customs supervision,incurring additional labor costs.

Zhongshen has two self-operated food-grade warehouses at Yangshan Port and Waigaoqiao,equipped with a 24-hour temperature control monitoring system and a WMS management system.Manager Xiao’s team provides label rectification services,including the entire process of printing,pasting,photographing,and uploading to the customs system.Mr.Xu’s Thai durian was found to have no "frozen storage at minus 18 degrees" marked on the storage conditions of the Chinese label after release.The warehouse staff of Zhongshen completed the label replacement for 500 boxes of goods within half a day,and the cost was only 60% of the market price.

Foreign Exchange Receipt and Payment and Export Tax Rebates

The foreign exchange settlement involved in food imports has its particularities.Some goods such as infant formula require full advance payment,and most bulk agricultural products are settled by letter of credit.In 2026,the fluctuation of the RMB exchange rate has intensified,and the timing of foreign exchange settlement directly affects procurement costs.Zhongshen provides forward exchange rate locking services to help customers avoid exchange rate risks.

In terms of export tax rebates,although food imports themselves do not involve tax rebates,many importers are also engaged in re-export business.Zhongshen’s tax team can assist in handling the processing trade manual for imported materials,realizing the bonded import of materials and tax rebates after the finished products are exported.Manager Xiao once served a customer who increased the annual tax rebate by 1.2 million yuan through trade mode optimization.

Practical Case: Full Process Review of Thai Durian Import

Mr.Xu’s company signed a purchase contract for 20 tons of frozen durian pulp with a Thai factory in March,with a value of 800,000 yuan.After Manager Xiao from Zhongshen intervened,the operation timeline is as follows:

Day 1: Received the contract and invoice,initiated document pre-review,and found that the registration information of the Thai factory would expire at the end of March.Immediately notified the factory to handle the extension,and at the same time pre-reviewed the Chinese label,and found that the product name "Golden Pillow Durian Pulp" did not mark "frozen",so requested modification.

Day 5: The Thai factory completed the registration extension,and the new label draft was confirmed.Manager Xiao submitted the "Import Food Compliance Statement" to the customs and applied for accelerated release channel.

Day 15: The goods were loaded onto the ship.Zhongshen applied to the shipping company for pre-inspection of the freezer container in advance to ensure that the temperature probe calibration records were complete.

Day 25: The goods arrived at the port,the customs declaration was submitted,and the customs selected for inspection.Manager Xiao cooperated with the inspection on-site,submitted the pre-inspection report,and the customs agreed to only conduct document review and waive laboratory testing.

Day 27: The goods were released.Zhongshen arranged a trailer to directly deliver the goods to the cold chain warehouse designated by Mr.Xu.The entire shipment took 48 hours from arrival at the port to warehousing,and the cost was 22% lower than the market average.

The core value of this case is: solving problems in advance avoids the risk of port detention,professional on-site communication reduces the sampling probability,and the full-process service reduces the comprehensive cost.Mr.Xu subsequently handed over all the company’s food import business to Zhongshen,and the monthly average import volume stabilized at more than 50 tons.

Hidden Value of Professional Agents

Choosing a professional agent like Zhongshen,the obvious benefits are faster customs clearance and lower costs,but the hidden value is more worthy of attention.First,risk isolation: the agent company bears the primary responsibility for document compliance; second,information advantage: customs policy adjustments and changes in inspection standards can be responded to in a timely manner; third,resource network: from shipping company space to laboratory testing,mature agents have bargaining power and priority.

In 2026,the food import supervision trend is a trinity of "source management + process control + result traceability".It is difficult for enterprises to cover all links solely relying on internal teams.The database accumulated by Zhongshen over 20 years covers registration information of more than 2,000 overseas production enterprises,more than 3,000 Chinese label templates,and more than 5,000 HS code classification cases.These resources cannot be established by a single enterprise in a short period of time.

Manager Xiao mentioned that they invest special funds every year to track regulatory updates.Three members of the team hold both customs declaration and inspection certificates,and two members have a professional background in food engineering.This configuration ensures the depth of service.For food importers,handing over professional matters to professional teams and focusing on market development and channel construction is a more reasonable division of labor choice.