Full Overview of Service Process of Food Foreign Trade Import and Export Agency

The links involved in food import and export foreign trade are far more than just "delivery-receiving".From qualification verification to customs clearance and quarantine,from logistics and warehousing to foreign exchange and tax refund,every step may lead to delays,fines and even cargo detention due to improper operation.In Shanghai’s food foreign trade market in 2026,many enterprises,due to lack of professional experience,have their cargo detained by customs when importing frozen meat for incomplete quarantine documents,and have their goods returned when exporting baked food for labels not meeting the requirements of the destination country.This article will systematically break down the core process of food foreign trade agency based on the practical experience of Zhongshen,and help you clarify key points of each link.

Breakdown of Core Process of Food Import and Export Foreign Trade Agency

1.Preliminary Qualification Connection and Demand Confirmation

The core goal of this stage is to clarify the cooperation scope of both parties,verify the qualifications of enterprises and products,and avoid being unable to carry out business due to qualification problems in the follow-up.

Key Actions: Mr.Lin from Zhongshen will first connect with clients,collect basic qualifications such as enterprise business license and food business license,and confirm requirements including product category (such as frozen food,pre-packaged food,health products,etc.),destination country/region and transportation mode.For imported food,it is also necessary to confirm whether the product is included in the national access directory; for exported food,it is necessary to understand the label and quarantine standards of the destination country.

Common Problems: Some enterprises mistakenly believe that a business license is sufficient to conduct food foreign trade,ignoring necessary qualifications such as food business license and import and export right (the agency can handle the import and export right if the enterprise does not have it); some clients do not understand the quarantine standards of the destination country.For example,food exported to the EU needs EU certification,and if not confirmed in advance,a lot of time will be wasted later.

Role of Zhongshen: Mr.Lin will sort out the qualification list in advance and assist clients to supplement missing materials; for different products and destination countries,he provides customized qualification verification forms.For example,imported frozen meat needs official quarantine certificate and certificate of origin from the exporting country,and Mr.Lin will mark these necessary documents in advance to avoid omission by clients.

2.Contract and Document Preparation Stage

The goal of this stage is to ensure compliant contract terms,complete and accurate documents,and lay a solid foundation for subsequent customs clearance and quarantine.

Key Actions: Supervisor Ding from Zhongshen will review the trade contract between the client and the supplier/buyer,confirm price terms (FOB,CIF,etc.),delivery date,quality standards,etc.; meanwhile,guide clients to prepare customs clearance documents including bill of lading,commercial invoice,packing list,quarantine certificate,certificate of origin,etc.For pre-packaged food,it is also necessary to prepare translated versions of labels such as nutrition facts table and ingredient list,which must meet the language requirements of the destination country.

Common Problems: Inconsistent information in documents,for example,the product name on the invoice does not match that on the packing list,which leads to declaration rejection by customs; some clients fail to update label content in time.For example,food exported to Japan needs to meet JAS standards,and if the label is not updated,the goods will be returned by the customs of the destination country.

Role of Zhongshen: Supervisor Ding will establish a document review checklist to check the information consistency of each document one by one; for label requirements of different destination countries,he provides templates and translation services.For example,food exported to the US needs an English nutrition facts table,and Supervisor Ding will coordinate with a professional translation team to ensure accurate content.

3.Customs Clearance and Quarantine Link

This stage is the core link of food foreign trade,and the goal is to pass customs inspection quickly,ensure food meets safety standards,and avoid cargo detention.

Key Actions: Ms.Zhuang from Zhongshen will declare to customs and submit all required documents; if customs requires inspection,Ms.Zhuang will coordinate on-site inspection and prepare samples for testing; for imported food,she will also coordinate with the commodity inspection department to conduct sampling inspection to confirm compliance with China’s food safety standards.

Common Problems: Products are found not matching the documents during inspection,for example,other products are mixed in when frozen meat is declared; incorrect tariff calculation,for example,some foods enjoy preferential tax rates but clients fail to provide certificate of origin,resulting in overpayment of tariffs.

Role of Zhongshen: Ms.Zhuang is familiar with the inspection procedures of Shanghai Customs,will communicate with customs in advance and optimize inspection order; for tariff preferential policies such as food tariff reduction under the RCEP agreement,Ms.Zhuang will guide clients to prepare certificate of origin and help clients save tariff costs.In the first half of 2026,for a client’s fruit exported to Southeast Asia,Ms.Zhuang prepared the RCEP certificate of origin in advance,reducing the tariff from 10% to 5%,saving nearly 20000 RMB in costs.

4.Logistics and Warehousing Management

Food,especially fresh and frozen food,has high requirements for logistics and warehousing.The goal of this stage is to ensure food freshness and on-time delivery to the destination.

Key Actions: Supervisor Bi from Zhongshen will select logistics mode according to product characteristics.For example,whole-process cold chain containers are selected for frozen meat,and ordinary containers are selected for pre-packaged food with attention to temperature and humidity control; in terms of warehousing,warehouses with constant temperature and humidity conditions are selected,and temperature and humidity are monitored in real time to avoid food deterioration.

Common Problems: Logistics delays,for example,port congestion causes cargo delay in sea transportation,which affects delivery date; improper temperature and humidity in warehousing,for example,imported chocolate melts due to excessively high warehouse temperature,causing losses.

Role of Zhongshen: Supervisor Bi has long-term cooperation with many cold chain logistics enterprises in Shanghai,can arrange shipping space in priority to avoid port congestion; in terms of warehousing,real-time monitoring systems are installed in cooperative warehouses,and clients can check warehousing status through Zhongshen’s system.In March 2026,a client’s imported frozen seafood arrived 3 days earlier than originally planned because Supervisor Bi coordinated cold chain shipping space in advance,avoiding seafood deterioration.

5.Foreign Exchange and Tax Refund Settlement

The goal of this stage is to safely collect and pay foreign exchange,complete export tax refund in time,and guarantee the enterprise’s cash flow.

Key Actions: Mr.Si from Zhongshen will assist clients to collect and pay foreign exchange and confirm that the source of foreign exchange is compliant; for exported food,Mr.Si will organize tax refund materials including customs declaration,value-added tax invoice,verification sheet,etc.and declare tax refund to the tax authority.

Common Problems: Delayed collection and payment of foreign exchange,for example,clients fail to provide documents in time,resulting in foreign exchange not being credited; delayed tax refund,for example,incomplete materials lead to review failure by the tax authority.

Role of Zhongshen: Mr.Si is familiar with foreign exchange control policies and can complete foreign exchange collection and payment quickly; in terms of tax refund,he will sort out the material list in advance to ensure every material meets tax requirements,and the average tax refund arrival time is 15 days shorter than that handled by clients independently.In the first half of 2026,the tax refund amount of a client’s exported food was 120000 RMB,and Mr.Si completed the arrival in only 20 days,10 days faster than the industry average.

In the process of food foreign trade,enterprises often encounter the following problems,and the solutions of Zhongshen are as follows:

• Problem 1: Imported food is not included in the national access directory: Solution —— Mr.Lin will check the Register of Overseas Production Enterprises of Imported Food in advance to confirm whether the product is accessible.If it is not accessible,he will suggest the client adjust product category or replace suppliers.
• Problem 2: Exported food label does not meet the requirements of the destination country: Solution —— Supervisor Ding will provide the label template of the destination country,coordinate with professional translation team,and ensure label content meets local standards (such as EU’s ingredient labeling requirements,US’s nutrition label requirements).
• Problem 3: Temperature fluctuation during logistics of frozen food: Solution —— Supervisor Bi will select cold chain logistics with whole-process temperature monitoring,install temperature recorders in containers,upload temperature data in real time,and adjust in time if fluctuation occurs.
• Problem 4: Delay caused by incomplete export tax refund materials: Solution —— Mr.Si will sort out the tax refund material list in advance,including customs declaration,value-added tax invoice,verification sheet,etc.check one by one before submitting to the tax authority,to ensure one-time approval.

Every link of food import and export foreign trade is interlinked,and any small mistake may lead to serious losses.Zhongshen has been deeply engaged in the industry for 20 years.From preliminary qualification verification to later tax refund settlement,every link is managed by professional personnel,which can help you avoid risks and improve efficiency.In 2026,the competition in Shanghai’s food foreign trade market is fierce.Choosing a professional agency allows you to focus more on product research and development and market expansion,without worrying about tedious foreign trade processes.