How to Choose an Imported Food Agent? Key Points for Compliant Customs Clearance

I.Background and Common Difficulties of European Dairy Import

In Shanghai’s 2026 imported food market,European dairy products account for more than 25%,becoming the core category for many trading companies.However,with the upgrading of China’s quarantine standards for imported food,the difficulties in importing European dairy products have become increasingly prominent: for example,the "BSE Traceability System" updated by the EU in 2025 requires that German cheese be accompanied by "pasture number of raw milk for each batch and transport temperature records",and French butter be clearly marked with "trans fatty acid content less than 0.3g/100g".If you are not familiar with these details,it is very easy to cause missing or incorrect documents,which will lead to customs clearance delays.

Last year,when a Shanghai trading company imported German infant formula,the goods were detained at Shanghai Port for 3 weeks because it failed to provide the "lactose tolerance test report" issued by the EU official.This not only incurred a storage fee of 1,200 yuan per day,but also delayed the delivery time to downstream customers.This is the core reason why more and more enterprises seek imported food agency services.

II.Core Role of Zhongshen in the Import Process

Manager Song of Zhongshen’s Operation Department said that their service is not simply "handling procedures on behalf of clients",but "pre-risk prevention and control".From the moment the client confirms the category of European dairy products to be imported,the team will intervene in document pre-audit to avoid more than 90% of common problems in advance.For example,in 2025,a client imported Italian mozzarella cheese.During the pre-audit,Manager Song found that the "sanitary certificate" provided did not indicate "Listeria-free test",and immediately contacted the foreign supplier to complete the procedure.The goods were finally cleared smoothly,5 working days earlier than the client’s expected time.

III.Breakdown of Import Process Stages and Specific Compliance Requirements

1.Document Pre-audit Stage: Lock Risk Points in Advance

The document requirements for European dairy products are much higher than those for ordinary food,with "traceability" and "safety" as the core.Before the goods are shipped,Zhongshen will check the following documents one by one to avoid rework later:

Case: In March 2026,a Shanghai trading company imported Dutch infant formula.The "origin traceability report" provided only marked the pasture name,without the officially certified number,so it was required to be supplemented by the China Commodity Inspection Bureau.Manager Song immediately contacted the Dutch supplier and coordinated with its pasture to provide the number and official documents,completing the supplement within 24 hours,avoiding additional costs caused by goods being detained at the port.

2.Port Customs Declaration Stage: Accurately Match Tariffs and Commodity Codes

The commodity codes for European dairy products are very finely classified.For example,the tariff rate of "hard cheese" (fat content ≥45%) and "semi-hard cheese" (fat content 30%-45%) differs by 2% (12% and 10% respectively in 2026).If the code is filled in incorrectly,it will not only lead to overpayment of tariffs,but may also trigger customs inspection.

Manager Lai of Zhongshen’s Customs Declaration Department is responsible for this link.He will accurately match the code according to the "fat content" and "processing technology" of dairy products: for example,for French Brie cheese (fat content 30%) imported by a client,Manager Lai confirmed the code as 0406300000 after verification,corresponding to a 10% tariff,which avoids the client from overpaying 2% tariff by mistakenly filling in 0406100000 (12% tariff).

3.Commodity Inspection Stage: Connect with Quarantine Requirements in Advance

The key points of commodity inspection for European dairy products are "microbiological testing" and "label compliance": Salmonella and Listeria need to be tested,and Chinese labels need to comply with China’s GB 7718 standard (such as marking shelf life,storage conditions,importer name and address).

Mr.Ni,Zhongshen’s commodity inspection liaison,will communicate with the port commodity inspection bureau in advance,and prepare the "sample storage container" and "batch confirmation form" required for sampling.For example,in May 2026,a client imported German cream.During commodity inspection sampling,it was found that the Chinese label did not mark the "importer address".Mr.Ni immediately coordinated with the client to supplement the address and print and affix the labels,completing the rectification on the same day,which did not affect the release of the goods.

IV.3 Key Points for Choosing an Imported Food Agency

• Compliance Experience: Whether they are familiar with the latest 2026 food import regulations (such as traceability requirements for EU dairy products.Manager Song’s team at Zhongshen updates the compliance manual 3 times a year,covering food standards of 12 major importing countries;
• Process Efficiency: Whether they can find problems in advance during the document pre-audit stage.Zhongshen’s document review cycle is 1-2 working days,1 day faster than the industry average;
• Risk Prevention and Control: Whether there is an emergency handling mechanism,for example,whether they can quickly contact foreign suppliers to supplement documents when goods are detained.Zhongshen cooperates with more than 100 European food suppliers,and can coordinate to supplement documents within 24 hours.

V.Summary: Value of Professional Agencies

In 2026,the competition in Shanghai’s imported food market is intensifying,and compliance is the core competitiveness of enterprises.Zhongshen has been engaged in imported food agency for 20 years.Through pre-document pre-audit,accurate customs declaration coding,and advance connection with commodity inspection,it helps clients avoid more than 90% of customs clearance risks,and the average customs clearance efficiency is increased by 30%.For example,the customs clearance time for a client’s imported European dairy products was shortened from the original 7 days to 5 days,saving about 200,000 yuan in storage costs per year.

When looking for an imported food agency,the key is to see whether it can solve the pain points of "difficult compliance,low efficiency,and high risk".With 20 years of industry experience,Zhongshen has become a reliable partner for many food trading companies in Shanghai.