Imported Pet Food Agency: Solving Dual Challenges of Quarantine Approval and Label Compliance

Imported Pet Food: 2026 Market Access Threshold and Operation Practice

In 2026,the scale of China’s domestic pet economy exceeds 300 billion yuan,and the share of imported pet food is increasing year by year.Freeze-dried products from New Zealand,staple food from Canada,and snacks from Thailand have become hot-selling categories on e-commerce platforms.Behind the impressive data,importers face a completely different reality: one shipment was detained by customs due to incorrect taurine content labeling,and another cannot be declared because the overseas factory registration number has expired.These are not isolated cases,but the norm of pet food import.

In the past five years,Zhongshen has handled more than 200 batches of imported pet food business,covering all categories from staple food to snacks,from canned products to freeze-dried products.Our core insight is: such products are not ordinary pre-packaged food,but special commodities under the dual supervision of customs and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.A negligence in one link may lead to return or destruction of the entire batch of goods.

Document Pre-Audit: Solve Problems Before Shipment

Most importers believe that customs declaration and inspection only start after goods arrive at the port.This misunderstanding leads to a large number of problems breaking out at the port.Zhongshen’s operation logic is to complete all document and compliance review before overseas suppliers ship the goods.

Registration Verification of Overseas Manufacturers

According to the latest 2026 "Administrative Measures for Inspection,Quarantine and Supervision of Imported Pet Food",production enterprises must obtain registration from the General Administration of Customs.This registration number is not permanent and requires regular update.Zhongshen has built a dynamic database to track the status of registered enterprises in major source countries.Last year,a Shanghai e-commerce client we served planned to import a batch of cat food from Italy.We checked in advance and found that the factory’s registration qualification would expire one week before the goods arrived at the port.We notified the supplier to suspend shipment in time,avoiding the dilemma of being unable to declare after the goods arrived.

Pre-Audit of Product Formula and Ingredients

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has strict restrictions on pet food ingredients.Some additives allowed in the EU may be prohibited in China.Zhongshen requires customers to provide a complete formula table and check it item by item against the "Catalog of Feed Additive Varieties".There was a case that an American dog food brand contained rosemary extract,and the customer thought it was a natural ingredient and did not need to declare.We found that the extract has a limit requirement in the catalog,and finally assisted the customer to adjust the declaration method.

Pre-Audit of Chinese Label

Label problem is the factor that leads to the highest inspection rate.The new regulation implemented in 2026 requires that pet food labels must mark information including raw material composition,additive content,applicable dog and cat types,shelf life and other information.Zhongshen provides label pre-audit service and checks word by word against the "Regulations on Pet Feed Labels".Early last year,our client Mr.Yu imported a batch of freeze-dried snacks from Canada,and the original label did not mark "crude fat" content.We found it in advance and asked the supplier to reprint the Chinese label.The goods cleared smoothly after arriving at the port,and the inspection time was shortened to two working days.

Port Customs Declaration: Accurate Filling and Tax Optimization

After document pre-audit is passed,goods arrive at the port and enter the customs declaration link.Pet food involves multiple HS codes,and different codes have significantly different tariff rates.Zhongshen’s customs declaration team will select the most matching code according to product ingredients,processing technology and packaging specifications.For example,the tax rate difference between canned staple food and canned snacks can reach 5 percentage points.

The accuracy of customs declaration filling directly affects the probability of inspection.We detail the brand,specification,applicable pet type and other information in the declaration elements to ensure that they are completely consistent with the supporting documents.In 2026,customs strengthened the verification of the authenticity of price declaration.Zhongshen assists customers to prepare complete pricing basis,including purchase contracts,payment certificates,and logistics cost details,effectively responding to customs price inquiries.

Commodity Inspection: On-Site Coordination and Sampling Testing

Pet food is a legally inspected commodity and must go through the commodity inspection procedure.Zhongshen’s experience is that on-site coordination determines inspection efficiency.We arrange personnel to be on site in advance,assist customs inspectors to check cargo information,and quickly respond to requirements for supplementary materials.

Key Points of Sampling Testing

The commodity inspection department will sample a certain proportion of goods and send them to the laboratory for testing.Testing items include heavy metals,salmonella,aflatoxin and other health indicators,as well as label compliance verification.Zhongshen has established a management specification for submitted samples to ensure that the sampling process meets procedural requirements,avoiding re-inspection caused by sample contamination or wrong labeling.

In 2026,customs implements risk-based hierarchical management for imported pet food.Zhongshen predicts the inspection probability based on customers’ historical import records and product risk levels.For first-time imported products,we will recommend customers to purchase inspection and quarantine insurance to reduce potential economic losses.

Case Study: Mr.Yu’s Thai Pet Snack Import Project

Mr.Yu runs a chain of pet supplies stores in Shanghai.In early 2026,he planned to import a batch of canned cat snacks from Thailand.When he first contacted us,he provided product materials from the supplier and thought the procedures were simple.After Zhongshen took over,we found multiple potential risk points.

First,the registration status of this Thai factory on the official website of the General Administration of Customs showed "suspended".We immediately notified Mr.Yu to suspend payment,and assisted in contacting the supplier to verify the situation.It turned out that the factory failed to submit annual review materials on time due to the pandemic,and the registration status was temporarily frozen.After two weeks of communication and coordination,the factory completed rectification and restored its registration.

Second,the original product label was marked with the word "natural" but did not provide proof of specific ingredient ratio.According to the 2026 "Administrative Measures for Pet Feed Labels","natural" claims need to meet specific requirements.We assisted Mr.Yu to communicate with the supplier and adjusted the label expression.

The goods finally arrived at the port smoothly in March 2026,and it only took four days from declaration to release.Mr.Yu subsequently entrusted his full-year import plan to Zhongshen,and currently the average monthly import volume is stable at 10 containers.

Core Risk Points and Avoidance Strategies

Based on five years of practical experience,Zhongshen summarizes three top high-frequency risk points for pet food import:

• Overseas factory registration qualification becomes invalid.Avoidance strategy: establish a dynamic monitoring mechanism,and re-check 72 hours before shipment.
• Ingredients do not meet domestic standards.Avoidance strategy: obtain the formula table in advance and check item by item against the catalog.
• Label information is missing or incorrect.Avoidance strategy: provide label templates and require suppliers to print according to specifications.

In addition,the new animal-derived ingredient traceability requirement added in 2026 puts forward higher standards for pet food containing meat.Zhongshen assists customers to prepare supplementary materials such as raw material source certificates and processing flow charts to ensure compliance with customs regulatory requirements.

Value of Agency Service

Pet food import is not simple logistics transportation,but a systematic project running through compliance,customs declaration,commodity inspection and warehousing.The value of Zhongshen lies in integrating scattered links into a standardized process.What we provide is not only customs declaration filling,but also full-process control from front-end supplier qualification verification to back-end distribution.

In 2026,the update frequency of customs regulatory policies has accelerated,and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs issues risk warnings irregularly.Zhongshen has set up a special policy research position to track regulatory changes in real time and adjust operation plans in time.This professional ability is converted into actual benefits for customers: average customs clearance time is shortened by 40%,and abnormal inspection rate is reduced to less than 5%.

For enterprises entering imported pet food business for the first time,Zhongshen provides pre-consultation and scheme design services.We customize personalized operation schemes according to customers’ product type,source country and sales channel.This pre-service prevents customers from taking detours and saves trial and error costs.

As a major entry port for imported pet food,Shanghai continues to strengthen supervision.Relying on local operation experience,Zhongshen maintains good communication channels with port authorities.When encountering difficult problems,we can respond quickly and find solutions.This localized advantage is unmatched by non-local agents.

Competition in the imported pet food market is ultimately competition between supply chain efficiency and compliance capability.With 20 years of foreign trade service experience,Zhongshen converts complex import processes into executable standardized operations.Customers do not need to study tedious regulatory documents,nor deal with unexpected inspection problems,and can focus on market development and brand building.

In the 2026 import environment,compliance requirements will only become stricter.Choosing professional agency service does not increase cost,but is an inevitable choice to reduce risk and improve efficiency.Zhongshen is willing to be a reliable partner for customers in this field.