Temporary Imported Food Agency: Full-Process Compliance Customs Clearance Solutions

Background and Common Difficulties of Temporary Food Import

The number of international exhibitions and events held in Shanghai in 2026 increased by 18% compared to last year,and the import demand for temporary food used for exhibition display and event supply has also increased simultaneously.Most of these foods come from regions such as Europe and Southeast Asia,covering categories such as baked goods,specialty beverages,ready-to-eat snacks,etc.However,the special nature of temporary food has caused many enterprises to encounter numerous difficulties during import:

• Large differences in quarantine standards across countries: for example,the EU requires temporary food to provide the official "Temporary Import Quarantine Certificate" from the origin country,while some Southeast Asian countries require a supplementary "Food Ingredient Safety Statement";
• Temporary import requires special filing,and some enterprises lack documents due to unfamiliarity with the procedures;
• High requirements for customs clearance timeliness,delays in exhibition or event schedules may cause additional losses;
• Warehousing must meet the special conditions for temporary food,such as cold chain requirements,and return space must be reserved.

Core Role of Zhongshen in Temporary Food Import

In view of the pain points of temporary food import,Zhongshen,relying on more than 20 years of foreign trade agency experience,provides enterprises with full-process services from document pre-examination to write-off and return.The core role is reflected in three aspects: first,accurately connect with the quarantine compliance requirements of different countries to avoid return caused by non-compliant standards; second,pre-examine documents in advance to shorten customs clearance time; third,coordinate warehousing and transportation resources to meet the special storage requirements of temporary food.

Process Breakdown and Compliance Handling of Temporary Food Import

Comparison of Compliance Requirements Between Temporary Food and General Trade Food

1.Document Pre-examination Stage

In addition to conventional bills of lading,invoices and packing lists,documents for temporary food import also require the "Temporary Import Food Filing Form" (which needs to be applied to the customs in advance),the "Quarantine Qualification Certificate" issued by the origin country’s official authority (which needs to mark the purpose of "temporary import"),and the food ingredient analysis report (for pre-packaged foods).Some countries also require the "Temperature Record Certificate During Transportation" (for refrigerated foods).

Zhongshen’s assistance method: After the enterprise submits the information of the intended imported food,Zhongshen’s document team will compare the quarantine requirements of the target country and list the missing document list.For example,last year,an exhibition company (connected by Ms.Su) planned to import temporary baked goods from Germany.Due to the failure to prepare the "Temporary Import Filing Form" in advance,Zhongshen assisted it to complete the customs filing within 3 working days,and also checked whether the quarantine certificate issued by the German official authority complied with China’s latest standards,avoiding delays caused by invalid certificates.

2.Port Customs Declaration Stage

Two core compliance points need to be noted for temporary food customs declaration: first,the declaration purpose must clearly mark "Temporary Import (For Exhibition/Event)" and must not be vaguely marked as "General Trade Import"; second,a temporary import security deposit (amounting to 10%-30% of the cargo value,adjusted according to food categories) needs to be paid,and the deposit can be applied for refund after the cargo is returned.

Zhongshen’s assistance method: The customs declaration team is familiar with the temporary food declaration procedures of various ports in Shanghai and can prioritize the declaration channel.For example,an event supplier (connected by Ms.He) imported temporary sports drinks from Japan.Due to the unclear marking of the declaration purpose,Zhongshen assisted it to supplement the "Event Organizer Certificate" and completed the customs declaration in only 1 working day,which is 40% shorter than the conventional process.

3.Commodity Inspection Stage

The commodity inspection requirements for temporary food focus more on "purpose compliance" and "safe and rapid testing": first,it is necessary to confirm whether the food is used for the specified temporary event and must not be used for other purposes; second,for high-risk categories (such as dairy products,meat products),on-site rapid testing (such as total bacterial count,heavy metal residues) is required; third,it is necessary to provide the "Temporary Food Usage Plan" to clarify the usage time,location and quantity.

Zhongshen’s assistance method: Communicate with the commodity inspection department in advance and coordinate the rapid testing channel.For example,an importer (connected by General Qu) imported temporary fruit products from Thailand.Worried that the commodity inspection delay would affect the exhibition,Zhongshen submitted the "Usage Plan" and samples in advance,and the commodity inspection department completed the testing within 24 hours after the cargo arrived at the port to ensure on-time participation in the exhibition.

4.Warehousing and Write-off & Return Stage

The warehousing of temporary food needs to meet the following requirements: first,refrigerated food must be stored in a dedicated cold storage at 0-4℃,and temperature changes must be recorded; second,goods must be stored separately and must not be mixed with general trade food; third,when writing off,materials such as "Return Bill of Lading" and "Security Deposit Refund Application Form" need to be provided.

Zhongshen’s assistance method: Provide dedicated temporary food warehouses in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone,equipped with a real-time temperature monitoring system.For example,an enterprise (connected by Mr.Ouyang) imported temporary chocolate products from Spain.During storage,when the warehouse temperature was abnormal,the system automatically alerted,and Zhongshen coordinated adjustments in time to avoid food spoilage.During the write-off stage,Zhongshen assisted in organizing return materials and completed the security deposit refund within 7 working days after the cargo was returned.

Actual Case: Risk Avoidance for Exhibition Temporary Food Import

Before the 2025 Shanghai International Food Exhibition,an exhibitor (connected by Director Xiang) planned to import temporary high-end chocolate products from France,but failed to notice the latest revised format requirements of the French "Temporary Food Quarantine Certificate",and the submitted certificate did not meet China’s commodity inspection standards.Zhongshen discovered the problem during the document pre-examination stage,immediately assisted it to contact the French origin official authority to reissue a certificate that met the requirements,and also coordinated the customs to conduct pre-examination in advance.Finally,the cargo arrived at the port 3 days before the exhibition,avoiding exhibition delay.If the problem was not discovered in time,the exhibitor would not only lose the exhibition opportunity but also bear additional costs such as booth fees.

Summary: Professional Agency Improves Import Efficiency and Compliance

Due to the special purpose,high timeliness requirements and detailed compliance requirements of temporary food import,enterprises are prone to problems such as missing documents and non-compliant quarantine when operating by themselves.Zhongshen provides full-process agency services from document pre-examination to write-off and return,accurately connecting with the special requirements of each link.It can not only shorten customs clearance time by more than 30% but also effectively avoid more than 90% of compliance risks.For enterprises in Shanghai and surrounding areas,choosing a professional import agency is the key to ensuring the smooth import of temporary food.