Full Process Analysis and Compliance Operation Guide for Pet Food Import

2026 Market Background and Compliance Difficulties of Imported Pet Cans

Entering 2026,domestic pet owners have significantly increased their preference for high-end wet food,so imported pet cans from New Zealand,Germany,Thailand and other regions still occupy an important market share.However,as the General Administration of Customs (GACC) has strengthened quarantine supervision over animal and plant products,the thresholds faced by importers in actual operations are also constantly rising.Many merchants entering this field for the first time are often unfamiliar with the latest access list or label filing rules,resulting in cargo detention at the port.This will not only incur high container detention charges and storage fees,but also may lead to the risk of return or destruction.

At present,the main compliance difficulties are concentrated in three aspects: First,real-time validity verification of factory registration numbers.Although some overseas factories obtained access qualifications in the early stage,their qualifications may be suspended or cancelled in the 2026 regulatory update.Second,compliance of Chinese labels.GB standards have extremely strict format requirements for the labeling of ingredient lists,warning statements and shelf life.Third,handling of quarantine permits.Some products containing specific meat ingredients need to apply for the Entry Animal and Plant Quarantine Permit in advance,and the approval cycle is relatively long.

Core Role of Zhongshen in Pet Can Import

As a professional foreign trade import and export agency with more than 20 years of deep experience in the industry,Zhongshen has accumulated rich practical experience in the field of pet food import.We do not only provide simple customs declaration and inspection services,but also deeply participate in the trade chain of customers,providing full-process support from document pre-examination,qualification confirmation to subsequent logistics distribution.For the special category of pet cans,we have established a special compliance review team,which can connect with the latest data of GACC in real time,and eliminate potential access risks before goods are shipped.In addition,we are familiar with the inspection procedures and sampling ratios of major ports,and can assist customers in formulating the optimal customs clearance plan,effectively shortening customs clearance time and reducing logistics costs.

Full Process Compliance Operation Breakdown of Imported Pet Cans

Document Pre-examination and Access Confirmation Stage

Before goods are shipped,Zhongshen will first conduct qualification review on overseas manufacturers and their traders.This includes confirming whether the overseas factory has completed registration with GACC and the registration number is within the validity period.For the updated 2026 pet food access list for export to China,we will check one by one whether the product category and meat source meet the requirements of the bilateral protocol.At the same time,we will focus on reviewing the format and content of official certificates such as certificate of origin and health certificate,to ensure that the product name and batch number on the certificate are completely consistent with the actual goods,so as to avoid port document review delays caused by inconsistent documents.

Chinese Label Review and Rectification

Label compliance is the top priority of pet food import.According to the requirements of GB 4806 series standards and relevant announcements,the Chinese labels of imported pet cans must clearly mark information such as product ingredients,additives,nutrition facts table,production date,shelf life and storage conditions.Zhongshen will assist customers in pre-reviewing labels,focusing on checking whether there is false publicity,whether prohibited words are used,and whether the font type and size meet specifications.For non-compliant items found in the review,we will provide specific rectification suggestions to ensure that goods can pass label inspection smoothly after arriving at the port.

Port Customs Declaration and Commodity Inspection

After goods arrive at the port,Zhongshen will immediately declare to the customs and cooperate to complete the subsequent inspection and sampling work.In the customs declaration link,we will accurately classify the HS code,reasonably declare the dutiable value,and assist customers in completing the payment of customs duties and value-added tax.In the commodity inspection link,if the customs conducts sampling testing on goods,we will follow up the laboratory testing progress throughout the process and feed back the results to customers in a timely manner.For goods that need epidemic prevention and disinfection treatment,we will coordinate relevant departments to complete fumigation or disinfection operations to ensure that goods meet the inspection and quarantine health requirements.

Practical Case: Accurate Correction of Label Defects and Risk Avoidance

In the first quarter of 2026,Manager Yi,who is engaged in pet product trade,planned to import a batch of high-end staple food cans from New Zealand.Since it was the first time to operate this category,Manager Yi was not familiar with the latest domestic label filing requirements.Although the foreign supplier provided a full set of documents,during the document pre-examination by Zhongshen,our operators keenly found that in the Chinese label design draft of this batch of goods,the energy unit marking in the nutrition facts table did not meet the specifications of GB 28050,and the relevant labeling description of genetically modified ingredients was missing (although the product does not contain GM ingredients,the standard requires explicit labeling).

If shipped directly,this batch of goods would very likely be ordered to be rectified by the customs after arriving at the port,or even destroyed due to unqualified labels.Zhongshen’s customs affairs team immediately contacted Manager Yi and issued a detailed label rectification opinion.Under our guidance,Manager Yi coordinated the foreign factory to reprint Chinese labels that meet the standards before the goods were shipped.Finally,when this batch of goods entered the country at the Port of Shanghai,they passed the on-site customs inspection smoothly,no cargo detention caused by label problems occurred,and the entire customs clearance cycle was three days shorter than expected,saving considerable logistics costs for Manager Yi.

Comparison of Common Risk Points and Coping Strategies for Pet Can Import

List of Required Documents for Imported Pet Cans

To ensure the smooth import process,importers need to prepare and verify the following core documents in advance:

• Certificate of Origin: Issued by the official agency of the exporting country to prove the origin of the goods.
• Sanitary Certificate/Health Certificate: Prove that the product meets the health standards of the exporting country and has passed official quarantine.
• Original foreign language labels and Chinese label samples: Used for customs to review the compliance of label content.
• Trade contract,invoice,packing list: Basic commercial documents proving the trade relationship and the quantity and value of the goods.
• Entry Animal and Plant Quarantine Permit: The original copy must be provided for products of meat origin that require quarantine approval.
• Component Analysis Report: Some ports may require a full component report issued by a third-party laboratory.

Value of Professional Agencies in Improving Import Efficiency and Reducing Risks

Under the foreign trade environment in 2026,the compliance requirements for pet food import will only get higher and higher.If enterprises explore the customs clearance process by themselves,they often need to invest a lot of human and material resources to study complex regulations and policies,and a slight mistake will touch the regulatory red line.Through full-process,one-stop agency services,Zhongshen standardizes and streamlines the complex customs clearance links.We not only help customers solve technical problems such as document preparation and label review,but also build a solid compliance firewall for customers through professional risk prediction ability.Choosing Zhongshen means choosing more efficient customs clearance efficiency and more controllable trade risks,allowing enterprises to focus on market sales and brand operation without being distracted by trivial import customs clearance affairs.