Delays in Food Import at Qingdao Port? Agency Services Solve Quarantine and Customs Declaration Issues

Food Import at Qingdao Port: Common Pain Points for Categories Such as Chilean Cherries

As the core food import port in northern China in 2026,Qingdao Port recorded a total imported food value of 12.6 billion yuan in the first 10 months,up 18% year-on-year,with Chilean cherries,New Zealand infant formula and Australian red wine accounting for more than 60% of the total.However,many trading enterprises reported that they often fell into traps due to compliance details when importing these foods: for example,an enterprise importing cherries from Chile did not know that the 2026 registration number of the overseas manufacturer had been updated,so the commodity inspection authority required supplementary materials after the goods arrived at the port,and the goods were detained in the cold storage for 3 days,leading to deterioration of some cherries.Another enterprise importing New Zealand milk powder was directly returned because the labeled "DHA content" in the nutrition fact table was lower than the lower limit of the national GB 28050 standard.These problems not only delay the time to market,but also may cause economic losses.

Zhongshen: Core Support for Food Import at Qingdao Port

As a team with over 20 years of in-depth experience in foreign trade agency,Zhongshen has established a full-process service system of "pre-audit,fast declaration,dedicated follow-up" based on the characteristics of food import at Qingdao Port.The team assigns special personnel to connect with Qingdao Port customs brokers,commodity inspection authorities and customs,and can synchronize the latest 2026 compliance requirements as soon as possible,such as updates to the registration list of overseas food manufacturers and new specifications for Chinese labels,to help enterprises avoid common risks.Last year,Zhongshen assisted enterprises in Qingdao and surrounding areas to complete import of more than 300 containers of food,with customs clearance efficiency 35% higher than the industry average.

Core Processes and Compliance Requirements for Food Import at Qingdao Port

Different from ordinary cargo,food import requires focus on two core points: "document compliance" and "quarantine qualification".Zhongshen divides the process into three stages,and solves the unique problems of food import targeted at each stage:

1.Document Pre-audit Stage: Avoid Registration and Labeling Risks in Advance

In 2026,Qingdao Port has further refined the review requirements for food import documents,and the core compliance points include:

• Overseas manufacturers must be included in the Registration List of Overseas Food Manufacturers for Import to China issued by the General Administration of Customs,and their registration numbers must be consistent with the latest 2026 update (320 new enterprises have been added this year,and 180 non-compliant enterprises have been removed from the list)
• The health certificate must be issued by the official quarantine authority of the exporting country,and must be marked with the note "Compliant with Chinese food safety standards"
• For pre-packaged food,samples of Chinese labels must be provided,and the nutrition fact table must strictly comply with the GB 28050 standard (units and values must be accurate)

Zhongshen’s operation procedure: after the enterprise signs the agency contract,document pre-audit is launched immediately,and the enterprise is required to submit all materials 10 days in advance.Last November,a trading company in Qingdao planned to import 15 containers of New Zealand infant formula.During the pre-audit,Manager Hou found that the overseas registration certificate provided by the enterprise was the 2025 version,while the factory’s registration number had been updated in 2026.Manager Hou immediately contacted the enterprise to coordinate with the local factory in New Zealand to supplement the latest registration certificate,and synchronized the latest requirements of the commodity inspection authority at the same time,avoiding cargo return after arrival at the port.

2.Port Customs Declaration Stage: Rapid Response to the New "Two-step Declaration" Rule

In 2026,Qingdao Port fully implements the "two-step declaration" rule,but due to quarantine requirements,food cargo needs to submit complete quarantine information in the first step of "summary declaration" (ordinary cargo only needs to submit basic information).In addition,Qingdao Port requires that the full cold chain temperature monitoring report be uploaded simultaneously for refrigerated food such as cherries.

Zhongshen’s operation procedure: complete the declaration through the single window 1 day before the cargo arrives at the port,upload quarantine materials and cold chain reports simultaneously during the "summary declaration" link,and the customs broker connects with Qingdao Port customs brokers in advance to ensure the accuracy of the declaration information.Last December,an enterprise importing Chilean cherries had its declaration directly rejected by the system because the "refrigeration temperature requirement" was not filled in the first step of declaration.Manager Yao immediately supplemented the information and coordinated with the customs broker to open a green channel,completing the re-declaration in only 2 hours and avoiding cargo detention in the cold storage.

3.Commodity Inspection Stage: Focus on Sampling and Label Verification

The sampling ratio for imported food by the Qingdao Port commodity inspection authority is 1%,and the key testing indicators vary by category.A new "label authenticity verification" link was added in 2026,which requires checking the consistency between Chinese labels and original labels.The specific requirements are as follows:

Zhongshen’s operation procedure: assign special personnel to follow up the whole process of commodity inspection,and feedback preliminary results within 24 hours after sampling.If correction is required,such as label modification,immediately coordinate with the enterprise to print new labels and synchronize with the commodity inspection authority for fast review.Last October,an enterprise importing Australian red wine was found to have a blurred "bottling date" mark on the Chinese label during sampling.Ms.Huang coordinated with the enterprise to reprint the labels,and completed the correction in only 2 days,avoiding cargo destruction.

Practical Case: Key to Completing Customs Clearance for Chilean Cherries in 3 Days

At the end of 2025,a trading company in Qingdao planned to import 10 containers of Chilean cherries,aiming to launch them before the 2026 New Year’s Day.The goods were scheduled to arrive at the port on December 20,and normal customs clearance would take 5 days,which might cause the company to miss the best sales period.After Manager Hou from Zhongshen took over the case,he took three measures:

• Conducted document pre-audit 15 days in advance,confirmed that the registration number of the Chilean factory was the latest 2026 version,and simultaneously required the enterprise to provide the full cold chain temperature monitoring report
• Completed single window declaration 1 day before the cargo arrived at the port,uploaded quarantine materials and cold chain report simultaneously,and coordinated with Qingdao Port customs brokers to open the green channel in advance
• Obtained the qualification report within 24 hours after commodity inspection sampling,immediately arranged cargo pick-up,and completed the whole customs clearance process in only 3 days

Finally,the enterprise’s cherries were successfully launched before New Year’s Day,1 day earlier than originally planned.Due to the early launch and good quality,the selling price per jin was 2 yuan higher than that of peers,and the 10 containers of cherries brought an extra profit of 200,000 yuan.

Conclusion: Professional Agencies Make Food Import More Worry-free

In 2026,the compliance requirements for food import at Qingdao Port continue to be upgraded,and it is very difficult for enterprises to grasp all details in time on their own.With 20 years of industry experience,Zhongshen can predict risks in advance and respond to requirements quickly,helping enterprises improve customs clearance efficiency by more than 30% and avoid the risk of return or destruction caused by document errors and unqualified quarantine.For enterprises that want to import food through Qingdao Port,choosing a professional agency can not only save time costs,but also ensure that the goods enter the domestic market smoothly.