Grocery Export Meets Customs Clearance Problems? Frontline Agents Solve Like This

Core Pain Points and Root Cause Analysis of Grocery Export

In March 2026,Mr.Tang from a Shanghai-based grocery manufacturer shipped a batch of custom organic cookies to Hamburg,Germany.The cookies were labeled with EU organic certification numbers,but during customs clearance,the German customs requested a supplementary "Food Contact Materials Migration Test Report".Mr.Tang’s team only prepared domestic test reports and failed to notice that the EU updated its migration limit standard in 2025 (reduced from 0.05mg/kg to 0.01mg/kg).As a result,the goods were detained at the port for 3 days,incurring 1,200 euros in container detention fees,and almost missed the shelf schedule with German supermarket chains.Mr.Tang said: "I consulted several agents at that time but got no clear solution,until I found Zhongshen to solve the problem."

Based on feedback from hundreds of grocery export enterprises,the core industry pain points are concentrated in 4 aspects:

• Significant differences and frequent updates of customs policies across countries (e.g.EU upgraded food contact material standards in 2025,Australia strengthened organic grocery traceability requirements in 2026),making it difficult for enterprises to stay updated;
• Unstable temperature-controlled logistics,with cargo damage rate exceeding 8% for sensitive goods such as chocolate and dairy products,far higher than the industry average;
• Cumbersome export tax refund procedures: enterprises that declare on their own need to connect with multiple departments such as tax authorities and banks,with an average cycle of up to 2 months;
• High document error rate: about 60% of customs delays are caused by bills of lading and test reports that do not meet the requirements of the destination country.

4 Major Solutions of Zhongshen for Grocery Export

Solution 1: Pre-research of Destination Country Policies + Document Pre-review to Avoid Customs Delays

What it is: Zhongshen has established a policy database covering more than 30 major global markets,pre-researches the latest customs requirements of the destination country before shipment,and conducts 100% pre-review of all documents.

Why it works: Grocery is a specially regulated category,and the requirements of various countries on food contact materials,shelf life and certification labels vary greatly.In 2026,some domestic enterprises still use the old standards for the EU’s updated migration test standards,which directly leads to customs rejection.Policy pre-research locks the differences,and pre-review avoids format/parameter errors.

How to implement:

• Enterprises submit cargo information (category,destination,certification status,etc.) 5 working days in advance;
• Zhongshen’s policy team will feedback the latest requirements of the destination country (e.g.EU REACH certification,Japanese JAS label) within 24 hours;
• After the initial draft of documents is submitted,the team will review it within 1 working day,mark the errors and provide modification suggestions;
• After confirmation,synchronize the customs clearance information with the destination country agent for advance filing.

In Mr.Tang’s case,Zhongshen supplemented the report complying with EU standards within 1 working day,coordinated with the German agent to communicate with the customs in advance,and the goods completed customs clearance on the 4th day without affecting the shelf schedule.

Solution 2: Customized Temperature-controlled Logistics Solutions to Reduce Cargo Damage Rate

What it is: For chocolate,dairy products,frozen foods,provide customized solutions of "active cold chain box + real-time temperature monitoring + rapid customs clearance at destination port".

Why it works: Ordinary cold chain often leads to cargo damage rate exceeding 8% due to "insufficient insulation of passive cold chain boxes","midway temperature fluctuations" and "customs clearance delays".Active cold chain boxes can accurately control temperature (adjustable from -18℃ to 25℃),monitor abnormal warnings in real time,and avoid port detention through rapid customs clearance.

How to implement:

• Determine temperature control requirements according to the cargo category (e.g.18℃-22℃ for chocolate,below -18℃ for frozen dumplings);
• Select matching cold chain boxes (active type for long-distance transportation,passive type for short-distance transportation);
• Install GPS + temperature sensors to synchronize data to the logistics monitoring system in real time;
• Coordinate the destination port customs clearance window in advance to ensure customs clearance and delivery within 4 hours after arrival.

Since 2026,this solution has helped more than 120 enterprises reduce their cargo damage rate to below 1.2%,and some enterprises have achieved zero cargo damage.

Solution 3: Full-process Agency for Export Tax Refund,Speeding up by 15 Working Days

What it is: Provide full-process agency services including "material collection + electronic declaration + progress tracking + arrival notification",covering all links from obtaining customs declaration forms to receiving tax refund funds.

Why it works: After the 2026 tax system upgrade,12 documents (customs declaration electronic data,VAT invoices,etc.) are required for tax refund.Enterprises that declare on their own need to assign special personnel to connect with multiple departments,with a cycle of 2 months.Zhongshen’s team is familiar with the policies,with a declaration pass rate of 99%,and the cycle is shortened to within 15 working days.

How to implement:

• Enterprises provide basic materials (business license,customs declaration form,VAT invoice,etc.);
• The tax refund team completes material review and organization within 3 working days;
• Declare through the electronic tax bureau and track the tax audit progress synchronously;
• Notify the enterprise and provide vouchers within 24 hours after the tax refund funds arrive.

Mr.Wen,a supervisor from a dairy enterprise,commented: "Previously,I had to make 3 trips to the tax bureau for self-declaration,and the cycle took more than 2 months.Now entrusted to Zhongshen,the funds arrived in 12 days,saving a lot of manpower."

Solution 4: Full Follow-up by Destination Country Agents to Resolve Emergencies

What it is: Zhongshen has cooperative agents in 15 major markets including the EU,Southeast Asia and Australia,and follows up the entire customs clearance process to handle emergencies (such as customs inspection,document supplementation) in a timely manner.

Why it works: Grocery customs clearance often encounters situations such as "random inspection" and "temporary document supplementation".Enterprises located in China cannot respond in a timely manner,while destination country agents can communicate on-site to avoid delays.In 2026,a company’s exported juice was inspected due to blurry labels,and the agent supplemented the electronic label on the same day without affecting delivery.

How to implement:

• Confirm the customs clearance process with the destination country agent before shipment;
• After the goods arrive at the port,the agent will connect with the customs to submit documents immediately;
• In case of emergencies,the agent will communicate on-site and feedback solutions;
• Synchronize the delivery progress to the enterprise after customs clearance is completed.

Comparison of Differences Between Enterprise Self-operation and Entrusting Zhongshen

Required Document List for Grocery Export

Regardless of self-operation or entrusting an agent,the following documents are required for grocery export:

• Commodity Inspection Clearance Form (must pass domestic commodity inspection and meet export standards);
• Food Contact Materials Test Report (must comply with destination country standards,e.g.EU REACH,US FDA);
• Destination country certification documents (e.g.EU organic certification for organic food,Japanese JAS certification);
• Packing list,commercial invoice,bill of lading (must match the cargo information);
• Foreign exchange receipt voucher (for export tax refund declaration).

In 2026,the grocery foreign trade market is highly competitive,and enterprises need to balance product quality and process efficiency.Zhongshen has been deeply engaged in the industry for over 20 years,and can provide enterprises with full-process solutions to help reduce costs,improve efficiency,and gain an advantage in the international market.