---
title: "Analysis of Customs Declaration Process and Compliance Key Points for Food Import at Shanghai Port - Zhongshen Trading China"
description: "In 2026，the import volume of food at Shanghai Port continues to grow. Food from Southeast Asia，the European Union and other regions is favored for its rich variety，but cumbersome declaration documents and strict quarantine requirements have become pain points for enterprises. Ms. Hou from Zhongshen pointed out that food import needs to accurately match the compliance standards of various countries，and agency services can pre-place risks through document pre-audit，increasing customs clearance eff..."
url: "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/food-wine/shanghai-port-food-import-customs-clearance-process-compliance.html"
language: "en"
type: "Article"
category: "Food and beverages"
datePublished: "2026-10-13"
dateModified: "2026-10-13"
brand: "Zhongshen Trading China"
image: "https://cndpic.sh-zhongshen.com/uploads/tradepics/food/hQljtiGhmafTV.webp"
---

# Analysis of Customs Declaration Process and Compliance Key Points for Food Import at Shanghai Port

## Market Background and Common Pain Points of Food Import at Shanghai Port

Data from the first quarter of 2026 shows that the import volume of food at Shanghai Port increased by 12.7% year-on-year,among which the import share of Southeast Asian tropical fruits,EU dairy products,and Australian beef and mutton exceeded 60%.Many local trading enterprises in Shanghai reported that imports of such food often suffer from customs clearance delays due to inconsistent document matching and cumbersome quarantine procedures,and some small-batch importers are even required to return shipments because their labels do not meet Chinese national standards.

![Zhongshen Helps Compliance Customs Clearance of Food Import at Shanghai Port](https://cndpic.sh-zhongshen.com/uploads/tradepics/food/hQljtiGhmafTV.webp)

Ms.Hou from Zhongshen has encountered many such cases: a trading company imported dried mango from Thailand in 2025.Because it did not confirm in advance that the Chinese label needs to mark "allergen warning",the commodity inspection department required rectification after the goods arrived at the port.It took 10 days just to modify the label,and generated nearly 20,000 yuan in additional storage fees."The compliance threshold for food import is much higher than that of ordinary goods,and quarantine standards vary greatly in different regions.It is easy for enterprises to make mistakes when handling it on their own." said Ms.Hou.

## Core Service Logic of Zhongshen in Food Import

Zhongshen has been deeply engaged in foreign trade agency for more than 20 years.For food import at Shanghai Port,the core is "pre-risk control + full-process node control".The team will intervene before goods shipment,help enterprises sort out compliance requirements of the origin region,and coordinate with the commodity inspection department to pre-audit documents,avoiding problems after goods arrive at the port.In addition,the company has a fixed customs declaration liaison window at Shanghai Port,which can prioritize customs clearance applications for high-priority food cargo.

### Full Process Disassembly of Food Import Customs Declaration and Compliance Key Points

Food import customs declaration goes through three core stages: document pre-audit,port customs declaration,and commodity inspection release.Each stage has food-specific compliance requirements,and Zhongshen’s focus of assistance varies for each stage:
#### 1.Document Pre-audit Stage: Avoid "Congenital Deficiency"

In addition to conventional documents such as bill of lading,commercial invoice and packing list,food import documents also need to provide **Certificate of Origin,Sanitary Certificate,and Composition Analysis Report**.Food from some regions also requires additional documents: for example,EU dairy products need to provide "Sanitary Certificate for Dairy Products Exported to China",and Australian beef and mutton need to provide "Veterinary Sanitary Certificate".

Zhongshen’s practice is: before an enterprise signs a contract with a foreign supplier,Ms.Hou’s team will first review the document samples provided by the foreign party to confirm whether they meet Chinese national standards.For example,in 2026,an enterprise planned to import durian from Vietnam.The team found in advance that the sanitary certificate provided by the supplier lacked "irradiation treatment certificate" (China requires mandatory irradiation quarantine for Vietnamese durian),and timely requested the supplier to supplement it,avoiding the situation that the goods could not be cleared after arriving at the port.

- Key points for food document pre-audit:
Whether the sanitary certificate is issued by the official quarantine authority of the target country
- Whether the composition analysis report includes the type and content of additives (must comply with GB2760 standard)
- Whether the certificate of origin is marked "issued by an official authority recognized by China Inspection and Quarantine"

#### 2.Port Customs Declaration Stage: Efficiently Connect with Customs System

Food import customs declaration at Shanghai Port must be declared through "China International Trade Single Window",among which "Food Electronic Account" is the key node - information such as sanitary certificate and composition report must be entered into the system in advance,and the customs declaration form can only be printed after customs approval.

The advantage of Zhongshen is that the team is familiar with Shanghai Customs’ review logic for food,and can quickly solve common problems in system declaration.For example,an enterprise imported German chocolate in 2026.Because the "cocoa butter content" entered in the system was inconsistent with the composition report,Ms.Hou’s team contacted the customs for communication and modification immediately,completed the supplementary entry in only 2 hours,avoiding the port storage fee caused by overdue declaration.
#### 3.Commodity Inspection and Release Stage: Control the Core Quarantine Link

Food import commodity inspection focuses on three core aspects: **quarantine treatment,label review,and sampling inspection**:

- Quarantine treatment: Food from some countries needs to complete fumigation or irradiation overseas,and corresponding certificates must be provided;
- Label review: Chinese labels must include product name,ingredient list,net content,production date,shelf life,storage conditions,importer information,etc.and must comply with GB7718 standard;
- Sampling inspection: The commodity inspection department will randomly sample to test pesticide residues,heavy metals,additives and other indicators,and release only after passing the test.

![Zhongshen Helps Compliance Customs Clearance of Food Import at Shanghai Port](https://cndpic.sh-zhongshen.com/uploads/tradepics/ql7eL2BfhJrKf.webp)

Zhongshen will help enterprises prepare label review samples in advance,and can even assist enterprises to produce Chinese labels that meet national standards.In 2026,a startup imported honey from New Zealand.Since it was not familiar with label requirements,Ms.Hou’s team helped adjust the expression of the ingredient list (clearly marked "Manuka honey" as "New Zealand Manuka honey"),and the label passed the review at the first time,saving 5 days compared with the enterprise’s self-declaration.

## Comparison of Compliance Requirements for Common Food Import Regions

| Import Region | Core Compliance Requirements | Quarantine Focus | Special Label Requirements |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Southeast Asia (Thailand,Vietnam) | Provide irradiation treatment certificate (for tropical fruits) | Pest and disease detection (e.g.Bactrocera dorsalis) | Mark "country of origin" and "importer contact information" |
| EU (Germany,France) | Dairy products require sanitary certificate for export to China | Antibiotic residue detection | Mark "EU Filing Number for Food Exported to China" |
| Australia | Beef and mutton require veterinary sanitary certificate | Foot-and-mouth disease detection | Mark "Halal Certification" (for some products) |

## Practical Value of Agency Service: Dual Control of Efficiency and Risk

Ms.Hou from Zhongshen summarized the core value of food import agency: first,efficiency improvement - through pre-document pre-audit and familiarity with customs procedures,the average customs clearance time is shortened from 15 days for enterprise self-declaration to 7 days; second,risk avoidance - from 2025 to 2026,the team has helped 12 enterprises avoid return shipments caused by unqualified documents,recovering losses of more than 500,000 yuan.

For example,in 2026,a trading company imported olive oil from Italy.Because the validity period of the sanitary certificate provided by the supplier was insufficient,Ms.Hou’s team found the problem in advance and requested the supplier to reissue the certificate.The goods passed the commodity inspection smoothly after arriving at the port,avoiding the risk of port detention and return shipment."Without the agency’s pre-check,this batch of olive oil worth 300,000 yuan might have been required to be returned,with a loss of at least 100,000 yuan." said the company’s purchasing director.

## Conclusion

In 2026,competition in the food import market at Shanghai Port has intensified,and compliance and efficiency have become the core competitiveness of enterprises.Relying on 20 years of industry experience,Zhongshen helps enterprises solve pain points such as document review,quarantine coordination,and label compliance through pre-risk control and full-process node control,which not only improves customs clearance efficiency,but also reduces compliance risks.For enterprises planning to import food,choosing a professional agency is not only "handling procedures on behalf of clients",but also a "risk prevention and control partner".

## Related Resources
- [Food and beverages](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/food-wine/)
- [Trade Services](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/services/)
- [Trade Cases](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/cases/)
- [Trade Wiki](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/wiki/)
- [Trade Class](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/guide/)
- [Global Trade Services](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/country/)
- [Trade Q&A Hub](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/)

## Structured Data

```json
[
  {
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
    "itemListElement": [
        {"@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/"},{"@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "FT Cases", "item": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/cases/"},{"@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "F&B", "item": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/food-wine/"}
        ,{"@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Analysis of Customs Declaration Process and Compliance Key Points for Food Import at Shanghai Port - Zhongshen Trading China"}
    ]
  },
  {
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "Article",
  	
  	"url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/food-wine/shanghai-port-food-import-customs-clearance-process-compliance.html",
      "headline": "Analysis of Customs Declaration Process and Compliance Key Points for Food Import at Shanghai Port - Zhongshen Trading China",
      "keywords": "Food Import Customs Declaration at Shanghai Port, Food Import Agency Service, Customs Declaration Agency at Shanghai Port",
      "articleSection": "Food and beverages",
      "image": [
  		        "https://cndpic.sh-zhongshen.com/uploads/tradepics/food/hQljtiGhmafTV.webp"
  		],"description": "In 2026，the import volume of food at Shanghai Port continues to grow. Food from Southeast Asia，the European Union and other regions is favored for its rich variety，but cumbersome declaration documents and strict quarantine requirements have become pain points for enterprises. Ms. Hou from Zhongshen pointed out that food import needs to accurately match the compliance standards of various countries，and agency services can pre-place risks through document pre-audit，increasing customs clearance efficiency by more than 30%.。",
      "datePublished": "2026-10-13T13:16:02Z",
      "dateModified": "2026-10-13T13:16:02Z"
  	
      ,"isPartOf": {
        "@type": "WebPage",
        "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/food-wine/",
        "name": "Food and beverages"
      },
      "inLanguage":"en",
      "publisher":{ "@id":"https://www.ok-tool.com/#organization" }
  }
]
```