Full Process of Thailand Biscuit Import Agency: Practical Guide from Documents to Customs Clearance

Market Background and Operational Difficulties of Thailand Biscuit Imports

In 2026,Southeast Asian food import volumes continue to rise.Thailand biscuits,with their natural ingredients and diverse flavors,hold a stable share in the Chinese snack market.In actual operations,importers often face three major bottlenecks: First,the format of sanitary certificates provided by Thai factories has minor differences from the requirements of Chinese customs,leading to requests for corrections; Second,plant-derived ingredients such as coconut oil and citronella added to biscuits require additional phytosanitary certificates; Third,compliance of pre-packaged food labels,especially allergen information labeling,with the 2026 new regulations requiring separate listing of nut and dairy ingredients.Any oversight in these links may result in goods being detained at the port and incurring additional storage fees.

Core Role of Zhongshen in Thailand Biscuit Imports

The Zhongshen team has undertaken Thai food import business since 2006,with a cumulative total of over 800 biscuit clearance operations.Its core role is reflected in three aspects: Early intervention in document review to identify and correct certificate issues before the Thai factory ships the goods; Real-time connection with the inspection dynamics of the three major ports of Shanghai,Guangzhou,and Tianjin to flexibly choose the optimal customs clearance path; Establish a rapid testing channel with laboratories,reducing the microbial testing cycle from the conventional 7 working days to 4 working days.This proactive service model controls the overall customs clearance lead time to 12-15 working days,3-5 days faster than the industry average.

Full Process Breakdown of Thailand Biscuit Imports

1.Document Pre-Audit and Compliance Confirmation

The documents for Thailand biscuit imports include five core documents: certificate of origin,sanitary certificate,composition analysis report,date of production certificate,and label sample.After receiving the customer’s email,Zhongshen will activate a three-level review mechanism: First level: Check whether the certificate header,product name,and weight information match the actual goods; Second level: Check whether the sanitary certificate includes the official seal and anti-counterfeiting code of the Thai Food and Drug Administration (Thai FDA); Third level: Focus on reviewing whether the ingredient list contains food additives prohibited in China,such as some artificial colorants.The 2026 new requirement states that all biscuits containing palm oil must provide a copy of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification,otherwise they cannot pass the green trade channel.

• Certificate of Origin: Must show the specific name and address of the Thai factory,not just "Bangkok Metropolitan Region"
• Sanitary Certificate: Must clearly state "Suitable for Human Consumption",and the issuance date must not exceed 90 days before the arrival date
• Label Pre-Review: Chinese labels must be filed in advance,and the values of the nutritional composition table must be exactly the same as the Thai version

2.Port Customs Declaration and Tax Calculation

The key to the customs declaration process is accurate classification.Depending on their ingredients,Thailand biscuits may be classified under two tariff codes: 1905.31 (sweet biscuits) or 1905.90 (other baked goods),with a 2 percentage point difference in tax rates.Zhongshen’s standard practice is to request the customer to provide a complete formula during the document review stage to confirm whether the sugar content exceeds 10%,thereby enabling accurate classification.In 2026,customs have increased enforcement of underreported prices,so we will assist customers in organizing three sets of price documents: purchase contracts,payment receipts,and freight invoices from the Thai factory,to build a complete evidence chain.Regarding taxes and fees,in addition to 9%-13% customs duty and 13% value-added tax (VAT),some biscuits with chocolate coatings also require a 10% consumption tax,a cost often overlooked by new importers.

3.Commodity Inspection and Laboratory Testing

Commodity inspection is the most uncertain link in Thailand biscuit imports.Inspection methods are divided into three types: machine inspection,physical unpacking inspection,and laboratory testing.Machine inspection mainly checks whether the quantity matches the declaration; physical inspection will randomly check packaging integrity and label compliance; laboratory testing involves three core indicators: microbial,heavy metal,and additive.Zhongshen has established long-term cooperation with SGS and China Inspection Group,allowing advance booking of testing time slots.In 2026,Thailand’s extended rainy season has increased the risk of aflatoxin in biscuit raw materials,and customs have raised the sampling rate for peanut-flavored and coconut-flavored biscuits from 10% to 30%.Our response strategy is to request the Thai factory to provide third-party test reports for raw material batches before shipment,as supporting evidence for customs laboratory testing,effectively reducing the probability of re-inspection.

Unique Compliance Requirements and Risk Avoidance for Thailand Biscuits

Thailand biscuits have two unique compliance points.First,spice usage issues.Extracts of citronella and kaffir lime leaves,commonly used in Thailand,fall under the scope of food additive management in China and must be marked with their specific International Numbering System (INS code),otherwise they will be deemed illegal additives.Second,vegetarian certification labels.Some Thailand biscuits are marked with the "JAY" (vegetarian) logo,but China has no official certification system for vegetarian food,and customs may require the removal of this logo.Zhongshen’s approach is to proactively submit a statement during the label filing stage,explaining that this logo is only a marketing term for the Thai market and does not represent official Chinese certification,avoiding passive rectification after the goods arrive at the port.

Actual Case: Ms.Xue’s Thailand Biscuit Import Experience

Ms.Xue is the purchasing manager of an imported snack e-commerce company in Suzhou.In March 2026,she handled her first batch of Thailand coconut biscuits with a value of approximately USD 200,000,entrusting Zhongshen as the agency.During the document pre-audit stage,we found that the product description on the sanitary certificate provided by the Thai factory was "COCONUT COOKIE",while the commercial invoice stated "COCONUT BISCUIT".Although it was only a difference in singular and plural forms,the customs system would determine it as a product name mismatch.We immediately contacted the Thai exporter and requested them to add the note "ALSO KNOWN AS BISCUIT" to the certificate and rescan and send it.This small action avoided the trouble of document amendment after the goods arrived at the port.More importantly,this batch of biscuits contained a local Thai vanilla extract that was not listed in China’s food additive directory.Zhongshen verified that this ingredient is equivalent to "vanillin" approved in China,guided the Thai factory to provide a chemical structure comparison report,and finally passed customs smoothly.The entire cycle took 13 working days,and Ms.Xue was very satisfied with the lead time,and will place regular monthly orders thereafter.

Long-Term Value of Choosing a Professional Agency

Thailand biscuit import is not a simple customs declaration action,but compliance management throughout the supply chain.The value of Zhongshen lies in translating scattered policy requirements into executable operation checklists.We maintain a dynamically updated "Thailand Food Import Risk Database" that records the historical inspection records of each Thai factory,common certificate error patterns,and customs valuation ranges for specific products.After accessing this system,customers can directly reuse 20 years of accumulated experience.In 2026,customs implemented the "voluntary disclosure" system,where enterprises that self-discover problems and report them proactively will be exempt from penalties.Zhongshen will conduct a quarterly import data health check for customers to identify potential risks in advance.This shift from "passive response" to "active management" is the true significance of a professional agency.For customers who stably import 3 or more containers per month,we can also coordinate with the Thai Consulate to issue a recommendation letter,enjoying green channel treatment at some ports and further shortening customs clearance time.