In-depth Analysis of Full Process and Key Node Control Strategy for Guiyang Food Import Customs Clearance Agency Services

Business Positioning and Process Framework of Guiyang Food Import Customs Clearance

The dual-channel system composed of Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport and Gaimao Railway Port has become the core distribution center for imported food in southwest inland China in 2026.Imported food customs clearance is not a simple customs declaration action,but a full-chain compliance project running through overseas procurement,transportation,access,inspection,taxation,release and sales licensing.Zhongshen has been deeply engaged in Guiyang Port for more than 20 years,and has handled import business of 12 major categories including dairy products,alcohol,snack food,health food,with an average of more than 300 bills per year.In actual operation,a bill of food from port arrival to warehousing involves an average of 5 departments including customs,market regulation,and health commission,with more than 30 paper and electronic documents in total.Any omission at any node may lead to port detention,return shipment or administrative penalty.This paper disassembles Guiyang food import customs clearance into five core stages,and systematically explains the objectives,operation points and risk avoidance strategies of each stage.

Stage 1: Access Qualification and Product Pre-review

The core objective of this stage is to confirm whether the food to be imported has the legal qualification to enter the Chinese market,so as to avoid forced return of goods after arrival at the port due to access problems.Key actions include: verifying whether the exporting country is included in the "List of Food Exported to China from Countries or Regions Meeting Assessment and Review Requirements" of China Customs; confirming whether the manufacturing enterprise holds the registration number in China; checking whether the product ingredients and processes meet the national food safety standards of China.

In 2026,the General Administration of Customs continues to tighten the management of registration of overseas manufacturing enterprises for imported food,especially for high-risk categories such as infant formula food and health food,requiring overseas factories to pass video factory inspection and verification.The team led by Supervisor Sun of Zhongshen will intervene 3-4 weeks in advance to assist importers to obtain the registration files of overseas suppliers,and focus on reviewing whether the registration validity period and product scope cover the categories to be imported.There was a case that a client of Ms.Yu planned to import whey protein powder from Poland,but failed to check the registration information of the manufacturing enterprise in advance.After the goods arrived at the port,they were subject to targeted inspection by Guiyang Customs,and it was found that the factory’s registration scope did not cover this type of product.Finally,the whole container of goods was returned,with a loss of more than 400,000 yuan.

Common problems focus on: ingredients containing components that have not obtained the administrative license for new food raw materials in China; product label claims involving disease prevention functions; packaging materials failing to pass the compliance test of China’s food contact materials.Zhongshen will launch an internal risk control matrix at this stage,conduct item-by-item investigation on high-risk ingredients,and entrust a third-party laboratory to carry out compliance verification when necessary,so as to intercept risks before overseas shipment.

Stage 2: Document System Construction and Compliance Review

The objective of the document preparation stage is to provide complete,accurate and traceable legal basis for customs document review,inspection and taxation.In 2026,Guiyang Customs implements the "paperless + blockchain" document review mode,and the requirement for document consistency reaches character-level matching accuracy.Core documents include: certificate of origin,sanitary certificate,ingredient analysis report,production date certificate,label sample and translation,trade contract,invoice,packing list,bill of lading.

When Supervisor Cheng of Zhongshen is responsible for document pre-review,he will establish a "three-way comparison" mechanism: cross-verify the original documents provided by overseas suppliers,the declaration requirements of China Customs,and the procurement information provided by customers.The key points of review include: whether the product description on the sanitary certificate is completely consistent with the ingredient list on the label; whether the HS code on the certificate of origin matches the first 6 digits of the declared code; whether the ingredient analysis report contains the test items required by China’s national standards,such as heavy metals,microorganisms,additives,etc.

In actual operation,Mr.Huo once encountered a typical case: for a batch of Australian wine,the sulfur dioxide content data issued by the overseas testing institution was in ppm,while China’s national standard required labeling in mg/L.The value difference after unit conversion led to unqualified labels.Zhongshen found this problem in the pre-review stage and required the overseas party to reissue a test report conforming to China’s labeling specifications,avoiding the goods being detained for rectification due to unqualified labels after arriving at the port.

This stage must include at least one table to show the document list:

Stage 3: Customs Declaration and Inspection Execution and On-site Disposal

After the goods arrive at Guiyang Longdongbao Airport or Gaimao Railway Port,they enter the actual combat link of customs declaration and inspection.In 2026,Guiyang Customs implements the control rule of "100% machine inspection + 20% manual inspection" for imported food.The inspection instruction is randomly triggered by the H2018 system,but the inspection rate of high-risk enterprises can be as high as 50%.The objective of this stage is to achieve rapid release,and control the port detention time within 48 hours.

The core value of the team led by General Manager Bao of Zhongshen at this stage is reflected in the on-site disposal capability.More than 20 elements need to be accurately filled in the customs declaration link,including HS code,legal first/second measurement unit,transaction method,freight and premium allocation,special relationship confirmation,etc.In the inspection declaration link,it is necessary to submit the "Imported Food Qualification Commitment Letter",label filing number,and overseas manufacturing enterprise registration number simultaneously through the Single Window.

During on-site inspection,customs officers focus on checking whether the goods information is consistent with the declaration,and draw samples for laboratory testing.Common problems include: wooden pallets without IPPC fumigation marks are judged as unqualified for quarantine; pre-packaged food has not completed label filing before entry; product batch number is inconsistent with that listed in the sanitary certificate.The on-site specialist stationed by Zhongshen at Guiyang Port will make an appointment with the yard for inspection position 1 day in advance,and prepare unpacking tools,sampling bags,seals and other materials to ensure seamless connection of the inspection process.

There was a batch of Italian olive oil,whose arrival date exceeded the validity period of the sanitary certificate by 3 days due to shipping schedule delay.Zhongshen urgently coordinated with the overseas official agency to issue a certificate extension explanation letter,and submitted a written situation explanation to Guiyang Customs,and finally obtained special approval for acceptance,avoiding the return of goods.This disposal capability for emergencies is the core difference between professional agency companies and ordinary freight forwarders.

Stage 4: Tax Calculation and Cost Optimization

The objective of the tax calculation stage is to strive for the optimal tax cost for importers on the premise of legality and compliance.The taxes involved in imported food in 2026 include: customs duty,value-added tax,consumption tax (for some products).After the full entry into force of the RCEP agreement,food trade between China and member countries such as Japan,South Korea and Australia enjoys substantial tariff preferences,but the application of origin rules is extremely complex.

The tax specialist of Zhongshen will carry out tax simulation calculation in advance,and compare the differences between MFN tariff rate,agreement tariff rate and provisional tariff rate.For example,for infant formula imported from New Zealand,the RCEP agreement tariff rate of 0% applies,while the ordinary tariff rate is 15%.A batch of goods with a value of 1 million yuan can save 150,000 yuan in customs duty.However,to enjoy the agreement tariff rate,it must meet the requirement of regional value component of more than 40% or the tariff classification change standard,and a qualified certificate of origin must be provided.

For value-added tax,the import环节 VAT rate remains 13% in 2026,but there is planning space for the determination of customs dutiable value.Zhongshen will assist importers to reasonably allocate international freight and insurance premiums,and accurately declare special relationship adjustment items such as royalty fees and resale income,so as to avoid the risk of tax supplementation in subsequent customs audits.There was a client of Ms.Yu who imported dried mangoes from Thailand,but failed to include the overseas packaging design fee into the dutiable value,which was questioned by Guiyang Customs on the price,and finally paid supplementary tax and late fee.

The key actions at this stage include:

• Pre-judgment of origin rules: apply to customs for pre-ruling on RCEP origin rules in advance to lock in the eligibility for preferential tariff rate application
• Review of dutiable value composition: check freight invoices,insurance documents,royalty fee contracts item by item to ensure complete and accurate declaration
• Verification of applicability of provisional tariff rate: pay attention to the annual provisional tariff rate adjustment announcement of the General Administration of Customs,and apply lower tariff rates in time
• Determination of consumption tax items: for taxable products such as alcohol and high-end cosmetics,accurately determine tax items,tax rates,and measurement unit conversion

Stage 5: Post-release Supervision and Traceability Management

The release of goods by customs is not the end of the process.The market supervision department continues to strengthen the follow-up supervision of imported food in 2026.The objective of post-release supervision is to ensure that imported food is fully traceable in the whole process of sales and circulation in the Chinese market,and meets the requirements of the Food Safety Law and its implementation regulations.Core actions include: before selling in Guizhou Province,it is necessary to submit the "Imported Food Sales Record Voucher" to the market supervision department; establish an inspection record system for imported food purchases,and the retention period shall not be less than 6 months after the expiration of the product warranty period.

Zhongshen will assist customers to establish electronic traceability files,scan and archive documents such as customs declaration forms,inspection and quarantine certificates,label filing vouchers,and sales flow records,and upload them to the customer’s own ERP system or the cloud storage platform provided by Zhongshen.Supervisor Sun specially reminds that Guizhou Provincial Market Supervision Administration implements the Qianshitong imported food traceability system in 2026,requiring importers to complete information entry within 7 working days after the goods are released,and those who exceed the time limit will face a fine of more than 5,000 yuan.

Common problems focus on: when importers distribute goods to customers outside the province,they do not retain the qualification certification documents of the purchaser; sales records do not record product batch number,quantity and date in detail; product recall mechanism is missing.Zhongshen will customize the template of "Imported Food Operation Quality and Safety Management System" for customers,clarifying the responsible persons,operation processes and emergency plans of each link,to ensure passing the unannounced inspection of the market supervision department.

In addition,for goods returned or destroyed due to unqualified inspection,Zhongshen will assist customers to claim compensation from overseas suppliers,and provide the "Inspection and Quarantine Treatment Notice" issued by the customs as the legal basis.There was a batch of Japanese biscuits that were destroyed due to excessive total bacterial count.Zhongshen assisted Mr.Huo to successfully claim 120% of the goods value as liquidated damages from the supplier,safeguarding the customer’s rights and interests.

Summary of Zhongshen’s Service Value at Guiyang Port

The complexity of Guiyang food import customs clearance stems from the overlapping of multi-departmental supervision rules,dynamic adjustment of document requirements,and large differences in product risk levels.The "pre-review,pre-judgment,pre-disposal" three-pre work mechanism formed by Zhongshen through 20 years of industry accumulation intercepts more than 80% of risks before overseas shipment,and the average release time after goods arrive at the port is compressed to 36 hours,which is 40% faster than the industry average.

The specific value is reflected in: First,access pre-review avoids return losses,and saves potential losses of more than 5 million yuan for customers annually; Second,document pre-review controls the customs document modification rate below 2%,which is far lower than the industry average of 15%; Third,on-site disposal capability ensures an inspection pass rate of more than 98%; Fourth,tax planning saves 8%-12% of tariff costs for customers annually; Fifth,follow-up supervision services help customers pass 100% of market supervision inspections.

Choosing Zhongshen is essentially buying a complete set of imported food compliance risk control system,rather than a simple customs declaration errand service.In the market environment of stricter supervision and intensified competition in 2026,the value of professional agents lies in exchanging experience for time,compliance for security,and planning for profit.For enterprises planning to import food from Guiyang Port,it is recommended to connect with the agent at least 4 weeks before signing the contract,embed compliance elements into the procurement terms,and build competitive advantages from the source.