Analysis of Xining Biscuit Import Customs Declaration Agency Process and Compliance Key Points

The Background and Common Difficulties of Xining Biscuit Import Customs Declaration

In 2026,as a regional logistics hub in Northwest China,Xining sees steady growth in the market demand for imported biscuits.Baked biscuits from Southeast Asia (Vietnam,Thailand) and Europe (Germany,Italy) are popular choices among local supermarkets and e-commerce platforms due to their rich variety and unique flavors.However,as ready-to-eat foods,biscuits often face delayed customs clearance or even return risks during import declaration due to issues with documents,quarantine,logistics connection and other aspects.

1.Dual Pressure of Document Compliance and Quarantine Requirements

Imported biscuits must comply with multiple national standards of China,such as National Standard GB 2760 for Food Safety: Hygienic Standard for Use of Food Additives and National Standard GB 7718 for Food Safety: General Standard for the Labeling of Prepackaged Foods.The sanitary certificate and composition report provided by the exporting country must accurately match these requirements.For example,the preservative content of some Southeast Asian biscuits easily exceeds the national standard limits,and if not reviewed in advance,they are highly likely to be intercepted during the port commodity inspection process.

2.Logistics Challenges of Transshipment Connection at Xining Port

Xining is not a first-class entry port.Imported biscuits need to be transshipped from coastal ports such as Tianjin and Qingdao to Xining.During the transshipment process,biscuits (especially wafer and sandwich biscuits) are sensitive to temperature and humidity,and ordinary transportation is prone to causing moisture-induced deformation; at the same time,improper control of the transshipment declaration time node may cause port congestion and extend the customs clearance cycle.

Core Role of Zhongshen’s Biscuit Import Agency Service

Zhongshen has been engaged in foreign trade agency services for over 20 years.For the special scenario of Xining biscuit imports,it has established a full-process service system from connecting with foreign suppliers to conducting local commodity inspection in China.Its core roles are: predicting compliance risks of biscuit foods in advance,connecting logistics nodes for transshipment at Xining Port,shortening the customs clearance cycle while avoiding return losses.For example,since 2025,the average customs clearance cycle of Zhongshen’s agented Xining biscuit import business has been shortened by 32% compared with the industry average,and the document return rate is controlled within 5%.

Breakdown of Biscuit Import Agency Process: Full-Link Control from Pre-Examination to Commodity Inspection

1.Document Pre-Examination: Avoid Non-Compliance Risks at the Source

Document pre-examination is the first key link in biscuit imports.Manager Han from Zhongshen will connect with foreign suppliers in advance to review the completeness and compliance of all documents.The unique document requirements for biscuit products include:

• The sanitary certificate issued by the official of the exporting country must clearly state "compliant with China’s food additive use standards" and include the ingredients,additive types and contents of the biscuits;
• The third-party composition analysis report must cover core indicators such as total mold count (≤100cfu/g),aflatoxin B1 (≤5μg/kg),and benzoic acid (≤1.0g/kg);
• The sample Chinese label must comply with GB 7718 requirements,and mark the product name,ingredient list,shelf life,country of origin,Xining distributor information and other contents.

Manager Han once handled such a case: In February 2026,a Xining trading company imported 150 cartons of durian sandwich biscuits from Vietnam.The sanitary certificate provided by the supplier did not mark the specific content of sorbic acid,a preservative.Manager Han immediately contacted the Vietnamese supplier and instructed them to supplement the inspection report issued by the local officially recognized laboratory,avoiding customs clearance delays caused by document non-compliance.

2.Port Transshipment: Ensure Logistics Connection and Product Quality

Xining biscuit imports need to be transshipped through ports such as Tianjin and Qingdao.Supervisor Wei from Zhongshen is responsible for the entire logistics connection,focusing on solving the quality protection issues during biscuit transportation:

In April 2026,during a transshipment business of German cookies coordinated by Supervisor Wei,it was found in advance that the transport company’s container failed the constant temperature test.Immediately coordinated to replace the qualified container,avoiding the loss of 120 cartons of cookies due to moisture-induced deterioration.

3.Commodity Inspection Implementation: Full-Link Control of Quarantine Compliance Requirements

Biscuit import commodity inspection is divided into two stages: port commodity inspection and local commodity inspection.Supervisor Jiang from Zhongshen is responsible for the entire coordination:

Port Commodity Inspection Stage: It is necessary to unpack and inspect the sensory indicators (appearance,color,smell),physical and chemical indicators (moisture ≤10%,fat ≤30%),and microbial indicators (Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus must not be detected) of the biscuits.Supervisor Jiang will prepare samples in advance,cooperate with commodity inspection personnel to take samples,and remind customers to retain the samples at the port until the commodity inspection results are issued.

Local Commodity Inspection Stage: The local commodity inspection department of Xining will conduct subsequent sampling and testing of the biscuits,and review the actual pasting of the Chinese labels.Supervisor Jiang will guide customers in advance to make Chinese labels that comply with national standards.For example,in March 2026,a customer’s Chinese label did not mark the function of potassium sorbate (preservative).After Supervisor Jiang provided on-site guidance to supplement it,the label review was passed at one time.

Actual Case: Efficient Customs Clearance Practice for Thai Mango Sandwich Biscuits

In March 2026,a Xining food trading company planned to import 120 cartons of mango sandwich biscuits from Thailand.Previously,the company had operated a similar business on its own,which was returned by the Tianjin Port commodity inspection because the sanitary certificate did not mark "compliant with China’s national standards",delaying the process by 15 days and incurring storage fees.

Later,the company found Zhongshen as its agent.Manager Han pre-examined the documents in advance and instructed the Thai supplier to supplement the official national standard compliance certificate; Supervisor Wei arranged a constant temperature container for transshipment and monitored the temperature and humidity throughout the process; Supervisor Jiang pre-examined the Chinese label and provided on-site guidance for pasting.The entire customs clearance process,from document submission to the completion of local commodity inspection,took only 7 days,8 days faster than before,and no additional costs were incurred.

Core Value of Zhongshen’s Agency Service

For Xining enterprises,the core value of choosing Zhongshen’s biscuit import agency service is reflected in three aspects: First,advance the compliance risk by pre-examining documents in advance,avoiding returns caused by document non-compliance; Second,ensure the transportation quality of biscuit products and reduce cargo damage through professional transshipment logistics connection; Third,shorten the customs clearance cycle and speed up capital turnover through full-process commodity inspection coordination.For example,since 2025,the cargo damage rate of Zhongshen’s agented Xining biscuit import business has been controlled below 0.5%,which is far lower than the industry average of 2.3%.