Full Process Agency Service for Brazil Import Procedures

Practical Barriers to Importing Agricultural Products from Brazil

Brazil is the world’s largest soybean exporter,and its soybean exports to China are expected to exceed 90 million tons in 2026.During the 35-day maritime voyage from the Port of Santos to Shanghai Yangshan Port,cargo status,document non-compliance and policy changes can all turn into direct losses for importers.Ms.Yuan’s company tried to handle a shipment of Brazilian soybeans independently early last year.Due to a spelling discrepancy between the consignee name on the phytosanitary certificate and the bill of lading,the cargo was detained at Nantong Port for 11 days,and the company ultimately paid more than 400,000 RMB in total for port detention fees and fines.

The root cause of such problems lies in the particularity of Brazil’s export system.Phytosanitary certificates issued by the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture (MAPA) are mainly in Portuguese,which is prone to translation errors during document circulation.The matching of export release data from Brazil’s Federal Revenue (Receita Federal) with China Customs system has delay,leading to mismatched information in pre-declaration forms.Starting from 2026,China Customs increased the sampling rate of GMO agricultural products from Brazil from 10% to 15%,which correspondingly extends the port inspection period.Zhongshen has focused on Brazil routes for 20 years,handled more than 800 shipments of agricultural product import business,is familiar with operational differences from Port of Paranaguá to Shenzhen Shekou Port,and can convert the uncertainty of each link into standardized actionable procedures.

Document Pre-audit: Lock Compliance Risks Before Shipment

Core documents provided by Brazilian exporters include Phytosanitary Certificate (Certificado Fitossanitário),Certificate of Origin (Certificado de Origem),Quality Analysis Report (Análise de Qualidade) and original Bill of Lading (Conhecimento de Embarque).These documents are notarized and authenticated by the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs within Brazil,but when entering China’s customs declaration system,any information mismatch may lead to declaration rejection.

Zhongshen’s document pre-audit service intervenes before Brazilian suppliers load cargo.We require our partner law firm in Brazil to verify in advance whether the consignee’s name,address and contact information on the phytosanitary certificate are fully consistent with the importer’s customs filing information.In March 2026,a shipment of soybeans commissioned by Mr.Wei was found before loading that the port name on the phytosanitary certificate used the old name of Santos.We notified the Brazilian exporter to re-apply for the certificate in time,avoiding declaration obstacles after cargo arrival.

For language barriers,Zhongshen’s local Brazil team directly contacts exporters to obtain original Portuguese documents and complete synchronous translation,avoiding product name and specification description deviations caused by third-party translation errors.The product name of soybeans must be accurate to "Glycine max (L.) Merr.",and GMO status must be clearly marked as "Transgênico" or "Não Transgênico".These details directly affect HS code classification and tariff application.

Port Customs Declaration: Accuracy of HS Code Classification and Price Declaration

The HS code for soybeans has a key adjustment in 2026.New sub-codes 0901.91 (non-GMO soybeans) and 0901.92 (GMO soybeans) are added under heading 0901.90.90,with applicable tariff rates of 3% and 6% respectively.Incorrect classification not only leads to tax supplementary payment,but may also be identified by customs as inaccurate declaration,triggering administrative penalties.Zhongshen’s customs declaration team participates in online interpretation meetings held by the General Administration of Customs of China before the implementation of each tax code adjustment,to ensure we master classification rules at the earliest time.

Price declaration is another high-risk point.Brazilian soybeans adopt the CBOT futures price plus basis pricing model,and prices fluctuate frequently during cargo transportation.When customs conducts price verification,if the declared price is lower than the concurrent market level,a price inquiry procedure will be initiated.In April 2026,a batch of soybeans commissioned by Manager He had a declared price 12% lower than the reference price in the customs database,and was required to provide the original contract,payment vouchers and freight details from the Brazilian exporter.Zhongshen assisted in sorting out freight fluctuation data and insurance rate changes from Brazil to China in the past three years,finally proved the rationality of the declared price,and avoided the occupation of a 300,000 RMB deposit.

We have established a price database of major Brazilian exporters,covering historical transaction prices of industry giants including ADM,Bunge and Cargill,and conduct cross-verification before declaration to ensure the price is within a reasonable range.Meanwhile,for businesses settled via letter of credit,we will verify in advance whether the price description in the letter of credit terms is consistent with the customs declaration form,avoiding settlement risks caused by document discrepancies.

Commodity Inspection and Release: Practical Key Points of GMO Testing and Impurity Control

In 2026,China Customs adopts PCR rapid detection for GMO testing of Brazilian soybeans.Samples are randomly drawn from each hatch,and the testing cycle is shortened from the original 5 working days to 3 working days,but the re-inspection procedure for positive samples is more strict.Zhongshen has established a green sampling and inspection channel with testing laboratories at major ports including Nantong,Qingdao and Tianjin,ensuring samples are drawn and submitted for inspection while unloading,without extra customs clearance time.

Impurity and moisture content is another key inspection focus for Brazilian soybeans.According to GB 1352-2023 standard,the impurity content of imported soybeans shall not exceed 1%,and moisture content shall not exceed 13%.The quality report provided by Brazilian exporters usually shows an impurity rate of around 0.8%,but long-distance transportation and port handling may lead to increased impurity rate.In May 2026,a shipment of soybeans commissioned by Mr.Zuo was unloaded at Zhangjiagang,on-site inspection showed the impurity rate reached 1.3%,0.3 percentage points above the standard.Zhongshen’s on-site staff immediately launched an emergency procedure,coordinated the port to conduct screening treatment,and reduced the impurity rate to 0.9% under customs supervision,avoiding the risk of returning the entire batch of goods.

For cargo requiring fumigation,Zhongshen arranges in advance for qualified fumigation companies to conduct treatment at the anchorage,ensuring the cargo holds a valid Fumigation Certificate (Certificado de Fumigação) when arriving at the port,avoiding detention caused by waiting for on-port fumigation.

Connection Between Foreign Exchange Settlement and Tax Deduction

The fluctuation range of BRL against USD is expected to reach 15% in 2026,leaving importers with the dilemma of choosing the timing of foreign exchange payment.Zhongshen’s foreign exchange service team provides forward exchange locking and option combination solutions,helping customers lock foreign exchange payment costs after the customs declaration form is issued.For a shipment of soybeans commissioned by Ms.Yuan in February 2026,we advised locking 80% of the payment amount when BRL traded at 4.85 against USD,and used spot payment for the remaining 20%.Finally the comprehensive exchange rate cost was controlled at 4.92,outperforming the market average exchange rate of 5.05.

For enterprises with import and export operation rights,the 9% value-added tax involved in soybean import can be declared for deduction after customs clearance.Zhongshen’s finance team assists customers to complete the certification and deduction declaration of the special customs duty payment certificate within 3 working days after tax payment,ensuring capital circulation efficiency.In 2026,the tax authority tightened the review of VAT deduction for imported agricultural products,requiring complete logistics chain proof.We assist customers to sort out port operation orders,warehouse storage receipts and transportation invoices to form a closed-loop evidence chain.

Actual Case: Resolution of Port Detention Risk Caused by Document Error

At the end of 2025,Ms.Yuan commissioned Zhongshen to handle a 60,000-ton shipment of Brazilian soybeans.After the cargo was loaded at the Port of Santos,our audit found a one-letter discrepancy between the vessel name on the certificate of origin and the bill of lading: "M/V Sao Paulo" was written as "M/V Sao Paola".This minor error will not trigger an alert in Brazil’s export customs process,but when entering the Chinese customs system,it will be judged as inconsistent documents,making declaration impossible.

Our partner law firm in Brazil urgently contacted the exporter and the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture,completed certificate correction and re-authentication 72 hours before the cargo arrived at Nantong Port.Meanwhile,we submitted a situation description and the scanned copy of the corrected certificate to Nantong Customs in advance,and applied for pre-audit.After the cargo arrived at the port,customs released it directly,no demurrage occurred.Ms.Yuan calculated afterwards that if handled independently,only port detention fees and vessel demurrage would exceed 600,000 RMB,not including possible breach of contract penalties.

Value Delivery of Full Process Service

The complexity of Brazil import business lies in that risks from each link will be transmitted to subsequent links.Document errors cause customs declaration delays,delays lead to extra storage costs,and overdue storage affects capital arrangement for subsequent batches of cargo.Zhongshen’s value lies in decoupling these links,and converting uncertainty into predictable costs through pre-review and standardized operation.

In 2026,we shortened the average customs clearance cycle for customers by 3.2 working days,reduced the port detention rate to below 0.5%,and saved customers about 1.8% of foreign exchange payment costs through exchange rate management tools.Behind these figures is the accumulation of 20 years of operation experience,and the reflection of dual understanding of Brazil’s export system and China’s regulatory rules.Import agency is not just simple document transmission,but establishing a reliable conversion mechanism between the regulatory systems of two countries.

Comparison of Import Quarantine Requirements for Major Brazilian Agricultural Products

Core Document Pre-audit Checklist

• Phytosanitary Certificate (GMO status and Latin name shall be clearly indicated)
• Certificate of Origin (shall be fully consistent with consignee information on the bill of lading)
• Quality Analysis Report (indicators of impurity,moisture and protein content)
• Original Bill of Lading (shall be fully endorsed)
• Fumigation Certificate (if applicable)
• Insurance Policy (shall cover 110% of cargo value)
• Packing List and Commercial Invoice (shall display detailed specifications)
• Scanned copy of export license issued by Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture (for future reference)