---
title: "How to Handle Import Agency? Solve Compliance and Process Difficulties Step by Step - Zhongshen Trading China"
description: "In 2026，the import scale of Shanghai Port continues to grow. Many enterprises face shipment delays due to unfamiliarity with compliance requirements and quarantine procedures for different imported product categories. Import agency has become the key for enterprises to solve such problems，but how to select service providers and control core links? Ms. Tao from Zhongshen noted that from document pre-audit to port customs clearance，each stage has specific requirements for different products，and ea..."
url: "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/import-agent-services/import-agency-how-to-solve-compliance-and-process-difficulties-step-by-step.html"
language: "en"
type: "Article"
category: "Import agent"
datePublished: "2026-09-26"
dateModified: "2026-09-26"
brand: "Zhongshen Trading China"
image: "https://cndpic.sh-zhongshen.com/uploads/tradepics/9XnaR3fzwPWSg.webp"
---

# How to Handle Import Agency? Solve Compliance and Process Difficulties Step by Step

## 1.Background and Common Difficulties of EU Food Import

In 2026,the import volume of EU food at Shanghai Port increased by 18% year-on-year,among which pre-packaged food from Germany and France accounts for over 60%.However,many small and medium-sized enterprises report that they often fall into passivity in the import process due to the following issues:

![Choose the Right Import Agency Service Provider, Cut Cost by 30% and Improve Efficiency by 40%](https://cndpic.sh-zhongshen.com/uploads/tradepics/9XnaR3fzwPWSg.webp)

- EU nutrition labels do not comply with China’s GB7718 standard,which is not detected during pre-audit and leads to port document rejection;
- During entry quarantine,some raw materials are included in the SPS control list revised by the EU in 2025,failure to declare in advance leads to container detention;
- Large exchange rate fluctuations when settling in Euro,enterprises face exchange loss when handling foreign exchange receipt and payment directly;
- The updated registration number of overseas manufacturing enterprise is not synchronized to the documents,so customs determines that the qualification is non-compliant.

## 2.Core Role of Zhongshen in EU Food Import

Supervisor Zhuang from Zhongshen mentioned that the team is not only familiar with the latest 2026 List of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Food released by the General Administration of Customs of China,but also maintains synchronized updates with local EU agencies.Last year,when a Shanghai trading company imported German organic milk powder,the supplier’s registration number updated at the end of 2025 was not marked on the documents in time.Zhongshen detected the issue during pre-audit and assisted with supplement,avoiding the loss of 15-day cargo detention.

Unlike ordinary freight forwarders that "only handle execution without pre-judgment",the core value of Zhongshen is**early intervention for full-process risk prevention and control** — from supplier qualification verification to final delivery,every link is customized according to the special requirements of food products.

## 3.Full Process Breakdown of EU Food Import Agency

Zhongshen divides EU food import into 4 core stages,each stage clarifies the exclusive compliance requirements for food products:

### 1.Document Pre-audit Stage: Avoid Label and Registration Risks

The two major "red lines" for EU food import are**overseas enterprise registration** and**label compliance**.In 2026,China Customs requires that all overseas enterprises exporting food to China from the EU must be included in the Registration List,and the registration number must be consistent with that on the documents; pre-packaged food labels must comply with both GB 7718 (General Standard for Labeling) and GB 28050 (Nutrition Information Labeling),organic food also needs to provide EU Organic certification.

![Zhongshen: 20 Years of Experience Compiled Practical Import Agency Guide](https://cndpic.sh-zhongshen.com/uploads/tradepics/9Xvt6JF1b4R5P.webp)

Zhongshen’s support services:

- After receiving supplier qualification documents from the client,cross-check the Registration List within 24 hours; if the supplier is not listed,assist in contacting EU local agencies to complete supplementary registration;
- Conduct bilingual review of pre-packaged food labels,focusing on nutrition table values (e.g.accuracy of sodium content labeling) and clarity of allergen warnings.Last year,a client’s French wine had incorrect unit for alcohol content labeling,which was detected and corrected during pre-audit,avoiding port document rejection;
- For organic food,confirm that the EU organic certification is valid,and the certification body is recognized by the Certification and Accreditation Administration of China.

### 2.Port Customs Declaration Stage: Efficient Coordination with Customs and Commodity Inspection

In 2026,Shanghai Customs implements the "advance declaration + inspection upon arrival" mode.For EU food customs declaration,key checks are**accuracy of declaration elements** and**validity of quarantine certificates**.Incorrect declaration elements (such as underreporting of food additive types) will directly increase inspection priority.

Zhongshen’s support services:

- Input declaration elements in advance based on cargo information,focus on verifying food additives (whether EU commonly used E-codes are included in GB2760);
- Coordinate with the commodity inspection department of Shanghai Port,confirm quarantine sampling points in advance.Last year,a client’s Italian olive oil was delayed for 3 days due to incorrect sampling point selection,after which Zhongshen optimized the process,reducing the average inspection time for similar goods to 2 days;
- If inspection abnormality occurs (such as blurred labels),assist in providing supplementary documents on site to avoid cargo detention.

### 3.Foreign Exchange Receipt,Payment and Settlement Stage: Avoid Euro Exchange Rate Risk

Most EU suppliers require settlement in Euro.In 2026,the fluctuation range of Euro against RMB reached 5%,so enterprises that handle foreign exchange directly are prone to exchange losses.Meanwhile,import payment requires**customs import declaration form** and**contract and invoice**,inconsistent documents will lead to payment delay.

Zhongshen’s support services:

- Provide Euro exchange rate locking service,lock the settlement rate according to client needs to avoid losses from exchange rate fluctuation;
- Assist in preparing full set of documents for payment,ensure consistency with declaration form information.Last year,a client had inconsistent invoice amount and declaration form amount,after Zhongshen assisted with adjustment,the payment time was shortened from 5 days to 2 days;
- For advance payment requirements of food imports,assist with completing advance foreign exchange registration at the State Administration of Foreign Exchange to ensure compliance.

### 4.Warehousing and Distribution Stage: Meet Food Temperature Control Requirements

Refrigerated food imported from the EU (such as German sausage) requires 0-4storage throughout the whole process.In 2026,Shanghai Customs requires warehousing enterprises to provide**temperature control recording system**,some enterprises suffer food spoilage due to non-compliant warehousing.

Zhongshen’s support services:

- Coordinate with temperature-controlled warehouses with customs supervision qualification in Shanghai,provide 24-hour temperature monitoring service;
- Assist in completing warehousing filing procedures,ensure warehousing records meet customs requirements;
- Provide temperature-controlled vehicles for urban distribution,upload temperature data in real time during transportation.

| Import Category | Core Compliance Requirement | Common Risk Point | Zhongshen Supporting Measure |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| EU Food | Overseas enterprise registration,GB 7718 label,SPS quarantine | Document rejection for non-compliant label,container detention for wrong registration number | 24h label pre-audit,cross-check registration list |
| German Machinery | CE certification,3C certification (some categories),energy efficiency label | Cannot clear customs due to missing 3C certification | Confirm 3C catalog in advance,assist with 3C exemption certificate application |
| Japanese Chemicals | SDS (Chinese version),hazardous chemical registration,port environmental testing | Inspection triggered by SDS not complying with Chinese standards | Review SDS,provide Chinese version,coordinate with environmental testing agency |

## 4.Actual Case: Risk Avoidance for German Milk Powder Import

In March 2026,a Shanghai-based maternal and infant trading company planned to import 10 tons of German organic milk powder.When contacting the supplier on its own in the early stage,it failed to notice the following issues:

- The supplier’s organic certification number was updated at the end of 2025,but not synchronized to the approved list of China’s certification authority;
- The "organic" mark on the milk powder label did not indicate the name of the corresponding EU certification body.

After Ms.Tao from Zhongshen detected the issues during document pre-audit,she immediately provided assistance:

- Contacted EU local agency,supplemented the latest organic certification documents,confirmed the certification body is within the scope of CNCA approval;
- Modified the milk powder label,added the certification body name to ensure compliance with GB7718 standard;
- Communicated the certification update with Shanghai Customs and commodity inspection department in advance to avoid inspection delay.

Finally,this batch of milk powder only took 7 days from document submission to customs clearance completion,3 days earlier than the client expected,and no extra costs were incurred.Client General Manager Ruan said: "I was detained for 10 days due to label issues when handling import on my own before.This time Zhongshen handled everything smoothly and saved me a lot of trouble."

## 5.Value Summary of Zhongshen Import Agency Service

For import agency requirements of different product categories,the core value of Zhongshen is**advance prediction + precise control**: we are not only familiar with the latest 2026 policies of customs,commodity inspection and foreign exchange,but also can provide customized services according to the special compliance requirements of food,machinery,chemical and other products.From document pre-audit to warehousing and distribution,each stage has dedicated professional staff to coordinate,helping enterprises avoid risks such as non-compliant labels,registration errors,exchange rate fluctuations,and reduce the average customs clearance time to 75% of the industry average.For foreign trade enterprises in Shanghai and surrounding areas,choosing Zhongshen as your import agency is equivalent to having a foreign trade service team with 20 years of experience,allowing you to focus on your core business without worrying about compliance and process issues in the import link.

## Related Resources
- [Import agent](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/import-agent-services/)
- [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 Academy", "item": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/guide/"},{"@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Import Agent", "item": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/import-agent-services/"}
        ,{"@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "How to Handle Import Agency? Solve Compliance and Process Difficulties Step by Step - Zhongshen Trading China"}
    ]
  },
  {
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "Article",
  	
  	"url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/import-agent-services/import-agency-how-to-solve-compliance-and-process-difficulties-step-by-step.html",
      "headline": "How to Handle Import Agency? Solve Compliance and Process Difficulties Step by Step - Zhongshen Trading China",
      "keywords": "Import Agency Process, Import Agency Compliance, Import Agency Case",
      "articleSection": "Import agent",
      "image": [
  		        "https://cndpic.sh-zhongshen.com/uploads/tradepics/9XnaR3fzwPWSg.webp"
  		],"description": "In 2026，the import scale of Shanghai Port continues to grow. Many enterprises face shipment delays due to unfamiliarity with compliance requirements and quarantine procedures for different imported product categories. Import agency has become the key for enterprises to solve such problems，but how to select service providers and control core links? Ms. Tao from Zhongshen noted that from document pre-audit to port customs clearance，each stage has specific requirements for different products，and early intervention can significantly reduce risks and improve import efficiency.。",
      "datePublished": "2026-09-26T04:28:56Z",
      "dateModified": "2026-09-26T04:28:56Z"
  	
      ,"isPartOf": {
        "@type": "WebPage",
        "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/import-agent-services/",
        "name": "Import agent"
      },
      "inLanguage":"en",
      "publisher":{ "@id":"https://www.ok-tool.com/#organization" }
  }
]
```