Full Analysis of Application Conditions and Qualification Requirements for Agency Import Operation Rights

I.Regulatory Environment and Operational Difficulties for New Zealand Dairy Product Imports

In the first quarter of 2026,the value of dairy products imported by China from New Zealand increased by 12.7% year-on-year,accounting for 38.4% of the total import volume of dairy products.Market share of New Zealand brands such as Fonterra and Westland Milk Products in China continues to expand,accompanied by a significant strengthening of supervision over imported dairy products by the General Administration of Customs.Data from Shanghai Port shows that from January to March 2026,the number of dairy product port detention cases caused by unqualified qualifications and missing documents increased by 23% year-on-year,with an average detention time of 11.6 working days and an average daily loss of approximately CNY 18,000 for enterprises.

Import of New Zealand dairy products involves a three-tier regulatory system: import and export food safety supervision by the General Administration of Customs,special food registration management by the State Administration for Market Regulation,and cross-border capital flow monitoring by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange.Enterprises importing on their own face three major practical obstacles: first,applying for import and export operation rights requires completing filings with four authorities including the commerce department,customs,foreign exchange administration and tax administration,which usually takes 45 to 60 working days; second,dairy product import requires additional application for the Quarantine Permit for Imported Animals and Plants and registration of overseas manufacturers in China,which takes about 30 working days for approval; third,enterprises need to equip full-time customs declarers and inspection agents,and establish a sound traceability system for imported food,which increases annual labor costs by CNY 150,000 to 200,000.

Zhongshen has been operating in Shanghai Port for more than 20 years,with the total value of agency imported dairy products exceeding USD 420 million.It is familiar with the matching rules between New Zealand supplier systems and regulatory details of the General Administration of Customs.Through Zhongshen’s agency import service,enterprises can carry out import business in compliance without applying for import and export operation rights on their own,shortening pre-preparation time from 90 days to 7 working days.

II.Legal Conditions and Qualification Framework for Agency Import Operation Rights

Agency import operation right is not a single license,but a multi-dimensional qualification set covering customs,foreign exchange,taxation and commodity inspection.As a professional foreign trade agent,Zhongshen’s qualification system fully covers compliance requirements of the entire import process.

1.Customs Consignor and Consignee Filing Qualification

Zhongshen holds the Filing Receipt of Import and Export Goods Consignor and Consignee issued by Shanghai Customs,with filing code 310198XXXX,valid until 2028.This qualification allows enterprises to handle customs declaration procedures as domestic consignees,and is the basic prerequisite for agency import.According to new customs regulations in 2026,filing of consignors and consignees shall be updated every two years,and the compliance report of import and export business of the previous year shall be submitted.Zhongshen is equipped with a full-time customs affairs team to ensure real-time validity of the filing status.

2.Qualification in the Enterprise Directory for Foreign Exchange Receipt and Payment

The Registration of Enterprise in the Directory of Trade Foreign Exchange Receipt and Payment issued by the Shanghai Branch of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange entitles Zhongshen to legally receive and pay foreign exchange.In 2026,foreign exchange supervision strengthened authenticity review of offshore resale transactions.Zhongshen’s Class A enterprise rating ensures that foreign exchange payment time is controlled within T+1 days,avoiding failure to remit payment in time due to foreign exchange qualification problems that would affect credit of New Zealand suppliers.

3.Import Food Importer Filing

In response to special requirements for dairy products,Zhongshen has completed filing in the Import Food Importer and Exporter Filing Management System of the General Administration of Customs,with filing number SP3101XXXX.This filing requires enterprises to have food business premises,management systems and recall mechanisms that comply with provisions of the Food Safety Law.Zhongshen’s bonded warehouse located in Shanghai Free Trade Zone has passed HACCP certification,and its temperature control system realizes 24-hour monitoring,meeting storage standards of -18℃ freezing or 2-6℃ refrigeration for dairy products.

III.Phased Operation Practice of the Whole Process of Dairy Product Import

Document Pre-review Stage: Qualification Matching of New Zealand Suppliers

New Zealand dairy product export enterprises must be included in the List of Dairy Products Exported to China from Countries or Regions Meeting Evaluation and Review Requirements of the General Administration of Customs,and have completed registration of overseas production enterprises.Before accepting orders,Zhongshen will check the registration number,product access status and GFSI certification of New Zealand suppliers.In March 2026,Zhongshen found that the registration information of a New Zealand whey powder supplier was about to expire,and notified the client to replace the supplier 30 days in advance,avoiding the risk of being unable to declare after goods arrived at the port.

Core documents include: health certificate,certificate of origin,component analysis report,production and processing process description issued by New Zealand authorities,and sample Chinese label.Zhongshen’s document preparation team will review in advance whether the Chinese label complies with General Rules for Prepackaged Food Labeling (GB7718-2026),focusing on 12 elements such as ingredient list,nutrition fact table,and allergen warning.Once,a client Ms.Tan’s label marked lactoferrin as whey protein.Zhongshen found this problem during the pre-review stage and required the New Zealand exporter to reprint the label,avoiding rectification requirements during port inspection.

Port Customs Declaration Stage: Commodity Classification and Price Declaration

There is great technical difficulty in HS code classification of dairy products.In 2026,the customs applied stricter differentiation standards between infant formula milk powder (HS 19011000) and modified milk powder (HS 19019000),requiring submission of test reports on physical and chemical indicators such as fatty acid and lactose content.Zhongshen’s customs affairs team is familiar with the conventional index range of New Zealand dairy products,and can accurately predict classification results.A client Mr.Dong’s company once planned to import a batch of New Zealand goat milk powder,which was initially classified as ordinary milk powder.Based on protein content and processing technology,Zhongshen finally classified it as infant formula goat milk powder,applicable to a 9% provisional tariff rate,saving approximately CNY 42,000 in tariff compared with the 13% tax rate of ordinary milk powder.

In terms of price declaration,New Zealand dairy products mostly adopt FOB or CIF terms.Customs price review needs to consider freight,insurance premium and royalty.Zhongshen will assist clients to prepare complete pricing basis,including transaction emails from New Zealand exporters,freight invoices,international cargo insurance policies,etc.to ensure compliance of dutiable value declaration.In 2026,customs review of related party transaction prices has become stricter.Zhongshen prepares the explanation of related relationship between New Zealand suppliers and importers in advance to avoid customs clearance delays caused by price queries.

Commodity Inspection Stage: Quarantine Approval and Laboratory Testing

Dairy products are high-risk imported foods,for which the Quarantine Permit for Imported Animals and Plants must be obtained.Zhongshen can complete the permit application within 5 working days,while it usually takes 15 working days for enterprises to handle it on their own.The permit application requires submission of 17 documents including New Zealand pasture filing information,source certificate of raw milk,processing technology description,etc.Zhongshen’s template library has preset standard formats,which greatly improves efficiency.

After goods arrive at the port,the customs implements 100% inspection and sampling testing.Testing items cover 28 indicators such as melamine,aflatoxin M1,heavy metals and microorganisms,and the cycle is about 10 working days.Zhongshen has established a green channel with the Food Testing Center of Shanghai Customs,which can shorten the testing cycle to 7 working days.At the same time,Zhongshen’s bonded warehouse is equipped with a sampling room,which meets customs supervision requirements,avoiding the risk of temperature fluctuation caused by unpacking goods in the open air at the port.In February 2026,a batch of New Zealand butter was found to have exceeded the total number of colonies in testing.Zhongshen immediately launched the recall plan and implemented return under customs supervision,helping the client avoid subsequent administrative penalties.

IV.Comprehensive Cost Comparison between Agency Import and Self-operated Import

V.Actual Case: Infant Formula Milk Powder Import Project of Mr.Jiao’s Company

In early 2026,Mr.Jiao’s maternal and infant products company planned to import a batch of infant formula milk powder from New Zealand,with a value of approximately USD 500,000.The company had no import and export operation rights before.If it applied for qualifications on its own,it was expected to take 90 days,which would miss the spring sales peak of the maternal and infant industry.After Mr.Jiao contacted Zhongshen,the two parties signed an agency import agreement,and Zhongshen completed all preparation work within 7 working days.

Three key problems were encountered during project implementation: First,the registration information of the New Zealand manufacturer showed "suspended import" status in the General Administration of Customs system.Zhongshen immediately launched an emergency plan,assisted the New Zealand supplier in submitting a rectification report,and contacted the Food Bureau of the General Administration of Customs for technical communication,finally restoring import qualification within 15 working days.Second,the Chinese label of this batch of milk powder marked docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) as "brain gold",which did not comply with provisions of GB7718-2026.Zhongshen’s label review team found this problem during the pre-review stage and required redesign of the label,avoiding port rectification.Third,the customs questioned the low transaction price during price review.Zhongshen submitted the original invoice of the New Zealand exporter,freight details and industry price analysis report to prove the rationality of the price,and finally completed customs clearance smoothly.

Through Zhongshen’s agency,Mr.Jiao’s goods were transported from Auckland Port,New Zealand to Yangshan Port,Shanghai,taking 28 days in total,20 days shorter than the self-operated import mode.The tariff cost was saved by approximately CNY 38,000,and the comprehensive cost was reduced by 18%.The goods were successfully put on sale before the maternal and infant exhibition,with sales exceeding CNY 6 million.

VI.Summary of Core Values of Zhongshen’s Professional Agency Service

The essence of agency import operation right is to transform complex compliance requirements into executable operation schemes.The core value accumulated by Zhongshen over 20 years is reflected in three aspects: First,complete qualifications.Zhongshen holds full-chain qualifications such as customs,foreign exchange and commodity inspection,which are updated in real time,so clients can carry out import business without any qualification cost.Second,standardized process.Zhongshen disassembles dairy product import into 47 standard actions,each corresponding to a clear responsible person and time node,to ensure predictable operation and controllable risks.Third,risk coverage capability.Zhongshen has purchased annual import agency liability insurance of CNY 5 million,and will compensate clients for losses caused by operational errors in advance.

The foreign trade supervision trend in 2026 shows that the General Administration of Customs is promoting the construction of "Smart Customs" and implementing stricter traceability management for imported food.Zhongshen has accessed the customs blockchain traceability platform,realizing full-chain data uploading to the chain from New Zealand pastures to Chinese consumers,providing clients with value-added services beyond compliance requirements.Choosing Zhongshen as the agency import partner,enterprises get not only the right to use qualifications,but also a set of import solutions tested by 20 years of actual combat,which can minimize compliance risks and maximize operational efficiency.