What is an import agency? Zhongshen helps Shanghai enterprises solve import difficulties

What is an import agency?Core value illustrated by Thai durian import

In 2026,in Shanghai Hongqiao International Central Business District,many procurement managers of food trading companies are troubled by the same issue: importing Monthong durian from Thailand.This tropical fruit has a long import cycle and detailed compliance requirements.A little negligence may lead to cargo detention at the port due to document problems,or pulp deterioration caused by out-of-control cold chain temperature.Last week,Ms.Guo from a Shanghai-based food trading company encountered such trouble: she tried to import durian on her own for the first time,and the Thai phytosanitary certificate she submitted was returned by the commodity inspection authority at Shanghai Pudong International Airport Port as it did not indicate the orchard registration number.With the agreed delivery date approaching,Ms.Guo was extremely anxious.At that time,she contacted Supervisor Xiang from Zhongshen,who helped her solve all problems in only 3 days -- this is the practical value of import agencies in actual business.

Core function of import agencies: not "intermediaries",but full-process risk control

Many enterprises mistakenly believe that import agencies are only "intermediaries helping run procedures".But in fact,the 2026 import market has increasingly higher requirements for compliance,especially for categories such as fresh animal and plant products and chemical products.The core value of import agencies lies in risk avoidance in advance.Taking Thai durian import as an example,there are clear compliance requirements for every link,from the registration qualification of origin orchards,pre-audit of documents,to quarantine inspection during port customs clearance,and full-process monitoring of cold chain,so it is very easy for enterprises to make mistakes when operating on their own.Zhongshen has been deeply engaged in the foreign trade industry for 20 years,and keeps a close eye on policy changes for agricultural product imports from Southeast Asia.It can help enterprises sort out all process nodes in advance,and avoid losses caused by information asymmetry.

Breakdown of Thai durian import process: full-process services of Zhongshen

1.Document pre-audit: the first checkpoint before import

The first difficulty in Thai durian import is document compliance.In 2026,China Customs has further refined document requirements for fresh animal and plant products imported from Southeast Asia: the phytosanitary certificate must be issued by the plant quarantine authority under the Ministry of Agriculture of Thailand,and must indicate the orchard registration number (which is searchable in the "Registered List of Imported Fruit Orchards" of the Certification and Accreditation Administration of China); meanwhile,a packaging statement for durian must be provided to clarify that no wooden packaging materials are used (to avoid carrying harmful organisms).

• Check in advance whether the registration number of the Thai orchard is on the white list of the Certification and Accreditation Administration.If not,assist the enterprise to connect with compliant orchards;
• Review information including the issuing authority,date and batch number of the phytosanitary certificate to ensure consistency with domestic requirements;
• Assist enterprises to fill in the Application Form for Quarantine Approval of Imported Animals and Plants,and handle the quarantine permit in advance (to avoid failure of customs declaration after cargo arrival at the port).

2.Port customs declaration: respond to special requirements for fresh animal and plant products

Durian is classified as "fresh animal and plant product",so it can go through the green channel for priority inspection during port customs declaration,but the inspection requirements are also stricter.In 2026,the key inspection items for durian at Shanghai Port include: confirming that the validity period and variety of the quarantine permit are consistent with the actual goods; checking the container seal number to ensure the cargo is not unpacked during transportation; on-site sampling for pesticide residue detection (including imidacloprid and cypermethrin),which must meet the requirements of GB 2763-2025 Maximum Residue Limits for Pesticides in Food (the maximum residue limit of imidacloprid in durian is ≤0.01mg/kg).

Supervisor Xiang from Zhongshen once handled such a case: in October 2025,the durian imported by a Shanghai trading company was required to be returned by the commodity inspection authority as the pesticide residue exceeded the standard by 0.002mg/kg.Later,the company entrusted Zhongshen as its agent.Zhongshen required Thai suppliers to provide pesticide residue test reports for each batch at the document pre-audit stage to screen compliant batches in advance.Meanwhile,it arranged dedicated personnel to coordinate with the commodity inspection authority at the port to speed up sampling and detection,avoiding storage costs caused by cargo detention at the port.

3.Cold chain transportation and warehousing: ensure the freshness of durian

The optimal storage temperature for durian is 0-4℃,so stable cold chain is required throughout the transportation process.In 2026,Shanghai Port requires imported fresh animal and plant products to provide full-process temperature monitoring records.If the temperature exceeds the limit at any stage,the cargo will be required to be re-inspected.

4.Foreign exchange and follow-up services: solve capital pain points of enterprises

Durian import requires foreign exchange payment.In 2026,the State Administration of Foreign Exchange of China has stricter review requirements for trade foreign exchange.Enterprises need to provide authentic trade contracts,bills of lading,invoices and other documents to purchase foreign exchange.Zhongshen’s foreign exchange team can assist enterprises to complete foreign exchange purchase procedures quickly,and provide export tax rebate consulting services related to entrepot trade to help enterprises revitalize capital.

Case: How was Ms.Guo’s durian import problem solved?

Back to Ms.Guo’s case mentioned at the beginning.When she imported on her own for the first time,she did not know that Thai orchards need to be registered,so the quarantine certificate she submitted did not indicate the registration number and was returned by the port.After contacting Zhongshen,Supervisor Xiang took three measures:

• First,help Ms.Guo connect with 3 Thai orchards on the white list of the Certification and Accreditation Administration,and re-sign the procurement contract;
• Second,assist Ms.Guo to handle the quarantine permit for imported animals and plants,and obtained the certificate in only 2 days;
• Third,coordinate with the cold chain warehouse of Shanghai Pudong Airport to reserve storage space in advance,ensuring that durian is directly put into storage after arrival at the port with full-process temperature monitoring.

Finally,Ms.Guo’s durian completed customs clearance in only 3 days,4 days shorter than her original expected 7 days.The cargo stayed in good freshness and was successfully delivered to downstream customers,avoiding a loss of about 120,000 CNY.

Summary of import agency value: dual guarantee of efficiency and risk control

In the 2026 import market,the cost of self-operation for enterprises is getting higher and higher,especially for fresh animal and plant products such as durian,which have detailed compliance requirements and multiple risk points.The value of import agencies lies not only in "helping run procedures",but also in avoiding risks in advance and improving efficiency.As a foreign trade agency company deeply engaged in Shanghai for 20 years,Zhongshen can accurately grasp the changes of import policies for each category,provide professional services from document pre-audit to port customs clearance,and help enterprises save time and capital costs.