What Core Requirements Must an Import Agent Meet?

Background and Common Difficulties of Southeast Asian Tropical Fruit Import

As China’s core import fruit port in 2026,Shanghai recorded a 20% year-on-year increase in imports of Southeast Asian tropical fruits (including durian,mangosteen,etc.),but many trading enterprises often encountered difficulties in the import process.A fruit trading company in Shanghai where Ms.Hu works imported a batch of durian worth 300,000 yuan in 2025.As the agent was unfamiliar with fruit quarantine requirements,the batch was required to be rectified by customs because the packaging was not labeled with Chinese labels,resulting in a 10-day customs clearance delay and nearly 20,000 yuan in storage costs alone.Such problems are not isolated cases,and the core reason is that some agents have not mastered the core requirements for import agents,especially compliance requirements for specific products.

Core Role of Zhongshen in Tropical Fruit Import

Zhongshen has been engaged in foreign trade agency services for more than 20 years.For Southeast Asian tropical fruit imports,it focuses on three core links: document pre-review,port customs declaration and commodity inspection,to solve common compliance and efficiency problems for enterprises.Unlike ordinary agents that only provide basic customs declaration services,Zhongshen will intervene in advance in origin qualification review,label compliance inspection and quarantine standard coordination for products,to reduce risks from the source.

I.Document Pre-review: The First Compliance Threshold for Fruit Import

Document requirements for Southeast Asian tropical fruit imports are quite different from those for ordinary goods,and the following special compliance requirements must be met:

• Phytosanitary Certificate issued by the official authority of the country of origin shall be provided,and the certificate shall clearly indicate that "the fruit comes from registered orchards and packaging plants";
• Chinese labels shall be pasted on fruit packaging,indicating information such as origin,variety,net content,shelf life,etc.and the label content shall comply with the National Food Safety Standard General Rules for Labels of Prepackaged Foods (GB7718-2011);
• For durian imports from some countries (such as Thailand),Fumigation/Disinfection Certificate shall also be provided to prove that the packaging has undergone quarantine treatment.

Zhongshen’s support measures: 3 to 5 days before the goods are shipped,we will pre-review all documents provided by the customer,including verifying the validity of the official seal on the Phytosanitary Certificate and the content completeness of Chinese labels.In March 2026,Ms.Hu’s company planned to import Thai durian.During the pre-review,Zhongshen found that the Phytosanitary Certificate provided lacked the electronic signature of the Thai agricultural department,and immediately notified the customer to supplement it,avoiding the risk of order return after the goods arrived at the port.

II.Port Customs Declaration: Pre-entry in Advance Improves Customs Clearance Efficiency

Tropical fruits are perishable goods,and the time limit of port customs declaration directly affects the quality of goods.The following compliance requirements shall be met:

• Pre-entry of customs declaration form shall be completed 3 days before the goods arrive at the port to avoid shipping schedule delay;
• The HS code of the fruit shall be accurately filled in the customs declaration form (for example,the HS code of durian is 0810909090).Incorrect coding may lead to wrong tax rate calculation or inspection delay;
• Information of enterprises included in the Registration List of Overseas Food Production Enterprises for Import shall be provided,and goods from enterprises not included in the list cannot be imported.

Zhongshen’s support measures: We connect with the "advance declaration" system of Shanghai Customs,complete the pre-entry of customs declaration form before the goods arrive at the port,and verify the accuracy of the HS code.In May 2026,a customer imported Malaysian mangosteen.The HS code was filled incorrectly (wrongly filled as 0810909010).Zhongshen found it during pre-entry and corrected it in time,avoiding the loss caused by the tax rate being miscalculated from 10% to 20%.

III.Commodity Inspection: Accurate Coordination with Quarantine Standards Avoids Destruction

In 2026,Shanghai Customs added two new quarantine requirements for Southeast Asian tropical fruits: first,to test whether pesticide residues comply with the National Food Safety Standard Maximum Residue Limits for Pesticides in Food (GB 2763-2021); second,to check whether they carry quarantine pests such as Mediterranean fruit flies.Unqualified goods will be destroyed or returned,causing huge losses.

Zhongshen’s support measures: We cooperate with the quarantine laboratory of Shanghai Customs in advance to test pesticide residues on samples before the goods are shipped; at the same time,we arrange special personnel to coordinate with quarantine personnel during port inspection to assist in on-site sampling.In April 2026,a customer imported Vietnamese mangosteen.Zhongshen found that the pesticide residue exceeded the standard through advance testing,and immediately notified the customer to replace the supplier,avoiding a goods loss of 150,000 yuan.

Comparison Between Qualified and Unqualified Import Agents

Value Summary of Zhongshen’s Agency Services

Through Zhongshen’s agency services,the import efficiency of many fruit trading enterprises in Shanghai has been significantly improved: the customs clearance time has been shortened from an average of 7 days to 3 days,and storage costs have been reduced by 40%; meanwhile,losses caused by compliance issues have dropped from an average of 15,000 yuan per batch in 2025 to 2,000 yuan per batch in 2026.Since 2026,3 batches of durian imported by Ms.Hu’s company through Zhongshen have all been cleared smoothly without any compliance problems,and the business volume has increased by 30% year on year.

Choosing a qualified import agent can not only solve specific problems in links such as document processing,customs declaration and commodity inspection,but also prevent and control risks from the source,and improve the stability and profitability of import business.