What Core Responsibilities Does an Import Agent Cover? Must-Read for Enterprises Engaged in Import

Import of Southeast Asian Tropical Fruits: Hidden Challenges in the Process

In Shanghai’s import supermarkets in 2026,price tags for Thai Monthong durian often read "Freshly Arrived This Week",but many traders privately admit: "The profit from selling goods may not even cover the losses incurred in import links." As a category whose import volume in Shanghai grows at an annual rate of 12%,Southeast Asian tropical fruits seem to have considerable profits,but actually hide many "hidden thresholds".For example,the certificate of origin must be officially issued as Form E (China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement),but many small suppliers are used to using certificates from non-governmental institutions.Another example is that the methyl bromide fumigation treatment for durian must clearly indicate "fumigation date + agent concentration" on the certificate; even a missing character may lead to goods being detained by the port customs.

"When I handled imports by myself before,I revised the documents three times,and finally the order was rejected because the certificate of origin had no customs seal," said Ms.Hao from a Shanghai food trading company."Later,a friend recommended Zhongshen,and I realized that an import agent is not just ’running errands’,but ensuring that compliance requirements for each link are met in advance."

Zhongshen: Connecting Dispersed Links into a "One-Stop Channel"

As a Shanghai-based agency with 20 years of experience in foreign trade,Zhongshen does not just help enterprises "submit materials".Instead,based on the characteristics of fresh products such as tropical fruits,it divides its services into four core stages: "pre-check → port customs clearance → warehousing and logistics → foreign exchange settlement".Each stage focuses on "unique compliance requirements",such as the quarantine inspection rate for fresh animal and plant products and the tariff reduction conditions of free trade agreements,which are easily overlooked by enterprises when handling imports by themselves.

1.Pre-Check: Block Risks Before Shipment

The first hurdle for importing Southeast Asian tropical fruits is document compliance.The 2026 pre-check requirements of Shanghai Customs for such products clearly specify 4 "mandatory inspection items":

• The Form E certificate of origin must be issued by the official authority of an ASEAN country and correspond one-to-one with the goods batch;
• The plant quarantine certificate must indicate "fumigation treatment information" (for example,Thai durian requires methyl bromide fumigation with a concentration ≥48g/m³);
• The sanitary certificate must include a "pesticide residue test report" (for example,the limit of chlorothalonil for pitaya is ≤0.2mg/kg);
• The packing list must indicate "temperature setting of each container".

Zhongshen’s approach is to "connect with foreign parties in advance": 3 days before the goods are shipped,the document team will check every document with foreign suppliers via video.For example,the supplier of Ms.Hao previously used a certificate of origin from a non-governmental chamber of commerce.After Zhongshen discovered this in advance,it helped her contact the Thai official customs to resend the document,avoiding the situation where goods could not be cleared after arriving at the port.

2.Port Customs Clearance: The Key to Keeping Fresh Products "Not Staying Overnight"

Tropical fruits are most afraid of "staying at the port".In 2026,the inspection rate of fresh animal and plant products by Shanghai Customs is no less than 30%.Without advance preparation,it is easy to miss the best sales period.Zhongshen’s core actions in this stage are "reservation + accompaniment":

First,make an appointment for the inspection time in the customs system 24 hours in advance according to the goods’ arrival time to avoid morning and evening peaks.Second,arrange a dedicated person to take "original documents + samples" to the designated inspection point.For example,Vietnamese pitaya requires on-site sampling for pesticide residue testing.Zhongshen’s staff will pre-divide the samples into 3 portions (one for customs,one for the laboratory,and one for retention) to avoid wasting time due to repeated sampling.

"The company of Director Lu previously imported pitaya.Because no inspection appointment was made,the goods stayed at the port for 3 days,with a loss rate of 12%," said the document supervisor of Zhongshen."Later,we helped him optimize the appointment process,and now the goods can be released on the same day of inspection,with the loss rate reduced to less than 3%."

3.Warehousing and Logistics: Cold Chain Qualification is a "Hard Threshold"

Warehousing for tropical fruits is not just finding a random cold storage.In 2026,Shanghai Customs requires that warehousing enterprises for imported fresh animal and plant products must have "customs-filed cold chain qualifications" and record "temperature + humidity" data in real time,with a retention period of more than 6 months.The cold storages that Zhongshen cooperates with are all located near Pudong and Yangshan Port in Shanghai.For example,durian requires a refrigerated temperature of 10-12℃,while pitaya requires 8-10℃.The cold storage will store goods in separate zones according to different categories,and arrange dedicated staff to record the temperature every 2 hours.

The company of General Manager Cheng previously used an unfiled cold storage.During a customs spot check,it was found that the temperature records were incomplete,resulting in a fine of 20,000 yuan and a suspension of import qualifications for 3 months.Later,Zhongshen helped him connect with a compliant cold storage,and also established a "temperature monitoring ledger".After each arrival of goods,the records are sent to the customs,and no problems have occurred since then.

4.Foreign Exchange Settlement: Don’t Let "Overdue Payment" Deduct Money

Import payment seems simple,but the new regulations of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange in 2026 require that payment must be completed within 90 days after the goods are imported,otherwise the bank will impose penalty interest (calculated at a daily interest rate of 0.05%).Zhongshen’s role in this link is "verification + reminder":

First,help enterprises verify the consistency of "customs declaration form + contract + invoice" to ensure that the payment amount matches the goods value.Second,send a reminder letter to the enterprise 75 days after the goods arrive at the port to avoid overdue payment.For example,the company of Ms.Sheng was busy with sales and forgot to make the payment,resulting in a penalty interest of more than 8,000 yuan.Later,Zhongshen helped her sort out the process,and now all payments are made on time.

In addition,Zhongshen will also help enterprises enjoy tariff reductions by utilizing free trade agreements.For example,the most-favored-nation tariff for Thai durian is 20%,but using the Form E certificate of origin can enjoy a 5% reduction.10 containers of durian (each container with a value of 1 million yuan) can save 150,000 yuan,a benefit that many enterprises overlook when handling imports by themselves.

Real Case: "Customs Clearance Efficiency Battle" for 10 Containers of Durian

In June 2025,a Shanghai trading company planned to import 10 containers of Thai Monthong durian.When preparing documents by themselves in the early stage,they missed the "fumigation date" on the certificate of origin,and the goods were detained by customs after arriving at the port.Later,they contacted Zhongshen urgently:

• Zhongshen’s document team contacted the Thai supplier on the same day and asked to resend the official fumigation certificate;
• Made an appointment for the inspection time the next morning and arranged a dedicated person to accompany the sampling;
• Cooperated with the customs-filed cold storage at Yangshan Port and pre-set the refrigerated temperature for the durian;
• Helped them apply for tariff reductions using Form E when making payment,saving 120,000 yuan.

Finally,it only took 5 days from the arrival of the goods to their launch on the market,half the time of the 12 days it would have taken if the enterprise handled it by itself.The loss rate also dropped from the previous 8% to 2%.

In-House Import vs.Zhongshen Agency: What’s the Difference?

Summary: The Value of Import Agents is "Turning Professionalism into Efficiency"

Many enterprises think that "an import agent just means paying an extra service fee",but in fact,the value of Zhongshen is turning 20 years of industry experience into "implementable processes".For example,knowing the fumigation requirements for Southeast Asian fruits,the reduction conditions of free trade agreements,and the skills for customs inspection appointments.These cannot be achieved just by "understanding the rules"; they are "practical experience" summed up after encountering pitfalls and handling hundreds of orders.

For traders in Shanghai,an import agent is not an "optional service",but a "risk firewall".Especially in 2026,Shanghai Customs’s requirements for import compliance are becoming stricter.Handling the process by oneself not only takes time,but may also result in fines or detention of goods due to a small mistake.Zhongshen can help enterprises block these risks,allowing them to focus on "selling goods" without having to worry about "documents,quarantine,payment" and other matters.