Analysis of Japan Pet Supplies Import Agency Process and Compliance Key Points

Japanese Imported Pet Supplies: Import Difficulties Amid High Market Popularity

In 2026,the size of domestic pet consumption market exceeded 300 billion yuan.Among them,Japanese imported pet food,toys and grooming products have become popular choices for many merchants due to their rich segmented categories and strict safety standards.However,many local traders in Shanghai reported to General Manager Zeng that the threshold for importing Japanese pet supplies is not low.For example,pet food needs to meet the feed safety standards of the Ministry of Agriculture,Forestry and Fisheries of Japan,and pass the quarantine approval of domestic customs.Any slight omission in documents may lead to cargo detention at the port.

General Manager Zeng mentioned that when his company imported pet snacks of a Japanese brand for the first time last year,they failed to confirm the format requirements of the Exporting Country Quarantine Certificate in advance.After the goods arrived at the port,they were required to supplement materials by the commodity inspection department,resulting in 10 days of port detention and nearly 20,000 yuan of container detention fees."We only learned later that the certificate issued by the Japanese official authority requires a specific signature page,and we can’t figure out these details at all when operating by ourselves."

Zhongshen: Core Support for Japanese Pet Supplies Import

Zhongshen has been deeply engaged in the foreign trade agency industry for more than 20 years.In response to the special requirements for Japanese pet supplies import,it has established a full-process service system from document pre-audit to customs clearance and release.Manager Tang said that the core difficulty of importing Japanese pet supplies lies in "dual standard compliance" -- it needs to meet both Japanese local production standards and domestic quarantine and safety requirements,and the value of agency services is to help customers accurately align with these standards and avoid pitfalls.

Breakdown of Japanese Pet Supplies Import Process and Zhongshen’s Support Key Points

Import of Japanese pet supplies needs to go through 4 core stages,each with unique compliance requirements for this category,and Zhongshen will provide targeted assistance:

1.Document Pre-audit and Quarantine Pre-arrangement

This is the key link before import.If the documents are unqualified,the goods may be directly returned after shipment.The unique requirements for Japanese pet supplies include:

• Pet food/snacks (animal-derived): Exporting Country Quarantine Certificate issued by the Ministry of Agriculture,Forestry and Fisheries of Japan is required,and the certificate must include information such as product ingredients,production batches,official signature and seal of the exporting country; meanwhile,domestic Import Animal and Plant Quarantine Permit shall be processed in advance
• Pet toys (plastic/rubber type): Japanese JIS standard test report is required to confirm that the material contains no harmful chemical substances
• Pet grooming products: Safety certification from the Ministry of Health,Labour and Welfare of Japan and MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) are required

Zhongshen’s support: Manager Tang’s team will pre-audit all documents provided by customers 1-2 weeks before the goods are shipped,such as checking whether the validity period of the Exporting Country Quarantine Certificate is within 6 months,and whether the ingredient list complies with the domestic Catalogue of Feed Additive Varieties; if a quarantine permit is required,they will assist customers in preparing application materials and coordinating with the quarantine department to ensure that the permit is obtained before the goods arrive at the port.

2.Port Customs Declaration and Inspection

When declaring the import of Japanese pet supplies,in addition to the regular customs declaration form,bill of lading,invoice and packing list,the corresponding quarantine certificate and test report shall also be submitted.Shanghai ports (Pudong Airport,Yangshan Port) focus on "document consistency" and "product labeling compliance" when inspecting Japanese pet supplies -- for example,the Chinese label of pet food must include information such as ingredients,shelf life and place of origin,and shall be filed in advance.

Zhongshen’s support: Zhongshen’s customs declaration team is familiar with the customs declaration process of Shanghai ports,and will enter the declaration information in advance to avoid the increase of inspection rate caused by declaration errors; if the goods are selected for inspection,a special person will be arranged to accompany the commodity inspection personnel for inspection,so as to ensure the smooth inspection process and shorten the inspection time.

3.Commodity Inspection and Release

Commodity inspection is the core link of Japanese pet supplies import,and the quarantine requirements vary for different categories:

Category	Unique Quarantine Requirements	Zhongshen’s Support Key Points
Pet food/snacks (animal-derived)	Sampling test for indicators such as protein,fat,heavy metals (lead,mercury),microorganisms (salmonella),etc.; confirm no harmful organisms are carried	Assist customers in preparing samples required for sampling (at least 3 copies per batch); arrange for sample submission,track the test progress,and complete the release within 3 working days if the test is qualified
Pet toys (plastic/rubber type)	Test whether the material complies with GB 6675 safety standard; confirm no animal-derived components	Communicate with the commodity inspection authority in advance to confirm whether additional testing is required; if testing is required,assist in contacting a third-party testing institution and provide the test report
Pet grooming products	Test whether the ingredients comply with the domestic Safety and Technical Standards for Cosmetics; confirm no irritating substances	Check the ingredient information in the MSDS; assist in special marking during declaration to avoid inspection rejection due to ingredient problems

4.Warehousing and Distribution

After the import of Japanese pet supplies,some merchants need temporary storage or sorting,especially for small-batch orders.Zhongshen has self-owned warehouses in Shanghai,providing temporary storage,sorting and distribution services for pet supplies to meet the different needs of merchants.

Practical Case: Ms.Yin’s Experience of Importing Japanese Pet Snacks

Ms.Yin is a pet supplies trader in Shanghai.When she imported pet snacks of a Japanese brand for the first time in 2025,she failed to pre-audit the documents in advance,resulting in 10 days of cargo detention at the port and a loss of nearly 20,000 yuan.When she imported the same brand of snacks again in 2026,she chose the agency service of Zhongshen:

• Manager Tang’s team pre-audited the Exporting Country Quarantine Certificate in advance,pointed out that the certificate lacked the official signature page of Japan,and assisted Ms.Yin in contacting the Japanese supplier to supplement materials
• Processed the Import Animal and Plant Quarantine Permit in advance to ensure that all documents were complete before the goods arrived at the port
• After the goods arrived at the port,Zhongshen’s customs declaration team completed the customs declaration within 3 days,and the test report was issued 2 days after the commodity inspection sampling,and the goods were released smoothly

Ms.Yin said: "This import not only saved the container detention fee,but also we got the goods 7 days earlier than before,which just caught up with the domestic promotion activities,and we made a lot more profit."

Summary: Value of Professional Agency Services

For merchants who want to import Japanese pet supplies,choosing professional agency services can not only save time and cost,but also avoid losses caused by compliance issues.With 20 years of industry experience,Zhongshen provides full-process services from document pre-audit to customs clearance and release in response to the special requirements of Japanese pet supplies,helping customers smoothly introduce high-quality Japanese pet supplies to the domestic market.