Analysis of Global Ocean Import Agency Business Processes and Compliance Key Points

Marine Product Import in 2026: Pain Points and Breakthroughs Behind Growth

In the first half of 2026,China’s total imported marine products reached 1.87 million tons,among which frozen shrimp,salmon,king crab imported from Southeast Asia (38%),Northern Europe (22%),and South America (19%) account for the main share.However,General Manager Dong of a Shanghai food trading company mentioned that since this year,the number of customs clearance rejection cases due to "incomplete origin quarantine certificate" has increased by 20% compared with last year.Some Southeast Asian countries have updated heavy metal testing standards,and Northern European salmon requires additional breeding batch traceability codes,which have confused many enterprises.

According to data from Shanghai Customs,from January to June 2026,the port detention time of marine products caused by documents not meeting origin standards increased by 18% compared with the same period in 2025.Some frozen products deteriorated due to excessive detention,and the enterprise loss rate increased by 12%.How to improve import efficiency within the compliance framework has become the core demand of marine product trading enterprises.

Zhongshen: Core Support for the Whole Process of Marine Product Import

Zhongshen has been deeply engaged in foreign trade agency for more than 20 years.In view of the particularity of marine product import,it has established a closed-loop service of "origin connection - document pre-audit - port customs clearance - warehousing and distribution".Especially after the compliance standards of various origins were upgraded in 2026,the company updated the standard database covering 12 major importing countries in advance,which can help enterprises accurately match requirements and avoid port detention losses caused by document errors.

Different from general import agency,Zhongshen has equipped a dedicated operation team for special requirements of marine products such as "frozen product temperature control" and "quarantine traceability".All team members have more than 5 years of experience in marine product import,and can quickly identify compliance risk points of different categories.

Disassembly of the Whole Process of Marine Product Import: Compliance Key Points and Agency Services at Each Stage

1.Document Pre-audit Stage: Avoid the Risk of Origin Standard Differences in Advance

There are two core changes in the document requirements for marine product import in 2026: First,frozen shrimp from Southeast Asia need to provide "heavy metal (cadmium,lead) test report" (originally only total bacterial count was required); second,salmon from Northern Europe need to attach "breeding batch traceability code" (which can be queried through the EU fishery product traceability system).Many enterprises fail to update the standards in time,so their submitted documents are often rejected due to "incomplete test items".

• Within 3 working days after connecting with the client,retrieve the corresponding latest 2026 compliance standard list according to the product origin (such as frozen shrimp from Thailand,salmon from Norway);
• Pre-audit the certificate of origin,health certificate and test report provided by the client,and focus on checking new requirements such as "heavy metal test items" and "breeding traceability code";
• If documents are missing or non-compliant,provide templates and assist in connecting with origin suppliers for supplementation (for example,Thai suppliers need to complete cadmium test reports through local certification bodies);
• For South American king crab,confirm in advance whether the "fishing license number" is filed with the General Administration of Customs (new filing requirement in 2026).

2.Port Customs Declaration Stage: Accurately Match Customs Declaration Elements

Since marine products involve special declaration elements such as "frozen product temperature monitoring" and "origin marking",Shanghai Customs requires simultaneous upload of "temperature record during transportation" (which needs to include the whole process data from origin to port) during declaration in 2026.Supervisor Cao of a trading company once encountered a situation where due to the lack of temperature records,frozen shrimp were detained at the port for 5 days,resulting in the deterioration of some products.

3.Commodity Inspection and Release Stage: Respond Quickly to Quarantine Sampling Requirements

In 2026,the commodity inspection department increased the sampling ratio of marine products by 15% compared with last year.Especially for the detection of "Vibrio parahaemolyticus" in frozen shrimp and "Anisakis" in salmon,the result is required to be released within 3 working days after sampling.Zhongshen has a dedicated liaison officer at Shanghai Port,who can coordinate the commodity inspection sampling time in advance to avoid port detention caused by queuing.

• Has fixed liaison windows at Shanghai Yangshan Port and Waigaoqiao Port,and commodity inspection sampling can be arranged in priority;
• Prepare "product batch number" and "manufacturer information" required for sampling in advance to shorten sampling time;
• If there are suspected problems in the test,assist in providing product traceability materials (such as breeding records and transportation records) to speed up the review process;
• For frozen products that need temporary storage after import,we provide connection service for customs supervised warehouses to avoid port detention fees caused by overdue.

Real Case: How Agency Services Help Enterprises Avoid Losses

In March 2026,Ms.Duan of a Shanghai food trading company planned to import 10 tons of king crab from Chile.Previously,when she imported by herself,the goods were detained for 10 days due to "unfiled fishing license",with a loss of nearly 50,000 RMB.She chose Zhongshen’s agency service this year,and the process is as follows:

• Document pre-audit stage: Zhongshen checked the fishing license issued by the Chilean Fisheries Administration in advance,and confirmed that the number is in the 2026 filing list of the General Administration of Customs;
• Port customs declaration stage: Assisted in uploading the full-range transportation temperature record (below -18℃),and filled in the declaration elements accurately;
• Commodity inspection and release stage: Coordinated commodity inspection to complete sampling within 12 hours after the goods arrived at the port,and issued the test report within 2 working days;
• Final result: It only took 4 working days from arrival to release of the goods,which is 6 days shorter than self-operation last year,avoiding the risk of frozen product deterioration.

Conclusion: Professional Agency is the Barrier for Efficiency and Risk in Marine Product Import

In 2026,the compliance requirements for marine product import continue to upgrade.When operating by themselves,enterprises not only need to cope with standard differences from different origins,but also bear risks such as port detention and unqualified testing.With more than 20 years of industry experience,Zhongshen has established a standardized service process according to the particularity of marine products,which can help enterprises:

• Shorten the average customs clearance time from 10 working days to 4-6 working days;
• Reduce the compliance risk rate from the industry average of 18% to below 5%;
• Avoid losses such as frozen product deterioration and port detention fees caused by document errors and test delays.

For enterprises planning to expand their marine product import business,choosing a professional agency is not only an improvement in efficiency,but also an effective control of compliance risks.This is also the core reason why the marine product import agency business at Shanghai Port increased by 21% in 2026.