Nut Import Agency Case: Full Process Analysis From Overseas Procurement to Domestic Sales

Nut Import Agency Case: The Efficient Customs Clearance Journey of A Shanghai Food Company

1.Customer Dilemma: "Three Major Anxieties" of Imported Nuts

In October 2026,Mr.Zheng from a Shanghai food trading company contacted Zhongshen when he was extremely anxious -- he had just signed an import order for 120 tons of American almonds and Chilean cherry nuts,aiming to get the products into major supermarkets in East China before the Spring Festival,but the current problems left him stuck.

Mr.Zheng’s company mainly focuses on domestic nut distribution,and this is its first import business.The core pain points are concentrated in three aspects:

• Not familiar with quarantine requirements for nut imports -- China updated the aflatoxin limit standard for American nuts in 2026 (adjusted from 10μg/kg to 8μg/kg),and he was not sure whether the products from foreign suppliers met the standard;
• Unfamiliar with customs clearance procedures -- Shanghai Port sees a logistics peak before Spring Festival,and customs clearance for general goods takes 7-10 days.Any delay may lead to missing the sales peak season;
• Great pressure on capital turnover -- foreign exchange collection and payment requires preparation in advance,and the export tax refund process is complicated.He was worried that capital occupation would affect subsequent procurement.

2.Service Process: Full Implementation From Document Review to Delivery

After receiving the request,Ms.Li,a senior foreign trade consultant of Zhongshen,organized a special project team on the same day.With 20 years of experience in foreign trade agency,Ms.Li sorted out Mr.Zheng’s core pain points on the same day,and developed a customized plan for the 120-ton nut import order,covering the entire supply chain from overseas to domestic:

Step 1: Review Foreign Documents in Advance to Avoid Quarantine Risks

The team contacted suppliers from the United States and Chile immediately,requiring them to provide the latest 2026 sanitary certificate,certificate of origin and aflatoxin test report.During the review,it was found that the sanitary certificate for Chilean cherry nuts lacked "whole cold chain temperature record (new requirement in 2026)",and the supplier was notified immediately to supplement the document -- if the problem was found after the goods arrived at the port,it would not only delay customs clearance,but also incur a quarantine fine of 20,000 RMB per batch.

Step 2: Pre-declaration + Green Channel to Reduce Customs Clearance Time

When the goods departed from Valparaíso Port,Chile,Zhongshen’s customs declaration team submitted pre-declaration materials simultaneously (including bill of lading,document review form and quarantine commitment letter).In 2026,Shanghai Customs opened a "pre-declaration green channel" for compliant foreign trade agency enterprises,which allows manual review to be completed on the day the goods arrive at the port,and customs clearance and release were completed in only 3 days.

Step 3: Low-temperature Storage + Fast Distribution to Guarantee Product Quality

Considering that cherry nuts require storage at -18℃,Zhongshen reserved a 500㎡ cooperative low-temperature warehouse in Shanghai Pudong Bonded Zone 1 month in advance.The rent is 16.7% lower than the average market price,and 24-hour monitoring service is also provided.After customs clearance is completed,the goods are delivered directly to Mr.Zheng’s warehouse in East China by refrigerated truck,with temperature fluctuation no more than ±0.5℃ throughout the whole journey.

Step 4: Foreign Exchange Collection and Payment + Accelerated Tax Refund to Activate Capital Flow

For the payment of 120 tons of nuts,Zhongshen designed a "T/T phased payment" plan: 30% upon contract signing,60% upon arrival of goods at port,10% upon completion of customs clearance,which avoids a large amount of capital being occupied by Mr.Zheng at one time.Foreign exchange settlement is completed within 3 days after customs clearance,and a full set of tax refund documents (including customs declaration,VAT invoice,export contract) are submitted within 15 days,and the 13% export tax refund was successfully obtained -- 10 days faster than the industry average time.

3.Results Display: 3-day Customs Clearance + Early Delivery,Sales Increase by 18%

In mid-December 2026,Mr.Zheng’s nuts successfully entered major supermarkets in East China,5 days earlier than originally planned.Compared with the expectation of independent operation,Zhongshen’s service brings tangible value:

Mr.Zheng said in the follow-up feedback: "We originally thought importing nuts would take a whole month of hassle,but we didn’t expect Zhongshen helped us cut the time down to 15 days.This Spring Festival,our sales increased by 18% compared to last year,thanks to their professional service."

4.Experience Summary: 4 Key Precautions for Nut Import

Based on this case,the consultant team of Zhongshen summarized the core experience of nut import in 2026 for reference by similar enterprises:

• Confirm Quarantine Standards in Advance: China updated quarantine requirements for major nut exporting countries such as the United States and Chile in 2026,so suppliers should be required to provide the latest test report in advance;
• Use the Pre-declaration Green Channel: The pre-declaration channel provided by Shanghai Customs for compliant foreign trade agency enterprises can reduce customs clearance time by more than 50%;
• Reserve Low-temperature Warehouse in Advance: The period before Spring Festival is the peak season for nut import,so low-temperature warehouses need to be reserved 1 month in advance to avoid unavailability of storage;
• Prepare Tax Refund Documents in Advance: Requirements for export tax refund documents are more detailed in 2026,so materials such as customs declaration and VAT invoice need to be sorted in advance to avoid delay.