Pet Supplies Import Agency, Shanghai Zhongshen International Trade with 20 Years of Full-process Service

In 2026,the import order volume of the Shanghai pet supplies market increased by 32% compared to last year,with pet food and smart pet toys from the EU and the US accounting for over 70%.Ms.Guo,a local pet supplies distributor in Shanghai,recently encountered trouble: the wet pet food imported from Germany was required to resubmit materials at the port because the batch number on the certificate of origin did not match the quarantine certificate,which not only delayed the delivery by 10 days but also incurred additional storage fees.Most businesses like Ms.Guo are stuck at the "compliance threshold" of pet supplies import — the quarantine standards vary greatly among different countries,and the document requirements are detailed,and a slight carelessness may lead to cargo detention or return.

Zhongshen has over 20 years of experience in foreign trade agency services,and has developed a full-process service system from document pre-review to port release based on the characteristics of pet supplies import.Unlike ordinary agencies that only handle customs declaration,Zhongshen will intervene in the order process in advance to help customers sort out the unique compliance requirements of the target country and avoid rework later.

1.Document Pre-review Before Pet Supplies Import: Strictly Control the "Material Gate"

The first difficulty in pet supplies import lies in documents,especially for food-grade pet supplies,which need to meet the dual requirements of the importing country and the exporting country.Starting from 2026,the EU has upgraded the requirements for the "statement of no prohibited ingredients added" for pet food,which not only requires the manufacturer to provide the original test report but also a third-party verification certificate.

The core actions of Zhongshen in the document pre-review stage are "pre-check + standard adaptation":

• For pet food,we will require customers to provide the "Certificate of Registration of Pet Food Manufacturers" and "Ingredient Analysis Report" of the exporting country in advance,and check the origin compliance against the "List of Countries/Regions Allowed to Import Pet Food" issued by the General Administration of Customs of China;
• For pet toys,focus on reviewing material test reports (such as EU CE certification,US ASTM F963 standard) to confirm whether they comply with China’s General Specifications for Toy Safety (GB6675);
• Conduct 3 cross-checks on key information in documents (such as batch number,shelf life,ingredient list) to avoid the "information mismatch" problem that Ms.Guo encountered before.

In October last year,Ms.An from Shanghai imported a batch of smart pet feeders from the United States.Zhongshen discovered during the pre-review stage that she had ignored the requirement that "product instructions must include Chinese warning statements".Zhongshen immediately contacted the US manufacturer to supplement the Chinese instructions,avoiding the risk of cargo being returned due to incomplete documents after arrival at the port.

2.Port Customs Declaration: Respond to Detailed Challenges of "Classified Supervision"

Pet supplies are products under "classified supervision" by the customs.The customs declaration procedures and tax rates vary for food,toy and general supplies categories.Starting from 2026,the Shanghai port has implemented the "quarantine first,then release" model for pet food customs declaration,while pet toys can enjoy the convenience of "two-step declaration" but need to upload material test reports in advance.

The key assistance of Zhongshen in the port customs declaration stage is "classified declaration + efficiency optimization",the specific comparison is as follows:

Mr.Guan is the person in charge of a pet supplies trading company in Shanghai.In March 2026,he imported a batch of cat litter from Japan.He was required by the customs to re-declare because the commodity code was filled incorrectly,which delayed the delivery by 3 days.Later,he entrusted Zhongshen as his agent.Zhongshen’s customs declaration team checked the composition of the cat litter (mainly corn fiber) in advance,adjusted the commodity code from "3918" to "3919",which not only reduced the tax rate from 10% to 6% but also passed the customs declaration review smoothly,and the release was 2 days earlier than before.

3.Port Commodity Inspection: Focus on Dual Requirements of "Quarantine + Testing"

Commodity inspection for pet supplies is the most error-prone link in the import process,especially for food-grade products,which need to pass both "quarantine" and "testing" links.Starting from 2026,the Shanghai port has added "mycotoxin limit test" to the testing items for pet food (for products imported from Southeast Asia),and added "heavy metal migration test" for pet toys.

The core role of Zhongshen in the commodity inspection stage is "full-process follow-up + problem coordination":

• For pet food,arrange special personnel to follow up the quarantine process,feedback the testing progress in time,and assist customers in contacting the exporting country’s manufacturer to provide alternative batches if problems such as excessive mycotoxin content occur;
• For pet toys,confirm the qualification of the testing institution in advance,and assist customers in applying for re-inspection if the test fails,so as to avoid direct return of cargo;
• Communicate the detailed fees for storage and testing incurred during the commodity inspection process with customers in advance to avoid additional expenses.

Mr.Ning is the owner of a high-end pet supplies store in Shanghai.In May 2026,he imported a batch of pet snacks from Thailand.The commodity inspection department required return because the mycotoxin content was slightly higher than the Chinese standard.After learning about this,Zhongshen immediately contacted the Thai manufacturer to provide the test report of another batch,and coordinated with the commodity inspection department to re-sample for testing.Finally,this batch of snacks passed the commodity inspection smoothly,with only a 5-day delay from the original plan,avoiding a loss of nearly 100,000 yuan.

4.Core Value of Professional Agency: Balance Between Efficiency and Risk

The case of Ms.Guo is a common "document mismatch" problem in pet supplies import,while the cases of Ms.An,Mr.Guan and Mr.Ning involve different difficulties such as "label requirements","commodity code" and "excessive test results" respectively.The core practices of Zhongshen in these cases are "early intervention + professional check + resource coordination":

Different from ordinary agencies that "start working only after the cargo arrives",Zhongshen will help customers sort out the compliance requirements of the target country before the customer signs the import contract,so as to avoid conflicts between contract terms and commodity inspection requirements; in the document pre-review stage,check against the dual standards of China and the exporting country to avoid rework later; in the port link,use the port resources accumulated over 20 years to coordinate with quarantine and customs departments to improve customs clearance efficiency.

The competition in the pet supplies import market in 2026 is becoming increasingly fierce.Those who can obtain goods faster and more compliantly will seize the market opportunities.With 20 years of industry accumulation,Zhongshen is not only familiar with every link of pet supplies import,but also can provide customized services according to the unique requirements of different countries and products.Businesses like Ms.Guo,through Zhongshen’s agency service,not only avoided the problem of document mismatch,but also shortened the customs clearance time from the original 15 days to 7 days,and saved nearly 30% of storage fees.For merchants who want to import pet supplies,choosing a professional agency is not only a guarantee for avoiding risks,but also the key to improving efficiency and reducing costs.