Can Shanghai Foreign Trade Agency Undertake Import Business?

Durian Import from Southeast Asia: Market Background and Pain Points in 2026

In 2026,as a core national import trade hub,Shanghai’s tropical fruit import volume increased by 18% year-on-year compared with 2025.Among them,Southeast Asian durian,with its rich flavor and expanded consumption scenarios (baking and beverage raw materials account for more than 40%),has broken through 35% of the total import share.However,many local Shanghai food traders reported to Mr.Qin that durian import is often stuck at three key links:

• Origin documents do not meet domestic quarantine requirements,and the official QR code issued by the Thai Ministry of Agriculture is found missing on the veterinary health certificate only after the goods arrive at the port;
• Temperature fluctuation in cold chain transportation causes durian over-ripening,and the cargo damage rate of some batches reaches up to 25%;
• Errors in tariff verification during port customs clearance lead to an extra 3% of overpaid fees.

These problems discourage many enterprises that intend to expand import business,and "Can import agency solve these problems?" has become the core question of many traders.

Core Role of Zhongshen in Durian Import

Zhongshen has been deeply engaged in foreign trade for 20 years,and has handled more than 2000 batches of Southeast Asian durian import business in 2026.Its core role is not simply "running errands for customs declaration",but intervening in advance for full-process risk control: from origin document pre-review to domestic warehousing and distribution,each link provides customized services targeting the characteristics of durian.For example,in March 2026,Mr.Liang’s food company planned to import Thai Monthong durian.As a first-time importer,they worried about failing the quarantine.Zhongshen connected with the Thai local agency 10 days in advance,confirmed that all documents complied with the *Administrative Measures for Quarantine of Entry Fruits* updated by China Customs in 2026,and finally customs clearance only took 1.5 days with 0 cargo damage rate.

Full Process Breakdown of Durian Import: Customized Service by Zhongshen

1.Document Pre-review Stage: Keep the First Gate of Origin Compliance

As an entry fruit,China’s 2026 quarantine requirements for durian added a new "origin pest and disease monitoring report",which needs to be combined with the veterinary health certificate and phytosanitary certificate as a complete set of documents.Many enterprises fail to submit the monitoring report,resulting in temporary storage of goods after arrival at the port,generating 500 RMB per container of storage fee per day.

Practices of Zhongshen:

• After the customer confirms the origin of durian,we first provide the *Quarantine Access List for Imported Fruits* for verification (Thai Monthong and Malaysian Musang King are still on the access list in 2026);
• Require the origin agency to submit scanned copies of all documents 3 days in advance,which will be verified by Zhongshen’s quarantine specialists: the veterinary health certificate must have the official QR code of the Thai Ministry of Agriculture,the phytosanitary certificate must be marked with "free of thrips epidemic",and the packaging statement must comply with IPPC-15 standard;
• If document deficiency is found,we directly coordinate with the origin agency for supplementation,avoiding rework after the goods arrive at the port.

2.International Transportation Stage: Full-process Controllable Cold Chain Temperature

The optimal storage temperature for durian is 12-14℃.Temperatures below 10℃ will cause frost damage,and temperatures above 16℃ will accelerate ripening.In 2026,Shanghai Port requires all cold chain containers to be equipped with a "real-time temperature monitoring system",and data must be uploaded synchronously to the customs system.

Services provided by Zhongshen:

• We select 3 compliant cold chain shipping companies connected to the Shanghai Customs network (Maersk,Hapag-Lloyd,COSCO SHIPPING) to ensure temperature data traceability;
• We install 2 temperature sensors for each container of durian.If the temperature deviates by more than ±1℃ during transportation,the system will automatically send an early warning,and Zhongshen will immediately coordinate with the shipping company to adjust the temperature;
• We confirm the reefer berth at the destination port (Shanghai Yangshan Port) in advance to avoid queuing delay after arrival.

3.Port Customs Declaration Stage: Advance Verification of Tariff and License

In 2026,the import tariff rate of Thai durian is 10%,but enterprises need to provide the Certificate of Origin under the China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement to enjoy the preferential tax rate of 9%.Some enterprises cannot enjoy the preference because the certificate of origin is not marked with "direct transportation",resulting in about 2000 RMB extra tariff per container.In addition,durian import requires the *Entry Animal and Plant Quarantine License*,and advance application is required for a single batch exceeding 50 tons.

Assistance provided by Zhongshen:

• We verify whether the certificate of origin meets the "direct transportation" requirement 3 days before customs declaration (goods are shipped directly from Thailand to Shanghai without transiting through third-party countries);
• If the customer needs to import more than 50 tons of durian,we assist in applying for the *Entry Animal and Plant Quarantine License* in advance (materials such as origin quarantine report and transportation plan are required);
• We adopt the "advance declaration" mode,submit the customs declaration form 24 hours before the goods arrive at the port,and get direct release after customs approval.The customs clearance time is shortened from the industry average of 3 days to 1-2 days.

4.Commodity Inspection and Quarantine Stage: Rapid Response to Abnormalities

Three mandatory tests are required for durian import: radioactivity test,pest test (thrips,fruit fly),and pesticide residue test.In 2026,Shanghai Port requires the test time to be shortened from the original 2 days to 1 day,but some batches are rejected due to abnormal test results.

Experience of Zhongshen:

• We communicate with the port inspection department in advance to confirm the test process,avoiding delay caused by missing documents;
• If thrips are detected,we assist the customer to complete fumigation treatment in accordance with regulations (which must be carried out in the port-designated warehouse,taking about 4 hours),avoiding the entire batch being destroyed;
• After passing the test,we arrange domestic cold chain distribution immediately to ensure the freshness of durian.

Practical Case: Mr.Qin’s Cargo Damage Rate Dropped from 20% to 0

In 2025,Mr.Qin’s food company imported Thai durian for the first time.During self-operation,they missed the "origin pest and disease monitoring report",leading to 3 days of customs clearance delay.In addition,the cold chain temperature fluctuated to 18℃ which caused durian over-ripening,resulting in a 20% cargo damage rate and a total loss of about 50,000 RMB.

In 2026,Mr.Qin commissioned Zhongshen for import agency.The effect comparison is as follows:

Mr.Qin said that the total cost of the 3 batches of durian imported through Zhongshen in 2026 was 12% lower than that of self-operation in 2025.He no longer needs to worry about compliance issues and can focus on domestic sales.

Value of Zhongshen Import Agency: Dual Control of Efficiency and Risk

For enterprises planning to start import business in 2026,Zhongshen’s agency service is not "replacement" but "empowerment":

• Efficiency improvement: Customs clearance time is shortened from the industry average 3 days to 1-2 days,storage cost is reduced by 60%;
• Risk reduction: Document compliance pass rate reaches 99%,cargo damage rate is controlled within 1%;
• Cost optimization: Through preferential tariff,about 2000 RMB of tariff can be saved per container of durian.

Whether you are a small first-time importer or a medium-sized enterprise looking to expand sourcing from Southeast Asia,Zhongshen’s 20 years of experience can cover the whole process and solve all pain points in import.If you have import demand,you can learn more about Zhongshen’s customized services.