Import Agency Process and Compliance Essentials for Southeast Asian Tropical Fruits

Import of Southeast Asian Tropical Fruits: Customs Clearance Challenges from Thai Orchards to Shanghai Supermarkets

According to 2026 data from Shanghai Port,the import volume of Southeast Asian tropical fruits increased by 12.3% year-on-year,with Thai Monthong durians accounting for more than 40% of the total.However,many importers report frequent bottlenecks in the import process for these products.In the first half of this year,durians worth 120 million yuan were returned at Pudong Port due to inconsistent phytosanitary certificates and missing registered orchard information.Ms.Chen from an East China import trading company once encountered such a problem: when she first imported Thai durians in 2025,the goods were detained at the port for 5 days because the orchard number on the certificate of origin did not match the records filed by the Thai Ministry of Agriculture.About 15% of the durians deteriorated due to temperature fluctuations,resulting in a direct loss of 320,000 yuan.

Core Value of Zhongshen in Durian Import: Blocking Risks Before They Reach the Port

Zhongshen has been engaged in foreign trade agency for more than 20 years.In view of the particularity of importing fresh animal and plant products,it has established a full-process control system of "pre-vetting + port collaboration + warehouse temperature control".Taking Ms.Chen’s 2026 durian import order as an example,Zhongshen intervened in document review in advance and found that the validity period of the phytosanitary certificate submitted by the Thai supplier was only 28 days (Thai authorities require declaration at least 7 days in advance,and the validity period must cover the arrival time).It immediately coordinated with the supplier to reissue the certificate.At the same time,it checked the consistency between the registered orchard number and the public database of the Thai Ministry of Agriculture,avoiding being returned again due to inconsistent information.

Breakdown of Durian Import Process: "Exclusive Thresholds" and Response Plans for Each Link

1.Document Pre-Vetting: Pass the "Thai Official Filing Check" First

In addition to the conventional bills of lading,invoices and packing lists,the core documents for durian import need to meet two unique requirements: Phytosanitary Certificate for Orchards Registered with the Thai Ministry of Agriculture (must indicate the orchard ID,fumigation method and temperature) and Certificate of Origin FORM E under the China-Thailand Free Trade Agreement (must mark the durian variety as "Monthong").

• Zhongshen’s document team will check 10 days in advance whether the orchard ID on the phytosanitary certificate is on the "Registered Orchard List for Fruit Export to China" of the Thai Ministry of Agriculture (32 orchards were updated on this list in 2026,including 5 new organic orchards in Chiang Rai Province);
• Confirm fumigation records: Thai durians must be fumigated with methyl bromide within 72 hours before export,and the fumigation time and concentration must be clearly stated on the phytosanitary certificate.Zhongshen will cross-verify this record with Thai agencies;
• FORM E review: Ensure that the variety name on the certificate of origin matches the Chinese label,avoiding the inability to enjoy tariff preferences due to miswriting "Monthong" as "Monthong Durian".

2.Port Customs Declaration: "Lead Time" for Pre-Inspection Declaration Is Critical

In 2026,the General Administration of Customs implemented dual supervision of "pre-inspection + port inspection" for fresh animal and plant products.As a high-risk product,durians must complete pre-inspection declaration 3 days before the goods arrive at the port.When operating on their own,many enterprises are rejected due to inconsistent declaration information and actual goods (such as wrong number of boxes,missing temperature records),resulting in inability to clear customs in time after arrival.

Zhongshen’s customs declaration team has dedicated personnel to connect with the customs of Shanghai Pudong Port.It will confirm the following before pre-inspection declaration: Real-time temperature monitoring data of containers (durian transportation must be maintained at 10-12℃,with a deviation of no more than ±1℃) and Traceability code for each box of durians (Thailand requires durian exports to be labeled with traceability codes in 2026,which can be used to query orchards and picking times).For Ms.Chen’s shipment,the pre-inspection declaration was completed 2 days before arrival,and the paper documents were submitted on the day of arrival,and the inspection and release were completed within 24 hours.

3.Commodity Inspection: Sampling Test to "Avoid Pest Traps"

Durians are key monitoring targets for Southeast Asian fruit flies.In 2026,the Shanghai Commodity Inspection Bureau increased the sampling ratio for fruit fly detection from 5% to 10%.If a positive result is found,the entire shipment will be destroyed or returned.When operating on their own,enterprises often face the risk of missed inspection due to lack of understanding of sampling rules (such as needing to draw 2 boxes from the middle and bottom of the container respectively).

Zhongshen’s commodity inspection liaison will communicate with the commodity inspection institution in advance on the sampling plan,and coordinate with Thai suppliers to provide "orchard pest and disease monitoring records" (fruit fly trapping data from the past 3 months).If suspected pests are found in the commodity inspection sampling,it will immediately assist the enterprise to provide supplementary certificates (such as inspection reports of other containers in the same batch) to avoid the entire shipment being disposed of.Three boxes of Ms.Chen’s shipment were sampled,no fruit flies were found,and the commodity inspection qualification certificate was issued on the same day.

4.Warehouse and Transportation: Constant Temperature Control to "Reduce Losses"

Durians can be stored for 7-10 days at 10-12℃.If the temperature fluctuation exceeds 2℃,the loss rate will increase by more than 10%.Zhongshen has a cooperative constant temperature warehouse in Pudong,Shanghai,which is equipped with a real-time temperature monitoring system.After customs clearance,the goods are directly transferred to the constant temperature warehouse,and cold chain trucks are used for transportation to supermarkets,with the entire temperature traceable.Ms.Chen’s shipment took only 48 hours from customs clearance to supermarket shelves,with the loss rate controlled within 2%,far lower than the industry average of 5%.

2026 Durian Import Agency: Self-Operation vs.Zhongshen Service Comparison

Summary: Professional Agencies Help Imports "Avoid Detours"

In 2026,the supervision of the import market has become stricter.The import of fresh animal and plant products such as durians requires not only familiarity with conventional customs declaration procedures,but also mastery of details such as quarantine rules of specific countries and orchard registration requirements.With more than 20 years of industry experience,Zhongshen has established exclusive compliance databases for different products,which can identify risk points in advance,such as the orchard ID review and traceability code requirements for Thai durians,helping enterprises avoid losses caused by inconsistent documents and unqualified quarantine.Ms.Chen’s case is the best proof: from a previous loss of 320,000 yuan to a loss rate of 2% in 2026,the value of professional agencies is not only reflected in efficiency improvement,but also in advance risk avoidance.