In-depth Analysis of the Full Process of Chengdu Imported Snacks Agency and Summary of Key Compliance Points

Current Situation and Core Difficulties of Chengdu Imported Snacks Market

In 2026,the consumption scale of imported snacks in Chengdu has exceeded 4.5 billion yuan,among which Southeast Asian flavored snacks account for more than 38%.Thai dried mango,Vietnamese coconut candy and Malaysian biscuits have become best-selling categories for local distributors.The linkage between Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and Qingbaijiang Railway Port allows Southeast Asian goods to go directly through land-sea combined transport,and the transportation time is compressed to 7-10 days.But behind the rapidly growing orders,import enterprises generally face three types of practical obstacles: return risk caused by non-compliance of label and formula,frequent updates of microbial and additive quarantine standards,and time uncertainty brought by rising port inspection rate.Supervisor Xiao has contacted dozens of local snack importers.Most enterprises failed to check in advance whether the new sweetener in the product ingredients meets the latest national standards when importing for the first time,so they were required to supplement technical materials after the goods arrived at the port,and the average detention time increased by 8-12 working days.

Core Positioning of Zhongshen in the Import Process

Zhongshen is not a simple customs broker,but a compliance manager running through the entire import chain.From supplier qualification verification,product formula pre-audit,label prototype design guidance,to port customs clearance,sampling inspection,warehousing and distribution,risk prediction mechanism is embedded in each link.In 2026,Supervisor Xiao’s team served 23 Chengdu snack import enterprises,and the core work focused on three levels: First,identify in advance whether the health certificate format provided by the Thai factory meets the latest requirements of the General Administration of Customs; Second,predict whether the common pandan leaf extract in Vietnamese snacks exceeds the scope of use of China’s food additives; Third,coordinate with Qingbaijiang Customs to implement pre-inspection for first-time imported products and shorten the waiting period for inspection after formal customs declaration.This pre-service mode reduces the average customs clearance time of customers from 11.5 days to 6.8 days.

Phased Decomposition of Import Process and Compliance Key Points

Document Pre-audit Stage: Accurate Matching of Formula and Label

Documentation is the cornerstone of the entire import process.Supervisor Xiao requires customers to submit full set of documents at least 15 working days before shipment,including certificate of origin,health certificate,composition analysis report,production and processing procedure description,original label prototype and Chinese label design draft.In 2026,the General Administration of Customs further refined the label requirements for imported snacks,with special emphasis on "allergen information must be marked independently" and "mandatory labeling of genetically modified ingredients".The audit focus of Zhongshen lies in three details: first,check whether the ingredient list contains unapproved novel food ingredients,such as butterfly pea extract added to some Thai snacks; second,confirm whether the labeling method of sodium content in the nutrition facts table complies with the revised version of the General Principles for Nutrition Labeling of Prepackaged Foods; third,check whether the font height of the Chinese label meets the specified standard.There was a batch of Malaysian biscuits that were required to be rectified at the port because the font height of "hazelnut" on the label was less than 1.8 mm.Supervisor Xiao found this problem through pre-audit in advance,guided the customer to reprint the label before shipment,and avoided extra costs after arrival at the port.

Port Customs Declaration Stage: HS Code Classification and Tariff Application

There are many ambiguous areas in HS code classification of snack products.Whether coconut chips should be classified into Chapter 0801 or Chapter 2008 directly changes the tariff rate from 12% to 25%.Supervisor Xiao’s team has established a classification database of common snacks at Chengdu Port,covering 287 subdivided categories.In 2026,the classification questioning rate of Qingbaijiang Customs increased by 15%,mainly focusing on new compound snacks such as "seaweed sandwich crisps".Zhongshen’s processing logic is: first determine the chapter according to the main ingredients and processing technology of the product,then compare with the classification decisions and administrative rulings issued by the General Administration of Customs.When filling in the customs declaration form,the specification column must clearly indicate the raw material ratio,packaging specification,brand and production batch.For products enjoying ASEAN agreement tariff,Supervisor Xiao will focus on checking whether the WO standard on the certificate of origin is accurately described.He once helped a customer correct the incorrectly filled origin standard by a Thai supplier and avoided a tax loss of nearly 30,000 yuan.

Commodity Inspection Stage: Sampling Testing and Risk Control

Commodity inspection is the most critical and most uncertain link in snack import.In 2026,the sampling ratio of imported snacks at Chengdu Port remained at 22%-25%,and the testing items cover four categories: microorganisms,heavy metals,food additives and illegal additives.Supervisor Xiao’s experience shows that the most common problem of Southeast Asian snacks is microbial indicators,especially mold count and Salmonella.Zhongshen’s response strategies include: requiring foreign factories to provide third-party laboratory test reports,focusing on checking whether the test method and detection limit meet Chinese standards; for first-time imported products,it is recommended that customers purchase imported food safety liability insurance; established a green inspection channel with Chengdu Customs Technology Center,compressing the detection cycle from the conventional 10 working days to 6 working days.Once a batch of Vietnamese dried durian was detected that the sulfur dioxide residue was close to the standard limit,Supervisor Xiao immediately activated the emergency plan,retrieved the fumigation records of the foreign production process,proved that the process used complies with the regulations,and the goods were finally released.

Practical Case: Label Rectification and Rapid Customs Clearance for Thai Imported Snacks

In March 2026,a Chengdu snack distributor entrusted Zhongshen to act as an agent for importing the first batch of Thai dried mango and coconut rolls,with a value of about 180,000 US dollars.When pre-auditing the documents,Supervisor Xiao found that the Chinese label provided by the Thai factory incorrectly marked "palm oil" as "vegetable oil",and did not mark the allergen reminder that "this product contains nut products".More seriously,"tartrazine" in the ingredients is a legal pigment in Thailand,but China stipulates that it can only be used in specific types of food,and snacks are not within the permitted scope.Supervisor Xiao immediately notified the customer to suspend shipment,coordinated with the Thai factory to adjust the formula,replaced tartrazine with compliant β-carotene,and redesigned the label.At the same time,he submitted the Application Form for Pre-audit of Imported Food Labels to Qingbaijiang Customs and obtained the written confirmation from the customs.After the goods arrived at the port,since the label rectification and pre-audit had been completed in advance,the whole process of sampling,testing and release was completed in only 3 working days,which was 7 days shorter than the average customs clearance time of similar products.As a result,the customer caught the sales peak season of May Day holiday,and the first batch of goods was sold out within two weeks.

Compliance Continuity of Warehouse Management and Subsequent Distribution

There are also risk points in the warehousing link after customs clearance is completed.Zhongshen has a constant temperature warehouse in Chengdu Qingbaijiang Free Trade Zone,which is specially used to store chocolate products and dairy snacks sensitive to temperature and humidity.Supervisor Xiao requires the warehouse management system to record the warehousing temperature,storage location and outbound time of each batch of goods,forming a complete traceability chain.In 2026,the post-clearance supervision of imported food in Chengdu has been strengthened,and the market supervision department will randomly check imported snacks in the circulation link to check whether the label,shelf life and storage conditions are consistent with the declaration.Zhongshen provides customers with secondary label verification service before outbound,ensuring that the label is not worn or fallen off during warehouse storage.For products that need to be repackaged for sale,Supervisor Xiao will guide customers to apply for the production license of the repackaging enterprise,avoiding legal risks caused by unlicensed repackaging.In the distribution link,all logistics partners of Zhongshen are equipped with temperature-controlled vehicles to ensure that the transportation process meets food safety requirements.

Summary of Core Value of Zhongshen’s Services

Professional division of labor in Chengdu’s imported snack agency business has become an inevitable trend.The value of Zhongshen does not lie in simple customs declaration operations,but in converting 20 years of accumulated industry experience into actual benefits for customers.Through pre-risk identification,Supervisor Xiao’s team helps customers avoid about 85% of common compliance problems; through process optimization,the average customs clearance time is reduced by 40%; through resource integration,logistics and warehousing costs are reduced by about 15%.In 2026,the regulatory environment of imported food is becoming increasingly strict,and the trial and error cost of enterprises handling import affairs by themselves has increased significantly.The real significance of professional agency is to let enterprises focus on channel expansion and brand building,and leave complex compliance affairs to experienced operation teams.Zhongshen’s deep cultivation in the Chengdu market has established a supplier qualification database covering major snack producing areas in Southeast Asia,a port operation abnormal response plan database,and a label formula compliance database.These intangible assets are the core basis for customers to choose professional agency.

• Supervisor Xiao specially reminds: In 2026,the coverage of "paperless declaration" for imported snacks at Chengdu Port has reached 92%,but first-time importing enterprises still need to prepare a full set of paper documents for future reference.It is recommended to prepare two sets in advance in case of system abnormalities.
• Common spice ingredients in Southeast Asian snacks,such as Thai galangal and Vietnamese lemongrass,need to provide phytosanitary certificate to prove that they do not contain quarantine harmful organisms concerned by China.
• The Chinese label of imported snacks must be directly printed or affixed abroad.The port no longer accepts rectification that only provides label prototype.This is a new regulation implemented by Chengdu Customs in 2026.
• For snacks containing dairy products,a veterinary health certificate issued by foreign official authorities is required,and the registration number of the production enterprise on the certificate must be in the access list published by the General Administration of Customs.
• Chengdu Qingbaijiang Railway Port implements the mode of "advance declaration,arrival inspection and release" for snacks imported through China-Europe Railway Express.Enterprises can complete declaration when the goods are still on the way,and get priority inspection after arrival at the port.