--- title: "Are all beauty and food products imported through formal qualified foreign trade agency channels authentic? How to identify counterfeits?" description: "Many cross-border purchasers are worried about the risk of counterfeit goods imported through foreign trade agencies，especially categories with high counterfeiting rates such as beauty products and electromechanical equipment，which are prone to problems such as non-conforming goods and brand infringement. Backed by a foreign trade agency team with 20 years of experience，we can verify the authenticity of goods through full-link measures including pre-document review，source supply traceability and..." url: "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/authenticity-verification-of-beauty-food-imported-via-qualified-trade-agent.html" language: "en" type: "Q&A" category: "Import Agency Q&A" datePublished: "2026-09-07" dateModified: "2026-09-07" brand: "Zhongshen Trading China" answerCount: 9 --- # Are all beauty and food products imported through formal qualified foreign trade agency channels authentic? How to identify counterfeits? ## Question I am the procurement manager of a beauty e-commerce company in Shanghai. Last month, I imported a batch of Japanese and Korean beauty products through a small foreign trade agency. After receiving the goods, 1/3 of them were complained by consumers as counterfeits. I not only paid more than 100,000 yuan in refunds and compensation, but also almost lost several core cooperative channels. Now I want to import another batch of high-end skincare products through an agency, but I have been worrying: Are all goods imported through agencies authentic? Will I encounter the same adulteration and swapping problems as before? I also heard that some agencies will pass off counterfeits as genuine products for customs declaration, once found by the customs, the goods will be detained and fined. Now I want to reduce procurement costs but also fear falling into traps again, I really don't know what to do. ## Answers ### Answer 1 — Best Answer First，we need to expose common industry misunderstandings: Many purchasers believe that as long as they hire a foreign trade agency，the goods must be authentic，but this is not the case. Some small agencies，for profit，will collude with overseas suppliers to mix counterfeits with genuine products，or even directly declare counterfeits to customs. Such counterfeiting behavior will trigger a chain of negative reactions: If counterfeits are found to involve brand infringement during customs inspection，not only the entire batch of goods will be detained，but also port detention fees and storage fees will be incurred，and the enterprise will even be included in the customs dishonesty list，affecting all subsequent import business. If counterfeits flow into the market，there will be consumer complaints and brand accountability，leading to huge compensation and goodwill losses. Physical risk isolation measures: First，**pre-source traceability**，require the agency to provide the brand authorization letter，procurement contract and original factory delivery note from the overseas supplier，and all documents must correspond to the goods batch numbers one by one，Second，**third-party sampling inspection**，entrust an independent testing institution to conduct sampling inspection before overseas container loading，and issue an authoritative testing report. Exclusive loss prevention tips: Sign a **genuine product guarantee agreement** with the agency，clarifying that if the goods are counterfeit，the agency shall bear all customs detention fees，consumer loss compensation and goodwill repair costs. At the same time，it is agreed to withhold 10% of the agency service fee as a quality guarantee deposit，which will be paid after 3 months of goods sales without counterfeit complaints. **status:** accepted **Author:** Victor Sun **Date:** 2026-09-07 ### Answer 2 In the customs declaration stage, the customs will carry out intellectual property record verification for branded goods. If the goods imported by the agency fail to provide the customs declaration power of attorney authorized by the brand owner and formal procurement invoices, the customs will directly trigger an intellectual property risk warning and transfer the goods to the intellectual property inspection department. At this time, the goods traceability certificate issued by the original factory shall be provided, including production batch number, production date, logistics trajectory, etc. If it cannot be provided, the goods will be temporarily detained or even destroyed. In addition, if the customs finds in the price review stage that the declared price is far lower than the customs dutiable value of genuine products of the same category, it will also trigger a price query, requiring the provision of overseas procurement contracts, payment vouchers, etc. If the vouchers are forged, it will be identified as false declaration and a fine of 5% to 30% of the goods value will be imposed. **status:** suggested **Author:** Linda Gao **Date:** 2026-09-07 ### Answer 3 The logistics stage is a high-incidence node for counterfeiting of agency imported goods. Some unscrupulous agencies will mix counterfeits when loading containers overseas, or swap genuine products at transit ports. To avoid such risks, the agency shall be required to choose direct routes and avoid transit; At the same time, the agency shall be required to record the whole process of overseas container loading, and the video shall include information such as goods batch number, packaging details, seal number, etc., and send it to the purchaser synchronously. In addition, the agency shall be required to use customs seals with unique identifiers, and after the goods arrive at the port, the purchaser shall check whether the seal number is consistent with that in the container loading video as soon as possible. If the seal is damaged or the number does not match, the purchaser shall refuse to take delivery of the goods and require the agency to bear the responsibility. **status:** suggested **Author:** Grace Wang **Date:** 2026-09-07 ### Answer 4 The authenticity of agency imported goods is directly related to tax compliance. If the goods are counterfeit, the overseas supplier cannot provide formal special VAT invoices, resulting in the agency being unable to deduct import VAT, and the purchaser has to bear an additional 13% import VAT cost, increasing procurement expenditure. In addition, if the counterfeit goods are identified as smuggled goods, the purchaser will not only be unable to deduct input tax, but also be required to pay back taxes and late fees, and even face tax inspection. To avoid such risks, the agency shall be required to provide the tax registration certificate of the overseas supplier and formal commercial invoices, and the goods name, batch number and quantity on the invoice shall be completely consistent with the customs declaration form. At the same time, the authenticity of the import VAT payment receipt can be queried through the Customs Electronic Port. **status:** suggested **Author:** Michael Zhang **Date:** 2026-09-07 ### Answer 5 The authenticity of agency imported goods is closely related to foreign exchange receipt and payment compliance. If the goods are counterfeit, the account of the overseas supplier may involve illegal acts such as money laundering and illegal foreign exchange exchange, resulting in the purchaser's foreign exchange payment being frozen by the bank, and even being included in the abnormal list by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, affecting subsequent cross-border foreign exchange receipt and payment business. To avoid such risks, the agency shall be required to make foreign exchange payments through the CIPS (Cross-border Interbank Payment System) to ensure traceable capital flow; At the same time, the agency shall be required to provide the bank account opening certificate of the overseas supplier and the authenticity certificate of the receiving account, and the payment amount shall be completely consistent with the goods value in the procurement contract and customs declaration form, so as to avoid abnormal situations such as overpayment and underpayment. **status:** suggested **Author:** Jason Wu **Date:** 2026-09-07 ### Answer 6 When signing an import agency contract with the agency, the genuine product guarantee clauses shall be clearly agreed, including details such as the brand, specification, batch number and origin of the goods. At the same time, it shall be agreed that if the goods are counterfeit, the agency shall bear the liability for breach of contract, including refunding all payment for goods, compensating all losses of the purchaser (such as port detention fee, storage fee, consumer compensation fee, etc.), and paying a penalty of 20% of the contract amount. In addition, the agency shall be required to provide the brand authorization letter of the overseas supplier, and the authorization letter shall be certified by Chinese embassies and consulates abroad to ensure its legal effect; At the same time, it is agreed that if the brand holder holds accountability due to counterfeit goods, the agency shall bear all legal responsibilities and have nothing to do with the purchaser. **status:** suggested **Author:** Kevin Lin **Date:** 2026-09-07 ### Answer 7 Port on-site inspection is a key link to identify the authenticity of agency imported goods. During inspection, details such as packaging, batch number and anti-counterfeiting label of the goods shall be checked and compared with genuine samples provided by the brand owner. If the anti-counterfeiting label of the goods is blurred, the batch number is inconsistent with the customs declaration form, or the packaging material is obviously different, it is necessary to immediately require the customs to issue an inspection record and entrust a third-party authoritative testing institution for identification. In addition, if the agency refuses the purchaser to be present for inspection for various reasons, vigilance shall be raised as there may be counterfeiting risks; The purchaser may require the agency to cooperate and arrange professional personnel to accompany the inspection on site to ensure the inspection process is transparent and fair. **status:** suggested **Author:** Lucas Liu **Date:** 2026-09-07 ### Answer 8 The packaging of genuine products usually complies with the unified standards of the brand owner, and carries unique information such as anti-counterfeiting labels and batch numbers, while the packaging of counterfeit products often has problems such as inferior material, blurred printing and missing anti-counterfeiting labels. To avoid such risks, the agency shall be required to provide the original factory packaging certificate of the overseas supplier, including information such as packaging material, size, printing details, etc., and compare it with the genuine packaging standard disclosed by the brand owner. In addition, for fragile and perishable goods (such as beauty products, food), the packaging of genuine products usually has special treatment such as moisture-proof and shock-proof, while counterfeit products often ignore these details. The purchaser can preliminarily judge the authenticity of the goods by checking the sealing performance of the packaging, cushioning materials, etc. **status:** suggested **Author:** Andy Guo **Date:** 2026-09-07 ### Answer 9 From the perspective of supply chain structure, if the agency's supply channels are scattered and there is no fixed overseas supplier, the risk of counterfeit goods will be greatly increased; On the contrary, if the agency signs a long-term cooperation agreement with the overseas brand owner or first-level distributor, the genuine rate of the goods will be higher. To avoid such risks, the agency shall be required to provide its cooperation agreement with overseas suppliers, check details such as cooperation period and procurement volume, and at the same time require the agency to provide import records of the past six months, including customs declaration forms, goods batch numbers, etc., to verify the stability and authenticity of its supply sources. In addition, the agency can be required to establish a supply traceability system, through which the purchaser can query the full-link trajectory of the goods from factory delivery to import, so as to ensure the authenticity of the goods. **status:** suggested **Author:** Evelyn Li **Date:** 2026-09-07 ## Related Categories - [Export Agency Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-export-agency/) - [Export Tax Rebate Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-export-tax-rebate/) - [Customs Declaration Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-customs-declaration/) - [Freight Forwarding Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-freight-forwarding/) - [Forex Settlement Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-forex-settlement/) - [Entrepôt Trade Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-entrepot-trade/) - [General Trade Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-general-trade/) ## Related Resources - [Trade Services](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/services/) - [Trade Cases](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/cases/) - [Trade Wiki](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/wiki/) - [Trade Class](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/guide/) - [Global Trade Services](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/country/) ## Structured Data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "QAPage", "inLanguage":"en", "isPartOf": { "@id":"https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/#website" }, "publisher":{ "@id":"https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/#organization" }, "mainEntity": { "@type": "Question", "name": "Are all beauty and food products imported through formal qualified foreign trade agency channels authentic? How to identify counterfeits?", "text": "I am the procurement manager of a beauty e-commerce company in Shanghai. Last month, I imported a batch of Japanese and Korean beauty products through a small foreign trade agency. After receiving the goods, 1/3 of them were complained by consumers as counterfeits. I not only paid more than 100,000 yuan in refunds and compensation, but also almost lost several core cooperative channels. Now I want to import another batch of high-end skincare products through an agency, but I have been worrying: Are all goods imported through agencies authentic? Will I encounter the same adulteration and swapping problems as before? I also heard that some agencies will pass off counterfeits as genuine products for customs declaration, once found by the customs, the goods will be detained and fined. Now I want to reduce procurement costs but also fear falling into traps again, I really don't know what to do.", "answerCount": 9, "upvoteCount": 7, "datePublished": "2026-09-07T10:54:33Z", "dateModified": "2026-09-07T10:55:41Z", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Zhongshen Trading China", "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/authenticity-verification-of-beauty-food-imported-via-qualified-trade-agent.html" } ,"acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "First，we need to expose common industry misunderstandings: Many purchasers believe that as long as they hire a foreign trade agency，the goods must be authentic，but this is not the case. Some small agencies，for profit，will collude with overseas suppliers to mix counterfeits with genuine products，or even directly declare counterfeits to customs. Such counterfeiting behavior will trigger a chain of negative reactions: If counterfeits are found to involve brand infringement during customs inspection，not only the entire batch of goods will be detained，but also port detention fees and storage fees will be incurred，and the enterprise will even be included in the customs dishonesty list，affecting all subsequent import business. If counterfeits flow into the market，there will be consumer complaints and brand accountability，leading to huge compensation and goodwill losses. Physical risk isolation measures: First， pre-source traceability ，require the agency to provide the brand authorization letter，procurement contract and original factory delivery note from the overseas supplier，and all documents must correspond to the goods batch numbers one by one，Second， third-party sampling inspection ，entrust an independent testing institution to conduct sampling inspection before overseas container loading，and issue an authoritative testing report. Exclusive loss prevention tips: Sign a genuine product guarantee agreement with the agency，clarifying that if the goods are counterfeit，the agency shall bear all customs detention fees，consumer loss compensation and goodwill repair costs. At the same time，it is agreed to withhold 10% of the agency service fee as a quality guarantee deposit，which will be paid after 3 months of goods sales without counterfeit complaints.", "upvoteCount": 7, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/authenticity-verification-of-beauty-food-imported-via-qualified-trade-agent.html#acceptedAnswer", "datePublished": "2026-09-07T11:26:37Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Victor Sun","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/victor-sun/"} } ,"suggestedAnswer": [ { "@type": "Answer", "text": "In the customs declaration stage, the customs will carry out intellectual property record verification for branded goods. If the goods imported by the agency fail to provide the customs declaration power of attorney authorized by the brand owner and formal procurement invoices, the customs will directly trigger an intellectual property risk warning and transfer the goods to the intellectual property inspection department. At this time, the goods traceability certificate issued by the original factory shall be provided, including production batch number, production date, logistics trajectory, etc. If it cannot be provided, the goods will be temporarily detained or even destroyed. In addition, if the customs finds in the price review stage that the declared price is far lower than the customs dutiable value of genuine products of the same category, it will also trigger a price query, requiring the provision of overseas procurement contracts, payment vouchers, etc. If the vouchers are forged, it will be identified as false declaration and a fine of 5% to 30% of the goods value will be imposed.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/authenticity-verification-of-beauty-food-imported-via-qualified-trade-agent.html#suggestedAnswer-2", "datePublished": "2026-09-07T11:17:48Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Linda Gao","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/linda-gao/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The logistics stage is a high-incidence node for counterfeiting of agency imported goods. Some unscrupulous agencies will mix counterfeits when loading containers overseas, or swap genuine products at transit ports. To avoid such risks, the agency shall be required to choose direct routes and avoid transit; At the same time, the agency shall be required to record the whole process of overseas container loading, and the video shall include information such as goods batch number, packaging details, seal number, etc., and send it to the purchaser synchronously. In addition, the agency shall be required to use customs seals with unique identifiers, and after the goods arrive at the port, the purchaser shall check whether the seal number is consistent with that in the container loading video as soon as possible. If the seal is damaged or the number does not match, the purchaser shall refuse to take delivery of the goods and require the agency to bear the responsibility.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/authenticity-verification-of-beauty-food-imported-via-qualified-trade-agent.html#suggestedAnswer-3", "datePublished": "2026-09-07T11:15:31Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Grace Wang","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/grace-wang/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The authenticity of agency imported goods is directly related to tax compliance. If the goods are counterfeit, the overseas supplier cannot provide formal special VAT invoices, resulting in the agency being unable to deduct import VAT, and the purchaser has to bear an additional 13% import VAT cost, increasing procurement expenditure. In addition, if the counterfeit goods are identified as smuggled goods, the purchaser will not only be unable to deduct input tax, but also be required to pay back taxes and late fees, and even face tax inspection. To avoid such risks, the agency shall be required to provide the tax registration certificate of the overseas supplier and formal commercial invoices, and the goods name, batch number and quantity on the invoice shall be completely consistent with the customs declaration form. At the same time, the authenticity of the import VAT payment receipt can be queried through the Customs Electronic Port.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/authenticity-verification-of-beauty-food-imported-via-qualified-trade-agent.html#suggestedAnswer-4", "datePublished": "2026-09-07T11:14:36Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Michael Zhang","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/michael-zhang/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The authenticity of agency imported goods is closely related to foreign exchange receipt and payment compliance. If the goods are counterfeit, the account of the overseas supplier may involve illegal acts such as money laundering and illegal foreign exchange exchange, resulting in the purchaser's foreign exchange payment being frozen by the bank, and even being included in the abnormal list by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, affecting subsequent cross-border foreign exchange receipt and payment business. To avoid such risks, the agency shall be required to make foreign exchange payments through the CIPS (Cross-border Interbank Payment System) to ensure traceable capital flow; At the same time, the agency shall be required to provide the bank account opening certificate of the overseas supplier and the authenticity certificate of the receiving account, and the payment amount shall be completely consistent with the goods value in the procurement contract and customs declaration form, so as to avoid abnormal situations such as overpayment and underpayment.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/authenticity-verification-of-beauty-food-imported-via-qualified-trade-agent.html#suggestedAnswer-5", "datePublished": "2026-09-07T11:14:21Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Jason Wu","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/jason-wu/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "When signing an import agency contract with the agency, the genuine product guarantee clauses shall be clearly agreed, including details such as the brand, specification, batch number and origin of the goods. At the same time, it shall be agreed that if the goods are counterfeit, the agency shall bear the liability for breach of contract, including refunding all payment for goods, compensating all losses of the purchaser (such as port detention fee, storage fee, consumer compensation fee, etc.), and paying a penalty of 20% of the contract amount. In addition, the agency shall be required to provide the brand authorization letter of the overseas supplier, and the authorization letter shall be certified by Chinese embassies and consulates abroad to ensure its legal effect; At the same time, it is agreed that if the brand holder holds accountability due to counterfeit goods, the agency shall bear all legal responsibilities and have nothing to do with the purchaser.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/authenticity-verification-of-beauty-food-imported-via-qualified-trade-agent.html#suggestedAnswer-6", "datePublished": "2026-09-07T11:07:09Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Kevin Lin","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/kevin-lin/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Port on-site inspection is a key link to identify the authenticity of agency imported goods. During inspection, details such as packaging, batch number and anti-counterfeiting label of the goods shall be checked and compared with genuine samples provided by the brand owner. If the anti-counterfeiting label of the goods is blurred, the batch number is inconsistent with the customs declaration form, or the packaging material is obviously different, it is necessary to immediately require the customs to issue an inspection record and entrust a third-party authoritative testing institution for identification. In addition, if the agency refuses the purchaser to be present for inspection for various reasons, vigilance shall be raised as there may be counterfeiting risks; The purchaser may require the agency to cooperate and arrange professional personnel to accompany the inspection on site to ensure the inspection process is transparent and fair.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/authenticity-verification-of-beauty-food-imported-via-qualified-trade-agent.html#suggestedAnswer-7", "datePublished": "2026-09-07T11:06:24Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Lucas Liu","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/lucas-liu/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The packaging of genuine products usually complies with the unified standards of the brand owner, and carries unique information such as anti-counterfeiting labels and batch numbers, while the packaging of counterfeit products often has problems such as inferior material, blurred printing and missing anti-counterfeiting labels. To avoid such risks, the agency shall be required to provide the original factory packaging certificate of the overseas supplier, including information such as packaging material, size, printing details, etc., and compare it with the genuine packaging standard disclosed by the brand owner. In addition, for fragile and perishable goods (such as beauty products, food), the packaging of genuine products usually has special treatment such as moisture-proof and shock-proof, while counterfeit products often ignore these details. The purchaser can preliminarily judge the authenticity of the goods by checking the sealing performance of the packaging, cushioning materials, etc.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/authenticity-verification-of-beauty-food-imported-via-qualified-trade-agent.html#suggestedAnswer-8", "datePublished": "2026-09-07T11:04:53Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Andy Guo","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/andy-guo/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "From the perspective of supply chain structure, if the agency's supply channels are scattered and there is no fixed overseas supplier, the risk of counterfeit goods will be greatly increased; On the contrary, if the agency signs a long-term cooperation agreement with the overseas brand owner or first-level distributor, the genuine rate of the goods will be higher. To avoid such risks, the agency shall be required to provide its cooperation agreement with overseas suppliers, check details such as cooperation period and procurement volume, and at the same time require the agency to provide import records of the past six months, including customs declaration forms, goods batch numbers, etc., to verify the stability and authenticity of its supply sources. In addition, the agency can be required to establish a supply traceability system, through which the purchaser can query the full-link trajectory of the goods from factory delivery to import, so as to ensure the authenticity of the goods.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/authenticity-verification-of-beauty-food-imported-via-qualified-trade-agent.html#suggestedAnswer-9", "datePublished": "2026-09-07T10:55:41Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Evelyn Li","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/evelyn-li/"} } ] } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ {"@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/"},{"@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Q&A", "item": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/"},{"@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Import Agency Q&A", "item": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-import-agency/"} ,{"@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Are all beauty and food products imported through formal qualified foreign trade agency channels authentic? How to identify counterfeits?"} ] } ] ```