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What are the core categories and quality characteristics of imported fruits in domestic circulation in 2026?
or complex compliance issues.
clearance and fund security.
I am the owner of a premium community fruit store that has been operating for half a year in Shanghai. During this period, I have attracted a large number of customers with several types of imported cherries and Sunshine Rose grapes. However, half of the Peruvian blueberries I purchased last week rotted due to cold chain failures, and I was almost inspected by market regulators due to incomplete documents.
Now I want to figure out the exact characteristics of imported fruits. Not only the taste and flavor, but also the core differences between imported fruits and domestic fruits in the whole chain from access approval, logistics to terminal sales. For example, do all imported fruits require special cold chain support?
Are there hidden pitfalls in the access threshold? And why is the pricing fluctuation so dramatic? I am a little anxious now, for fear of stepping into pitfalls again and ruining the reputation I have finally built up.
Linda GaoYears of service：7Customer Rating：5.0
Documentation SupervisorStart a Chat
Many novices tend to fall into the misunderstanding that "imported fruits equal high quality"，thinking that they can sell smoothly as long as they get the supply of goods，but they do not know that such cognition will trigger a chain of negative reactions: for example，ignoring the filing requirements of orchards and packaging plants from access countries in China，resulting in goods being detained at the port after arrival due to unqualified qualifications，incurring daily port demurrage and warehouse rental fees of more than 1,000 yuan，and even triggering customs destruction penalties，if they enter the country by luck，failure to complete formal traceability filing will also lead to fines from market regulatory authorities and ruin the store's reputation.
In terms of physical risk isolation measures，exclusive cold chain solutions need to be matched for different imported fruit categories: for example，tropical fruits (durian，mangosteen) require full-process temperature control of 12-15℃ and installation of humidity control devices，and berries (blueberries，raspberries) require 0-2℃ cold chain + nitrogen-filled modified atmosphere packaging，and professional pre-cooling must be completed 72 hours before shipment to avoid pulp deterioration due to temperature difference during transit.
Exclusive Loss Prevention Tips: Entrust a professional foreign trade agency to verify the filing qualifications of orchards and packaging plants in China 15 days in advance，and purchase "imported fruit cold chain delay insurance" at the same time. If cargo damage is caused by logistics or customs clearance delays，more than 80% of the cargo value loss can be compensated，in addition，the unified "imported fruit traceability code" issued by the customs must be pasted before terminal sales，with clear indications of country of origin，entry port and other information，to avoid regulatory penalties.
Eric ZhouYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Manager of Foreign Exchange & Tax RebatesStart a Chat
The core customs declaration characteristics of imported fruits are reflected in the pre-positioning of access qualifications. In 2026, the customs requires that all imported fruits must come from countries or regions that have obtained access approval to China, and orchards and packaging plants must be filed with the General Administration of Customs. When declaring customs, three core documents are required: Import Animal and Plant Quarantine Permit, official phytosanitary certificate of the exporting country, and certificate of origin. The phytosanitary certificate must clearly indicate "free of quarantine pests".
If the information on the documents is inconsistent (such as incorrect orchard filing number), the customs will directly transfer the goods to the designated supervision warehouse, and the documents need to be corrected again, which takes at least 7-10 days and incurs additional storage costs. In addition, the customs will refer to the transaction price of imported fruits of the same category in the past 3 months in the price review process. If the declared price is lower than 80% of the benchmark price, a price review dispute will be triggered, and supporting materials such as procurement contracts and foreign exchange payment vouchers need to be provided.
Lucas LiuYears of service：8Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Operations ConsultantStart a Chat
The logistics characteristics of imported fruits are concentrated in the strictness of full-process temperature control and the particularity of cargo right control. In 2026, mainstream imported fruits adopt a full-chain temperature control system of "origin pre-cooling + ocean-going cold chain vessel + domestic transit cold chain vehicle + terminal freezer", and the temperature control parameters of different categories vary greatly: for example, cherries require full-process temperature of -1℃ to 0℃, and avocados require 5℃ to 8℃.
In addition, the transfer of cargo rights in the logistics process needs to be completed through bill of lading endorsement. If LCL transportation is adopted, the refrigerated cabin number of each shipment must be clearly marked on the bill of lading to avoid uneven temperature caused by mixed loading. In case of container rollover, contact the shipping company immediately to adjust to the subsequent flight of the same route, and require a rollover certificate to apply for delay compensation from the insurance company.
Daniel XuYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Director of Import & Export OperationsStart a Chat
The tax characteristics of imported fruits are mainly reflected in the handling of VAT deduction and cross-border tax differences. In 2026, imported fruits can enjoy a VAT rate of 9%, and if they are used for sale, the input tax can be deducted with the special payment letter for import VAT issued by the customs. In addition, for fruits imported from ASEAN countries, if they meet the RCEP origin rules (such as regional component proportion of no less than 40%), they can enjoy 0 tariff treatment, which greatly reduces procurement costs.
However, it should be noted that the RCEP certificate of origin must be issued by the official agency of the exporting country before the goods are exported, and the commodity code on the certificate must be completely consistent with the Chinese customs code, otherwise tariff reduction and exemption cannot be enjoyed. If the certificate of origin is not obtained in time, the tariff must be paid first according to the most-favored-nation rate, and a tax refund can be applied after the certificate is supplemented later, which takes at least 3 months.
Cindy ChenYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Key Account ManagerStart a Chat
The compliance characteristics of foreign exchange receipt and payment for imported fruits are reflected in the traceability of capital flow. In 2026, the People's Bank of China requires that the foreign exchange payment for imported fruits must strictly correspond to the amount of the procurement contract and the amount on the customs declaration form. If there is a difference (such as deduction due to cargo damage), a cargo damage certificate issued by the shipping company or insurance company must be provided, otherwise foreign exchange settlement cannot be completed.
In addition, if RMB cross-border payment (CIPS) is adopted, the words "imported fruit procurement" must be clearly marked in the payment message, and the origin certificate number must be attached to facilitate the compliance review of the bank. If the difference between the amount of foreign exchange received and paid and the amount on the customs declaration form exceeds 5%, it will trigger a verification and early warning from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, and detailed difference explanation materials need to be submitted, which will affect the subsequent foreign exchange payment authority.
Michael ZhangYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Customs Declaration & Compliance ExpertStart a Chat
The on-site inspection characteristics of imported fruits are concentrated in the strictness of harmful organism detection. In 2026, the inspection rate of imported fruits by the customs has been increased to 30%, focusing on the detection of quarantine pests such as Mediterranean fruit fly and melon fruit fly. The inspection will adopt the method of "machine inspection + container unpacking sampling".
If suspicious images are found in the machine inspection, the entire container of goods will be unpacked for inspection, which takes at least 2-3 days. In addition, if pests are detected in the sampling, the goods will be transferred to the designated supervision warehouse for fumigation treatment, the fumigation cost is about 2,000-3,000 yuan per container, and the goods can be released only after standing for 72 hours after fumigation. If the goods have deteriorated, they will be directly destroyed and cannot be returned to the exporting country.
Jason WuYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
International Logistics & Supply Chain ManagerStart a Chat
The supply chain characteristics of imported fruits are reflected in the accuracy of inventory linkage. In 2026, the supply chain cycle of imported fruits is usually 20-45 days (ocean transportation), which is much longer than 1-7 days for domestic fruits. Therefore, the strategy of "pre-order forecast + dynamic inventory adjustment" needs to be adopted.
For example, for seasonal categories such as cherries and blueberries, it is necessary to lock the origin supply 3 months in advance and adjust the purchase volume according to domestic consumption data. In addition, it is necessary to establish pre-bonded warehouses in core domestic ports (such as Shanghai Yangshan Port, Guangzhou Nansha Port), store part of the goods in the bonded warehouses, and clear customs in batches according to terminal sales conditions to reduce the risk of inventory overstock. If consumer demand declines, the goods in the bonded warehouse can be resold to other importers to avoid cargo damage.