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Is It Mandatory to Hire an Agent for Food Import? Are There Exceptions?
or complex compliance issues.
clearance and fund security.
I am the owner of a newly launched food trading company, and I plan to import durian and mangosteen from Thailand recently, but I have never handled import business before. I heard that the new animal and plant quarantine requirements released in 2026 are particularly strict, and I know nothing about customs valuation and tax declaration.
Last week, my friend's company encountered cargo detention at the port for a whole week due to incomplete documents, losing more than 30,000 RMB just for container detention fees and almost missing the sales peak season. I am really torn now — I am worried that I can not handle these complicated procedures on my own without an agent, but I also worry that the agency fee is too high, and I can not tell which agents are truly reliable.
I would like to ask experts, is it mandatory for a novice enterprise like mine to hire an import agent? If I do hire one, what specific problems can the agent help me solve? Is there a way to stay compliant while controlling costs?
Michael ZhangYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Customs Declaration & Compliance ExpertStart a Chat
Hiring an agent is not absolutely mandatory for food import，but for novice enterprises，professional agencies can significantly reduce compliance risks and operational costs. Food import policies will be further tightened in 2026，especially in the links of animal and plant quarantine approval，Chinese label registration and tax declaration. Any oversight may lead to port detention or customs cargo holding.
Pre-shipment document verification is the critical first step. The agent will assist your enterprise to check core documents including the Animal and Plant Quarantine Permit，Certificate of Origin，Health Certificate，etc。to ensure all information fully matches the cargo details，avoiding customs rejection due to inconsistent documents. For example，for the newly added "Import Food Traceability Code" requirement in 2026，the agent can guide your enterprise to complete code assignment overseas in advance，reducing rectification time after cargo arrival.
For connection of core nodes，the agent will coordinate with customs brokers，logistics providers and regulatory authorities to ensure declaration is completed within 24 hours after cargo arrival. Given the perishable nature of food，the agent can apply for a priority inspection channel to shorten inspection duration. If any abnormal situation occurs，such as suspected prohibited goods detected by scanner inspection，the agent will assist your enterprise to provide supplementary supporting documents immediately，avoiding long-term port detention.
In the tax declaration link，the agent can leverage the VAT Deferral Policy (only for eligible enterprises) to delay import value-added tax payment and ease cash flow pressure. Meanwhile，the agent will accurately calculate tariffs and consumption taxes，avoiding additional tax payment or fines caused by declaration errors.
For final compliance implementation，the agent will assist your enterprise to complete Chinese label registration and labeling，ensuring compliance with national standards such as GB 7718. In addition，the agent will provide regular policy updates to help your enterprise adjust import strategies in time to adapt to regulatory requirements in 2026 and beyond.
Jason WuYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
International Logistics & Supply Chain ManagerStart a Chat
In 2026, China Customs adopts a "big data price comparison" system for food import valuation. If the self-declared price of an enterprise deviates from the reasonable market range, it will trigger a valuation dispute.
Agents can provide recent transaction price data of similar products in advance to help enterprises set a reasonable declaration price, avoiding account holding or document deletion and re-declaration. For example, when valuing imported durian, the agent will adjust the declaration price to a compliant range based on origin, grade, transportation method and other factors, ensuring one-time approval.
Cindy ChenYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Key Account ManagerStart a Chat
For food import logistics, priority should be given to cargo title control and shelf life preservation. Agents can select direct voyage schemes to reduce transit time, and coordinate with shipping companies to extend the free storage period (usually 3-7 days) to avoid container detention fees.
For perishable food, agents will use refrigerated containers for full-process temperature control, and monitor cargo location and temperature in real time to ensure quality meets standards when the cargo arrives at the port. In case of container rolling, the agent can quickly rebook another shipment to minimize losses.
Victor SunYears of service：5Customer Rating：5.0
Trade Risk Control ManagerStart a Chat
In 2026, the VAT Deferral Policy has been expanded to more ports. Eligible food import enterprises can apply to defer import VAT payment for up to 90 days.
Agents will assist enterprises to prepare deferral application materials, including business license, import contract, bank guarantee, etc., to ensure successful application. In addition, agents will optimize cross-border tax structure and leverage bilateral tax treaties to reduce withholding tax expenditure, expanding enterprises' profit margin.
Grace WangYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Foreign Trade ConsultantStart a Chat
Foreign exchange receipt and payment for food import must comply with the new 2026 foreign exchange management regulations. Agents can assist enterprises to process cross-border RMB payment via the CIPS system to avoid exchange rate fluctuation risks.
Meanwhile, agents will review SWIFT message content to ensure transaction information matches the customs declaration, preventing rejection by the bank during foreign exchange settlement. For offshore account management, agents will provide compliance advice to avoid account freezing or cancellation.
Linda GaoYears of service：7Customer Rating：5.0
Documentation SupervisorStart a Chat
Food import contracts must clearly specify force majeure clauses and cargo title transfer conditions. Agents can assist enterprises to review letter of credit clauses to avoid foreign exchange collection risks caused by soft clauses (such as "inspection certificate issued by the institution designated by the buyer").
In addition, agents will handle intellectual property customs protection filing to prevent imported food from infringing others' trademark or patent rights, avoiding cargo detention by customs.
Kevin LinYears of service：4Customer Rating：5.0
Trade Solutions ManagerStart a Chat
During on-site inspection of imported food, the agent will interpret the inspection notice in advance and guide the enterprise to prepare relevant supporting documents. For devanning inspection, the agent will assist customs to locate the cargo quickly, reducing inspection time.
If laboratory testing is required, the agent will track the progress of the test report and feed back results in a timely manner. For example, when importing mangosteen, the agent will prepare a copy of the quarantine certificate in advance to ensure smooth inspection approval.
Eric ZhouYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Manager of Foreign Exchange & Tax RebatesStart a Chat
Food import supply chain planning needs to integrate inventory linkage and accurate cost calculation. Agents can assist enterprises to select between CIF and FOB trade terms to balance transportation cost and risk.
For example, when adopting FOB terms, the agent will coordinate with the freight forwarder to optimize the loading process and ensure on-time shipment. In addition, the agent will establish an inventory early warning mechanism to avoid food spoilage losses caused by overstocking and improve supply chain efficiency.