What core compliance operation specifications should be followed in the whole process of agent import of overseas prepackaged snacks?

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  • Jun 10, 2026 at 23:07
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I am the owner of an offline snack collection store in Shanghai. I will open a second branch next month, and plan to import two popular snacks, South Korean cheese cod sausage and Japanese cherry blossom cookies, through agency channels for stock.

When I imported the same type of cod sausage through a small freight forwarder before, the other party did not review the ingredient list in advance, resulting in incomplete documents, and the goods were detained at Yangshan Port for 12 days. I not only paid the pre-sale liquidated damages for the store, but also spent a lot of dredging fees, which still makes me scared when I think about it now.

Now I am worried that I will encounter customs detention and port detention again to delay the opening of the new store, and also afraid that the agency fee and customs clearance cost are too high to compress the profit. I want to ask how to standardize the process of agent import of snacks, how to avoid these pitfalls, and whether there is any way to legally reduce costs.

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Andy Guo
Andy GuoYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0

Supply Chain Management ExpertStart a Chat

First of all，the details of pre-document review: you need to submit the certificate of origin，health certificate，ingredient composition test report and Chinese label sample provided by overseas suppliers to the agent for review 7-10 days in advance，focusing on checking whether the ingredient list meets the requirements of the domestic General Standard for the Labeling of Prepackaged Foods，such as whether it contains domestic prohibited and restricted additives，and whether the net content and production date format of the Chinese label are compliant，so as to avoid the risk of customs detention triggered in advance due to inconsistent documents.

In terms of core node connection: the agent shall simultaneously connect the three core links of overseas pick-up，international logistics and domestic customs declaration，confirm that the pre-declaration is completed 1 day before the goods arrive at the port，and simultaneously connect with the customs inspection department to reserve the inspection channel，so as to ensure that the customs declaration form is 100% consistent with the manifest information，and avoid port detention caused by data differences.

Exception plans shall be formulated in advance: for situations such as customs detention and unqualified inspection，prepare spare documents and ingredient description letters issued by suppliers in advance，and the agent shall submit supplementary materials within 24 hours，if label rectification is involved，the rectification can be completed in the customs designated supervision warehouse to avoid high costs caused by direct return.

Final compliance implementation: after customs clearance is completed，the *Certificate of Inspection and Quarantine for Inward Goods* issued by the customs shall be obtained simultaneously，and all documents shall be archived for at least 3 years to ensure compliance during subsequent spot checks by the administration for industry and commerce and the food and drug administration.

Reference: Boost Export Tax Rebate Success: 7 Key Steps
Daniel Xu
Daniel XuYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0

Director of Import & Export OperationsStart a Chat

When declaring customs for agent imported snacks, we should focus on the logic of the customs valuation link: the customs will verify the price through the identical goods transaction price method, similar goods transaction price method, etc. If the declared price is significantly lower than the average price of the same category of goods in the customs system, it will trigger a valuation query.

At this time, you need to prepare the overseas supplier's contract, invoice, payment slip, and cost composition details (including raw materials, processing fees, freight, etc.) in advance to ensure that the declared price is consistent with the actual transaction price, so as to avoid order deletion and re-declaration and port detention caused by valuation disputes. In addition, if the imported snacks contain dairy ingredients (such as cheese cod sausage), an additional dairy import quota certificate shall be submitted to ensure compliance during customs declaration and avoid customs detention caused by lack of quota.

Lucas Liu
Lucas LiuYears of service：8Customer Rating：5.0

Senior Operations ConsultantStart a Chat

The logistics path of agent imported snacks shall be optimized according to the characteristics of the goods: for snacks containing dairy products and fresh ingredients (such as cheese cod sausage), cold chain direct routes shall be selected to avoid cargo deterioration caused by temperature fluctuations during transit; at the same time, it shall be confirmed that the free storage period provided by the shipping company is 7-10 days. If it exceeds the free storage period, an extension shall be applied for in advance to avoid high container detention fees.

In addition, the bill of lading endorsement shall be operated in strict accordance with the requirements of the agent. If it is a straight bill of lading, it shall be ensured that the consignee is consistent with the name of the agency company to avoid cargo right disputes caused by inconsistent bills of lading. In case of container rollover, you need to replace other flights on the same route at the first time, and simultaneously update the manifest information of the customs declaration form to ensure that the goods can be declared in time after arriving at the port.

Eric Zhou
Eric ZhouYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0

Senior Manager of Foreign Exchange & Tax RebatesStart a Chat

Agent imported snacks can reduce capital occupation cost through the VAT deferral policy: eligible imported goods do not need to pay import VAT when clearing customs, but deduct it when declaring VAT later, so as to avoid cash flow pressure caused by one-time payment of large amount of VAT. In addition, if the imported snacks are from countries that have signed free trade agreements with China (such as South Korea and Japan), you need to obtain the certificate of origin in advance and complete the preferential tax rate filing under the free trade agreement, which can enjoy 0-5% tariff reduction and reduce the overall customs clearance cost. It should be noted that the VAT deferral policy is only applicable to general taxpayer importers, and you need to ensure that the agency company has relevant qualifications to avoid the policy cannot be implemented due to unqualified qualifications.

Evelyn Li
Evelyn LiYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0

Cross-border Compliance SupervisorStart a Chat

The collection and payment of foreign exchange for agent imported snacks shall strictly follow the cross-border payment compliance requirements: if RMB cross-border payment is used, it shall be completed through the CIPS system to ensure that the payment amount is consistent with the declared amount on the customs declaration form, so as to avoid triggering the verification of the foreign exchange regulatory department due to amount differences. If you use US dollar payment, you need to confirm the foreign exchange purchase exchange rate locking service of the agency company in advance to avoid the increase of foreign exchange purchase cost caused by exchange rate fluctuations.

In addition, you need to ensure that the account information of overseas suppliers is true and valid, and the payment slip shall be retained for at least 5 years as a voucher for subsequent foreign exchange verification. If advance payment is involved, you need to complete the advance payment filing with the State Administration of Foreign Exchange in advance to avoid payment failure caused by no filing.

Kevin Lin
Kevin LinYears of service：4Customer Rating：5.0

Trade Solutions ManagerStart a Chat

For agent imported snacks, we should focus on the core clauses in the procurement contract: it is necessary to clarify the authenticity of the documents provided by overseas suppliers and the responsibility that the goods quality meets the domestic food safety standards. If customs detention or port detention is caused by the supplier's inconsistent documents, the supplier shall bear all losses.

At the same time, force majeure clauses shall be added to clarify the division of responsibilities between the two parties if the goods are delayed to arrive at the port due to force majeure such as overseas port strikes and epidemics. In addition, the intellectual property rights of imported snacks shall be protected. If the imported snacks are of popular brand, you need to confirm in advance that the supplier has the brand authorization letter to avoid customs detention of goods and trademark litigation caused by infringement.

Cindy Chen
Cindy ChenYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0

Key Account ManagerStart a Chat

On-site inspection of agent imported snacks shall be prepared in advance: if the customs issues an inspection notice, you need to arrange personnel with food inspection qualifications to attend the site at the first time, cooperate with the customs to unpack and inspect, and focus on displaying the Chinese label and sealed packaging of the goods. If machine inspection is involved, you need to inform the agency company of the packaging material of the goods in advance to avoid secondary inspection caused by blurred machine inspection images.

If the customs requires sampling inspection, you need to cooperate in providing goods samples, and follow up the progress of the test report. If the test result is unqualified, you need to arrange rectification or return at the first time to avoid port detention fees caused by overdue. In addition, you need to check the authenticity of the seal to ensure that the goods have not been swapped during transportation. If the seal is damaged, you need to notify the agency company at the first time and keep the evidence.

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