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What are the required documents and compliance supporting materials for fresh fruit import customs brokerage?
or complex compliance issues.
clearance and fund security.
I am a trader based in Shanghai, mainly engaged in the import of tropical and temperate fruits. Last month, when I imported 2 containers of durians from Thailand for the first time, the goods were detained by customs for 3 days due to incomplete customs declaration documents, and I spent more than 20,000 yuan on port demurrage and yard storage fees alone, which was a huge loss.
This time, we are going to import 4 containers of cherries from Chile, and we have specially appointed Zhongshen as our customs brokerage agent. I am very nervous right now, afraid of making mistakes again.
I would like to ask in detail, apart from conventional documents such as bills of lading, commercial invoices and packing lists, what other core documents are easy to be overlooked? For example, quarantine certificates for imported fruits, compliance documents specific to the place of origin, and are there any documents that need to be pre-audited to fundamentally avoid customs detention and port demurrage?
Lucas LiuYears of service：8Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Operations ConsultantStart a Chat
First，for the details of pre-document audit，three types of core documents shall be checked with priority: First，basic trade documents，including clean ocean bills of lading (with legal endorsement completed)，commercial invoices indicating the scientific name，place of origin and grade of the fruits，and packing lists accurately corresponding to the number of pieces and weight，second，core quarantine documents，Entry Animal and Plant Quarantine Permit (shall be applied to the General Administration of Customs 20-30 days in advance，and the validity period shall not exceed the date of arrival of the goods)，Phytosanitary Certificate issued by the official authority of the exporting country (shall match the registration numbers of orchards and packaging factories filed with the General Administration of Customs of China)，third，supporting compliance documents，such as certificate of origin (required for tariff reduction exemption)，fumigation certificate for fruit packaging (for wooden packaging).
For core node connection，the agent shall complete the pre-audit of all documents 7 days before the arrival of the goods，conduct pre-entry verification through the "Imported Fruit Compliance Verification Module" of the Customs Single Window，ensure that the document information is 100% consistent with the filed data，and avoid document review warnings caused by information deviations.
For exception response plans，if the phytosanitary certificate number is found to be inconsistent with the filing record，immediately coordinate with the foreign supplier to reissue the certificate，and apply for the "pre-audit green channel" of the customs simultaneously，if documents are temporarily missing，you can first apply to transfer the goods to the bonded area for temporary storage，and complete the formal customs declaration after the documents are supplemented，so as to avoid high port demurrage fees.
After the final compliance is implemented，all electronic and paper versions of the documents shall be retained for more than 5 years to cooperate with the follow-up traceability and verification of the customs，so as to ensure no dead angle in the whole process compliance.
Victor SunYears of service：5Customer Rating：5.0
Trade Risk Control ManagerStart a Chat
For price review documents involved in imported fruit customs brokerage, extra rigor is required. Commercial invoices shall clearly indicate details such as FOB price of the goods, international freight and insurance premium, and shall not be marked with "all-in price" in general. If the importer is an affiliated enterprise of the supplier, additional contemporaneous fruit market inquiry reports issued by third-party institutions and import transaction records of similar fruits in the past 3 months shall be provided to avoid customs detention or tax supplementary payment caused by customs price review objections.
In addition, if there is sample giving or bundling sales, a separate "Bundled Goods Description" shall be issued with the corresponding value indicated, otherwise the customs will levy taxes according to the highest dutiable value of similar goods, increasing import costs. If a price review warning is triggered after document submission, complete price supporting documents shall be supplemented within 3 working days, and no delay is allowed, otherwise the enterprise will be included in the key inspection list of the customs.
Kevin LinYears of service：4Customer Rating：5.0
Trade Solutions ManagerStart a Chat
Logistics documents involved in imported fruit customs brokerage shall focus on cargo ownership and arrival connection. Ocean bills of lading shall be clean bills of lading. If it is a straight bill of lading, the full name endorsement of the consignee shall be completed, and for order bills of lading, blank or straight endorsement shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the letter of credit or trade contract.
If the telex release bill of lading mode is adopted, the "Telex Release Letter of Guarantee" shall be obtained from the shipping company in advance and stamped with the official seal of the importer, and the telex release confirmation shall be synchronized to the customs brokerage agent to avoid failure to exchange documents and pick up goods due to inconsistent bills of lading. In addition, pre-entry documents for the "Delivery Order" shall be prepared in advance, including container number, seal number, piece weight and measurement of the goods, to ensure that the document exchange is completed within 12 hours after the arrival of the goods, so as to avoid container detention fees. If the shipping company rolls over the containers, the "Container Rollover Certificate" shall be obtained in time and submitted to the customs as a supplement to the customs declaration documents to apply for customs clearance extension.
Evelyn LiYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Cross-border Compliance SupervisorStart a Chat
Tax-related documents involved in imported fruit customs brokerage directly affect cost accounting. If applying for VAT deferment payment, additional "VAT Deferment Payment Application Form" and the general taxpayer qualification certificate of the importer shall be provided, and the goods code on the commercial invoice shall be fully consistent with the customs HS code, otherwise the deferment policy cannot be enjoyed. If enjoying tariff reduction under free trade agreements, a qualified certificate of origin shall be provided.
The goods information and origin information on the certificate shall be fully consistent with those on the bill of lading and invoice, and the certificate of origin shall be submitted to the customs within 15 days after the arrival of the goods, otherwise the tariff reduction cannot be enjoyed after the deadline. In addition, if the imported fruits are used for processing and re-export, the "Processing with Imported Materials Registration Manual" shall be prepared in advance, and the import customs declaration documents shall be associated with the manual information to provide a compliance basis for subsequent export tax rebates.
Linda GaoYears of service：7Customer Rating：5.0
Documentation SupervisorStart a Chat
Payment and receipt compliance documents involved in imported fruit customs brokerage shall be fully consistent with the customs declaration information. The amount and currency of the commercial invoice shall be consistent with the subsequent SWIFT message information for foreign exchange payment. If there is installment payment, the "Installment Payment Description" shall be issued in advance and stamped with the official seal of the importer, and submitted to the customs brokerage agent and the bank simultaneously.
If RMB cross-border payment (CIPS) is adopted, the currency marked on the customs declaration form shall be RMB, and the amount on the certificate of origin and invoice shall be converted into RMB with the exchange rate basis indicated. In addition, if the imported fruits are purchased under the pre-order mode, the "Pre-purchase Contract" and advance payment voucher shall be provided as supporting documents for payment and receipt compliance, so as to avoid being listed as an abnormal payment and receipt entity by the foreign exchange administration. All documents related to foreign exchange payment and receipt shall be retained in association with the customs declaration form for subsequent foreign exchange verification.
Andy GuoYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Supply Chain Management ExpertStart a Chat
Legal documents involved in imported fruit customs brokerage shall ensure legality and relevance. The phytosanitary certificate issued by the official authority of the exporting country shall be affixed with the fresh seal of the official quarantine institution of the country, and the issuing date of the certificate shall be later than the shipment date of the goods, otherwise it will be regarded as an invalid certificate. The trade contract shall clearly indicate the variety, specification, place of origin, quarantine requirements and other contents of the fruits, and the contract terms shall be consistent with the information in the customs declaration documents.
If there is any contract modification, the "Contract Modification Supplementary Agreement" sealed by both parties shall be provided to avoid legal risks caused by inconsistency between the contract and the documents. In addition, if entrusting a customs brokerage agent, a formal "Customs Brokerage Entrustment Contract" shall be signed to clarify the rights and responsibilities of both parties, especially the responsibility division for document review, so as to avoid the inability to pursue responsibility when disputes arise due to document problems.
Eric ZhouYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Manager of Foreign Exchange & Tax RebatesStart a Chat
On-site inspection supporting documents involved in imported fruit customs brokerage shall be prepared in advance. If the customs requires on-site container unpacking inspection, the "Fruit Packaging Details" shall be provided, indicating the variety, quantity and grade of fruits in each package, and a copy of the "Registration Certificate" of the packaging factory shall be provided to prove that the packaging meets the quarantine requirements of the General Administration of Customs of China.
If the fruits have identification labels, the "Label Filing Certificate" shall be provided, and the content on the label shall include Chinese product name, place of origin, importer information, quarantine qualification mark, etc. In addition, if some fruits are found to be damaged during inspection, the "Goods Damage Description" and on-site photos shall be prepared in advance as supporting documents for applying for tax reduction or return. During on-site inspection, special personnel shall be arranged to carry the paper and electronic versions of all documents to cooperate with the inspection of customs personnel, so as to avoid prolonging the inspection time due to missing documents.
Jason WuYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
International Logistics & Supply Chain ManagerStart a Chat
Packaging compliance documents involved in imported fruit customs brokerage shall meet the quarantine requirements. If wooden packaging is used, the "Wooden Packaging Fumigation and Disinfection Certificate" issued by the official authority of the exporting country shall be provided. The packaging quantity and identification on the certificate shall be consistent with those on the bill of lading and packing list, and the fumigation date shall be completed within 7 days before the shipment of the goods, otherwise the certificate is invalid.
If plastic or paper packaging is used, the "Packaging Material Safety Certificate" shall be provided to prove that the packaging materials do not contain toxic and harmful substances and meet the safety standards of Chinese food contact materials. In addition, if the fruits are packaged in cold chain, the "Cold Chain Transportation Temperature Record" shall be provided, which records the whole process temperature of the goods from shipment to arrival to ensure the freshness of the fruits. This record shall be submitted to the customs as a supplement to the customs declaration documents to avoid being refused entry due to non-compliant cold chain. All packaging documents shall be consistent with the actual packaging situation, and forgery or tampering is prohibited.
Grace WangYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Foreign Trade ConsultantStart a Chat
If the imported fruits are planned to be processed and re-exported later, the retention and standardization of customs brokerage related documents directly affect the compliance of export tax rebates. The import customs declaration form shall clearly indicate the trade mode of "processing with imported materials" or "processing with supplied materials", and the corresponding import documents (such as bills of lading, invoices, quarantine certificates) shall be fully consistent with the information of the export customs declaration documents, and there shall be no deviation in variety, quantity and place of origin. In addition, import customs declaration forms, VAT payment receipts and other documents shall be retained and filed as the input deduction basis for export tax rebates.
If tariff reduction is enjoyed at the time of import, the "Tariff Reduction Certificate" shall be provided to avoid being required to pay back the tax when applying for export tax rebates. All documents shall be organized into volumes according to the requirements of the tax authority, and the retention period shall not be less than 10 years for inspection during tax correspondence. If the documents are missing or inconsistent, they shall be supplemented and corrected in time, otherwise they cannot pass the pre-declaration verification of export tax rebates.
Cindy ChenYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Key Account ManagerStart a Chat
The advance preparation of imported fruit customs brokerage documents directly affects the efficiency and cost of the supply chain. The document preparation nodes shall be planned according to the shelf life of the fruits: For tropical fruits with a shelf life of only 7-10 days (such as durian, mangosteen), the pre-audit of all core documents shall be completed before shipment to ensure customs clearance within 24 hours after arrival; for temperate fruits with a long shelf life (such as cherries, apples), the document audit can be completed 3 days before the arrival of the goods, and a certain exception handling time shall be reserved.
In addition, customs declaration documents shall be associated with the inventory management system, and the document review progress and customs clearance status shall be updated in real time to avoid inventory backlog or stockout caused by document delay. If imported fruits are imported through the cross-border e-commerce mode, additional "E-commerce Platform Transaction Records" shall be prepared as a supplement to the customs declaration documents to ensure transparent information and compliance of the whole supply chain link. At the same time, the time nodes of document preparation shall be reviewed regularly to optimize the response speed of the supply chain.