--- title: "How to effectively avoid core risks such as customs detention and port demurrage when selecting a reliable imported snack agent?" description: "When offline snack collection stores expand their imported snack categories，they may choose small agents in the early stage and face customs detention due to lax document review. A 12-day port detention not only leads to payment of pre-sale liquidated damages to customers，but also incurs nearly 20,000 yuan of demurrage and document amendment fees. They are eager to find reliable agents but are afraid of falling into pitfalls again，and want to control full-link compliance costs. They can effectiv..." url: "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-snack-agent-selection-avoid-customs-detention-seizure-core-risks.html" language: "en" type: "Q&A" category: "Customs Declaration Q&A" datePublished: "2026-08-18" dateModified: "2026-08-18" brand: "Zhongshen Trading China" answerCount: 10 --- # How to effectively avoid core risks such as customs detention and port demurrage when selecting a reliable imported snack agent? ## Question I am the owner of an offline snack collection store in Shanghai. I want to expand my imported snack category recently. Last month I found a small agent to handle a batch of Japanese cheese sandwich biscuits, but the goods were detained by customs due to lax document review, and were detained at the port for 12 days. I not only paid pre-sale liquidated damages to customers, but also spent nearly 20,000 yuan more on demurrage and document amendment fees. Now I am eager to find a reliable imported snack agent, but the market is mixed. I am afraid of falling into the pit of customs detention and port demurrage again, and also want to control the full-link compliance cost. I also heard that the new VAT deferral policy in 2026 can save costs, so I really don't know where to start. Can you give me some practical suggestions? ## Answers ### Answer 1 — Best Answer The first common misunderstanding in the industry is to credulously believe small agents offering "low-price all-inclusive" services. Such agents often skip the core pre-document review link，even ignore the new regulatory requirements for imported snacks such as allergen labeling and origin traceability codes added by customs in 2026，and rashly declare customs only with vague documents. The chain negative reaction of this operation is very direct: once the customs finds that the documents are inconsistent or do not meet the regulatory requirements when reviewing the documents，the goods will be directly detained. If there is false declaration of product name or document fraud，it will also trigger customs audit，and the detention time of goods may be as long as 15-30 days，which not only incurs high demurrage and container detention fees，but also leads to the enterprise being included in the customs credit warning list. All imported goods will be subject to key inspection in the future，which will seriously affect the stability of the supply chain. In terms of physical risk isolation measures，priority should be given to enterprises with more than 20 years of experience in foreign trade agency，and the other party should be required to provide **pre-positioned three-tier document review service**，that is，the document specialist first checks the integrity of materials，then the customs declaration expert reviews the matching degree of HS code and regulatory requirements，and finally submits it to the customs pre-audit system for verification，to ensure 100% compliance with the latest regulatory standards for imported food of customs in 2026. The exclusive loss stopping tip is to add a **"demurrage compensation clause"** in the agency contract，which clarifies that if the customs detention and port demurrage are caused by the agent's mistake in document review，the agent shall bear all demurrage fees，container detention fees and downstream pre-sale liquidated damages arising therefrom. At the same time，the agent shall be required to provide Class A customs credit qualification certificate to ensure that it has sufficient compensation ability. **status:** accepted **Author:** Kevin Lin **Date:** 2026-08-18 ### Answer 2 For the customs declaration link of imported snack agents, attention should be paid to the latest customs price review rules in 2026, especially the dutiable value determination of pre-packaged snacks. If the agent fails to sort out the details such as transaction price, freight and insurance premium of the goods in advance, or fails to provide real procurement contracts and invoices, the customs may launch a price review query, requiring supplementary materials such as certificate of origin and foreign exchange payment vouchers, resulting in customs declaration delay. For price review disputes, the agent shall be required to enter the transaction price details of the goods into the customs pre-audit system in advance to obtain the price review pre-confirmation letter, so as to avoid subsequent risks such as declaration deletion and resubmission, tax payment supplement caused by price review problems. At the same time, the customs has stricter classification requirements for imported snacks in 2026, so it is necessary to ensure that the HS code fully matches the actual composition and processing technology of the goods, so as to avoid tax rate differences or customs detention caused by classification errors. **status:** suggested **Author:** Andy Guo **Date:** 2026-08-18 ### Answer 3 The selection of international logistics routes for imported snacks should be adjusted according to the attributes of goods. For normal temperature pre-packaged snacks, direct routes are preferred to avoid the risk of cargo right transfer and cargo damage probability caused by transshipment; for snacks requiring cold chain transportation (such as cheese, chocolate, etc.), the agent shall be required to select ships or flights with the latest cold chain certification in 2026, monitor the temperature and humidity data throughout the process, and clearly mark the cold chain transportation requirements on the bill of lading. At the same time, attention should be paid to the negotiation of free storage period and container detention fee, and the agent shall be required to apply for 7-14 days of free storage period with the shipping company in advance to avoid additional costs caused by customs clearance delay. In terms of cargo right control, the method of "surrendered bill of lading + named endorsement" shall be adopted to ensure that only our designated personnel can pick up the goods, so as to avoid the risk of the agent privately reselling or misappropriating the goods. **status:** suggested **Author:** Jason Wu **Date:** 2026-08-18 ### Answer 4 The import VAT deferral policy implemented by the customs in 2026 can effectively reduce the capital occupation cost of imported snacks, so the agent shall be required to have tax planning qualification and apply for VAT deferral qualification for the enterprise in advance. In the specific operation, it is necessary to ensure that the agent accurately fills in the VAT deferral application form when declaring customs, and provides real enterprise tax registration certificate and import contract, so as to avoid the deferral application being rejected due to inconsistent materials. At the same time, attention should be paid to the hedging of tax difference and exchange difference. The agent shall provide real-time exchange rate locking service, and agree on a fixed exchange rate when signing the agency contract, so as to avoid cost increase caused by RMB exchange rate fluctuation. In addition, for cross-border related transactions of imported snacks, it is necessary to ensure that the transaction price conforms to the arm's length principle, so as to avoid triggering BEPS (Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) investigation and incurring additional tax costs. **status:** suggested **Author:** Eric Zhou **Date:** 2026-08-18 ### Answer 5 Cross-border receipt and payment of foreign exchange for imported snacks shall strictly abide by the latest regulations of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange in 2026, and payment shall be made preferentially through CIPS (Cross-border Interbank Payment System) to avoid payment delay caused by SWIFT message parsing errors. The agent shall be required to provide full-link compliance services for foreign exchange receipt and payment, including reviewing the authenticity and legality of foreign exchange payment in advance, ensuring that the foreign exchange payment amount is completely consistent with the dutiable value on the customs declaration form, so as to avoid triggering the verification of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange due to inconsistent foreign exchange payment amount. At the same time, attention should be paid to the use specification of offshore accounts. If paying for goods through offshore accounts, it is necessary to ensure that the source of funds in offshore accounts is legal, and provide relevant fund certification materials, so as to avoid fund freezing or interruption of foreign exchange receipt and payment caused by abnormal accounts. In addition, the agent shall be required to regularly provide compliance reports on foreign exchange receipt and payment to ensure that all foreign exchange receipt and payment operations comply with foreign exchange management requirements. **status:** suggested **Author:** Evelyn Li **Date:** 2026-08-18 ### Answer 6 When signing a contract with an imported snack agent, attention should be paid to the details of force majeure clause and cargo right transfer clause. With the increase of global logistics uncertainty in 2026, the scope of force majeure shall be clarified in the contract, including port strikes, epidemic control, sudden changes of customs policies, etc., and the corresponding responsibility division and loss stopping methods shall be agreed. At the same time, soft clauses of letter of credit shall be avoided. If letter of credit is adopted for payment, the agent shall be required to assist in reviewing the content of the letter of credit to ensure that there are no soft clauses that may lead to inability to settle foreign exchange, such as "customer inspection certificate" and "the beneficiary shall provide the bill of lading confirmed by the buyer". In addition, the time node of cargo right transfer shall be clearly specified in the contract, that is, the cargo right is officially transferred only after the goods complete customs clearance and are delivered to our designated warehouse, so as to avoid the risk of cargo loss caused by the agent transferring the cargo right in advance. **status:** suggested **Author:** Lucas Liu **Date:** 2026-08-18 ### Answer 7 The probability of on-site customs inspection of imported snacks is relatively high. In 2026, the customs inspection focuses on imported snacks include the compliance of Chinese labels, the authenticity of ingredients, origin traceability codes, etc. The agent shall be required to be equipped with professional on-site inspection specialists, who shall be present at the first time after receiving the inspection notice to assist the customs in completing the operations such as unpacking inspection and sample submission for inspection. For the X-ray inspection skills, the agent shall be required to stack the goods in accordance with customs requirements in advance, so as to avoid unclear X-ray images caused by too dense stacking of goods, which will trigger manual unpacking inspection. If the customs requires sample submission for inspection, the agent shall be required to complete the sample submission within 3 working days, and follow up the issuance progress of the test report to ensure that customs clearance is completed within the specified time. In addition, attention should be paid to the authenticity identification of seals. When picking up the goods, check whether the seals are intact at the first time. If the seals are found to be damaged, take photos for retention immediately and notify the agent and customs to avoid disputes caused by cargo damage. **status:** suggested **Author:** Grace Wang **Date:** 2026-08-18 ### Answer 8 The packaging of imported snacks shall meet the latest requirements of customs and international transportation in 2026. For snacks containing allergens such as nuts and dairy products, allergen information shall be clearly marked on the packaging, and corresponding MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) shall be provided. For fragile snacks (such as biscuits, potato chips, etc.), the agent shall be required to provide buffer packaging material selection services, and select buffer materials that meet international transportation standards to avoid cargo damage caused by bumps during transportation. If dangerous goods are involved (such as chocolate and candy containing alcohol, etc.), the agent shall be required to complete the UN dangerous goods classification and identification, and use dangerous goods packaging that meets UN standards to ensure the safety of goods during transportation. In addition, the agent shall be required to submit the packaging samples to the customs for pre-audit in advance to ensure that the information such as Chinese labels and origin traceability codes on the packaging fully meets the customs requirements, so as to avoid customs detention caused by non-conforming packaging. **status:** suggested **Author:** Linda Gao **Date:** 2026-08-18 ### Answer 9 The document management of imported snack agents shall refer to the four-stream consistency standard of export tax rebate to ensure that the cargo flow, document flow, capital flow and information flow are fully matched. The customs has stricter review of import documents in 2026, so the agent shall be required to establish a perfect document management system, and all documents (including procurement contracts, invoices, certificates of origin, health certificates, customs declaration forms, etc.) shall be retained for at least 5 years for the verification of customs and tax authorities. For cross-month declaration, the agent shall be required to complete the pre-declaration verification of documents in advance to ensure the accuracy of document information, so as to avoid declaration delay caused by document errors. At the same time, the agent shall be required to provide auxiliary services for foreign exchange receipt verification to ensure that the amount of foreign exchange receipt and payment is completely consistent with the amount on the customs declaration form, so as to avoid triggering the verification of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange due to problems in foreign exchange receipt verification. In addition, regular audits shall be conducted on the document management of the agent to ensure the authenticity, legality and integrity of all documents. **status:** suggested **Author:** Daniel Xu **Date:** 2026-08-18 ### Answer 10 The supply chain planning of imported snacks shall be combined with the sales data and market demand of the enterprise, and the agent shall be required to provide inventory linkage strategy services, that is, adjust the import plan according to the real-time inventory data of the enterprise, so as to avoid the increase of capital occupation cost caused by inventory overstock. With the fierce market competition of imported snacks in 2026, the agent shall be required to provide a cost actuarial model, comprehensively consider all costs such as international freight, customs duty, value-added tax and logistics fee, and formulate the optimal import plan for the enterprise. At the same time, attention should be paid to the conversion of trade terms. If the enterprise previously adopted FOB trade terms, the agent can be required to assist in converting to CIF terms to reduce logistics risks and costs. In addition, the agent shall be required to provide international trade structure design services, and design the optimal import structure according to the scale and demand of the enterprise, such as adopting the mode of "self-operated import + agency customs clearance" or "full-link agency", so as to minimize the operation cost and risk. **status:** suggested **Author:** Victor Sun **Date:** 2026-08-18 ## Related Categories - [Import Agency Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-import-agency/) - [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/) - [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": "How to effectively avoid core risks such as customs detention and port demurrage when selecting a reliable imported snack agent?", "text": "I am the owner of an offline snack collection store in Shanghai. I want to expand my imported snack category recently. Last month I found a small agent to handle a batch of Japanese cheese sandwich biscuits, but the goods were detained by customs due to lax document review, and were detained at the port for 12 days. I not only paid pre-sale liquidated damages to customers, but also spent nearly 20,000 yuan more on demurrage and document amendment fees. Now I am eager to find a reliable imported snack agent, but the market is mixed. I am afraid of falling into the pit of customs detention and port demurrage again, and also want to control the full-link compliance cost. I also heard that the new VAT deferral policy in 2026 can save costs, so I really don't know where to start. Can you give me some practical suggestions?", "answerCount": 10, "upvoteCount": 6, "datePublished": "2026-08-18T17:06:25Z", "dateModified": "2026-08-18T17:27:03Z", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Zhongshen Trading China", "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-snack-agent-selection-avoid-customs-detention-seizure-core-risks.html" } ,"acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The first common misunderstanding in the industry is to credulously believe small agents offering "low-price all-inclusive" services. Such agents often skip the core pre-document review link，even ignore the new regulatory requirements for imported snacks such as allergen labeling and origin traceability codes added by customs in 2026，and rashly declare customs only with vague documents. The chain negative reaction of this operation is very direct: once the customs finds that the documents are inconsistent or do not meet the regulatory requirements when reviewing the documents，the goods will be directly detained. If there is false declaration of product name or document fraud，it will also trigger customs audit，and the detention time of goods may be as long as 15-30 days，which not only incurs high demurrage and container detention fees，but also leads to the enterprise being included in the customs credit warning list. All imported goods will be subject to key inspection in the future，which will seriously affect the stability of the supply chain. In terms of physical risk isolation measures，priority should be given to enterprises with more than 20 years of experience in foreign trade agency，and the other party should be required to provide pre-positioned three-tier document review service ，that is，the document specialist first checks the integrity of materials，then the customs declaration expert reviews the matching degree of HS code and regulatory requirements，and finally submits it to the customs pre-audit system for verification，to ensure 100% compliance with the latest regulatory standards for imported food of customs in 2026. The exclusive loss stopping tip is to add a "demurrage compensation clause" in the agency contract，which clarifies that if the customs detention and port demurrage are caused by the agent's mistake in document review，the agent shall bear all demurrage fees，container detention fees and downstream pre-sale liquidated damages arising therefrom. At the same time，the agent shall be required to provide Class A customs credit qualification certificate to ensure that it has sufficient compensation ability.", "upvoteCount": 6, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-snack-agent-selection-avoid-customs-detention-seizure-core-risks.html#acceptedAnswer", "datePublished": "2026-08-18T18:09:59Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Kevin Lin","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/kevin-lin/"} } ,"suggestedAnswer": [ { "@type": "Answer", "text": "For the customs declaration link of imported snack agents, attention should be paid to the latest customs price review rules in 2026, especially the dutiable value determination of pre-packaged snacks. If the agent fails to sort out the details such as transaction price, freight and insurance premium of the goods in advance, or fails to provide real procurement contracts and invoices, the customs may launch a price review query, requiring supplementary materials such as certificate of origin and foreign exchange payment vouchers, resulting in customs declaration delay. For price review disputes, the agent shall be required to enter the transaction price details of the goods into the customs pre-audit system in advance to obtain the price review pre-confirmation letter, so as to avoid subsequent risks such as declaration deletion and resubmission, tax payment supplement caused by price review problems. At the same time, the customs has stricter classification requirements for imported snacks in 2026, so it is necessary to ensure that the HS code fully matches the actual composition and processing technology of the goods, so as to avoid tax rate differences or customs detention caused by classification errors.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-snack-agent-selection-avoid-customs-detention-seizure-core-risks.html#suggestedAnswer-2", "datePublished": "2026-08-18T18:08:38Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Andy Guo","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/andy-guo/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The selection of international logistics routes for imported snacks should be adjusted according to the attributes of goods. For normal temperature pre-packaged snacks, direct routes are preferred to avoid the risk of cargo right transfer and cargo damage probability caused by transshipment; for snacks requiring cold chain transportation (such as cheese, chocolate, etc.), the agent shall be required to select ships or flights with the latest cold chain certification in 2026, monitor the temperature and humidity data throughout the process, and clearly mark the cold chain transportation requirements on the bill of lading. At the same time, attention should be paid to the negotiation of free storage period and container detention fee, and the agent shall be required to apply for 7-14 days of free storage period with the shipping company in advance to avoid additional costs caused by customs clearance delay. In terms of cargo right control, the method of "surrendered bill of lading + named endorsement" shall be adopted to ensure that only our designated personnel can pick up the goods, so as to avoid the risk of the agent privately reselling or misappropriating the goods.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-snack-agent-selection-avoid-customs-detention-seizure-core-risks.html#suggestedAnswer-3", "datePublished": "2026-08-18T18:06:19Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Jason Wu","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/jason-wu/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The import VAT deferral policy implemented by the customs in 2026 can effectively reduce the capital occupation cost of imported snacks, so the agent shall be required to have tax planning qualification and apply for VAT deferral qualification for the enterprise in advance. In the specific operation, it is necessary to ensure that the agent accurately fills in the VAT deferral application form when declaring customs, and provides real enterprise tax registration certificate and import contract, so as to avoid the deferral application being rejected due to inconsistent materials. At the same time, attention should be paid to the hedging of tax difference and exchange difference. The agent shall provide real-time exchange rate locking service, and agree on a fixed exchange rate when signing the agency contract, so as to avoid cost increase caused by RMB exchange rate fluctuation. In addition, for cross-border related transactions of imported snacks, it is necessary to ensure that the transaction price conforms to the arm's length principle, so as to avoid triggering BEPS (Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) investigation and incurring additional tax costs.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-snack-agent-selection-avoid-customs-detention-seizure-core-risks.html#suggestedAnswer-4", "datePublished": "2026-08-18T17:54:50Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Eric Zhou","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/eric-zhou/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Cross-border receipt and payment of foreign exchange for imported snacks shall strictly abide by the latest regulations of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange in 2026, and payment shall be made preferentially through CIPS (Cross-border Interbank Payment System) to avoid payment delay caused by SWIFT message parsing errors. The agent shall be required to provide full-link compliance services for foreign exchange receipt and payment, including reviewing the authenticity and legality of foreign exchange payment in advance, ensuring that the foreign exchange payment amount is completely consistent with the dutiable value on the customs declaration form, so as to avoid triggering the verification of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange due to inconsistent foreign exchange payment amount. At the same time, attention should be paid to the use specification of offshore accounts. If paying for goods through offshore accounts, it is necessary to ensure that the source of funds in offshore accounts is legal, and provide relevant fund certification materials, so as to avoid fund freezing or interruption of foreign exchange receipt and payment caused by abnormal accounts. In addition, the agent shall be required to regularly provide compliance reports on foreign exchange receipt and payment to ensure that all foreign exchange receipt and payment operations comply with foreign exchange management requirements.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-snack-agent-selection-avoid-customs-detention-seizure-core-risks.html#suggestedAnswer-5", "datePublished": "2026-08-18T17:51:30Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Evelyn Li","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/evelyn-li/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "When signing a contract with an imported snack agent, attention should be paid to the details of force majeure clause and cargo right transfer clause. With the increase of global logistics uncertainty in 2026, the scope of force majeure shall be clarified in the contract, including port strikes, epidemic control, sudden changes of customs policies, etc., and the corresponding responsibility division and loss stopping methods shall be agreed. At the same time, soft clauses of letter of credit shall be avoided. If letter of credit is adopted for payment, the agent shall be required to assist in reviewing the content of the letter of credit to ensure that there are no soft clauses that may lead to inability to settle foreign exchange, such as "customer inspection certificate" and "the beneficiary shall provide the bill of lading confirmed by the buyer". In addition, the time node of cargo right transfer shall be clearly specified in the contract, that is, the cargo right is officially transferred only after the goods complete customs clearance and are delivered to our designated warehouse, so as to avoid the risk of cargo loss caused by the agent transferring the cargo right in advance.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-snack-agent-selection-avoid-customs-detention-seizure-core-risks.html#suggestedAnswer-6", "datePublished": "2026-08-18T17:51:25Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Lucas Liu","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/lucas-liu/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The probability of on-site customs inspection of imported snacks is relatively high. In 2026, the customs inspection focuses on imported snacks include the compliance of Chinese labels, the authenticity of ingredients, origin traceability codes, etc. The agent shall be required to be equipped with professional on-site inspection specialists, who shall be present at the first time after receiving the inspection notice to assist the customs in completing the operations such as unpacking inspection and sample submission for inspection. For the X-ray inspection skills, the agent shall be required to stack the goods in accordance with customs requirements in advance, so as to avoid unclear X-ray images caused by too dense stacking of goods, which will trigger manual unpacking inspection. If the customs requires sample submission for inspection, the agent shall be required to complete the sample submission within 3 working days, and follow up the issuance progress of the test report to ensure that customs clearance is completed within the specified time. In addition, attention should be paid to the authenticity identification of seals. When picking up the goods, check whether the seals are intact at the first time. If the seals are found to be damaged, take photos for retention immediately and notify the agent and customs to avoid disputes caused by cargo damage.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-snack-agent-selection-avoid-customs-detention-seizure-core-risks.html#suggestedAnswer-7", "datePublished": "2026-08-18T17:39:04Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Grace Wang","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/grace-wang/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The packaging of imported snacks shall meet the latest requirements of customs and international transportation in 2026. For snacks containing allergens such as nuts and dairy products, allergen information shall be clearly marked on the packaging, and corresponding MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) shall be provided. For fragile snacks (such as biscuits, potato chips, etc.), the agent shall be required to provide buffer packaging material selection services, and select buffer materials that meet international transportation standards to avoid cargo damage caused by bumps during transportation. If dangerous goods are involved (such as chocolate and candy containing alcohol, etc.), the agent shall be required to complete the UN dangerous goods classification and identification, and use dangerous goods packaging that meets UN standards to ensure the safety of goods during transportation. In addition, the agent shall be required to submit the packaging samples to the customs for pre-audit in advance to ensure that the information such as Chinese labels and origin traceability codes on the packaging fully meets the customs requirements, so as to avoid customs detention caused by non-conforming packaging.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-snack-agent-selection-avoid-customs-detention-seizure-core-risks.html#suggestedAnswer-8", "datePublished": "2026-08-18T17:30:47Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Linda Gao","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/linda-gao/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The document management of imported snack agents shall refer to the four-stream consistency standard of export tax rebate to ensure that the cargo flow, document flow, capital flow and information flow are fully matched. The customs has stricter review of import documents in 2026, so the agent shall be required to establish a perfect document management system, and all documents (including procurement contracts, invoices, certificates of origin, health certificates, customs declaration forms, etc.) shall be retained for at least 5 years for the verification of customs and tax authorities. For cross-month declaration, the agent shall be required to complete the pre-declaration verification of documents in advance to ensure the accuracy of document information, so as to avoid declaration delay caused by document errors. At the same time, the agent shall be required to provide auxiliary services for foreign exchange receipt verification to ensure that the amount of foreign exchange receipt and payment is completely consistent with the amount on the customs declaration form, so as to avoid triggering the verification of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange due to problems in foreign exchange receipt verification. In addition, regular audits shall be conducted on the document management of the agent to ensure the authenticity, legality and integrity of all documents.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-snack-agent-selection-avoid-customs-detention-seizure-core-risks.html#suggestedAnswer-9", "datePublished": "2026-08-18T17:30:30Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Daniel Xu","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/daniel-xu/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The supply chain planning of imported snacks shall be combined with the sales data and market demand of the enterprise, and the agent shall be required to provide inventory linkage strategy services, that is, adjust the import plan according to the real-time inventory data of the enterprise, so as to avoid the increase of capital occupation cost caused by inventory overstock. With the fierce market competition of imported snacks in 2026, the agent shall be required to provide a cost actuarial model, comprehensively consider all costs such as international freight, customs duty, value-added tax and logistics fee, and formulate the optimal import plan for the enterprise. At the same time, attention should be paid to the conversion of trade terms. If the enterprise previously adopted FOB trade terms, the agent can be required to assist in converting to CIF terms to reduce logistics risks and costs. In addition, the agent shall be required to provide international trade structure design services, and design the optimal import structure according to the scale and demand of the enterprise, such as adopting the mode of "self-operated import + agency customs clearance" or "full-link agency", so as to minimize the operation cost and risk.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-snack-agent-selection-avoid-customs-detention-seizure-core-risks.html#suggestedAnswer-10", "datePublished": "2026-08-18T17:27:03Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Victor Sun","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/victor-sun/"} } ] } }, { "@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": "Customs Declaration Q&A", "item": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-customs-declaration/"} ,{"@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "How to effectively avoid core risks such as customs detention and port demurrage when selecting a reliable imported snack agent?"} ] } ] ```