Connect & Solve
Trade Q&A
Can qualified professional foreign trade agency companies with full compliance qualifications undertake all kinds of prepackaged food export business?
or complex compliance issues.
clearance and fund security.
I am the owner of a small food processing plant specializing in traditional Jiangnan Su-style pastries and frozen fresh meat xiaolongbao. Last week, I just signed the first export order of 200 boxes of prepackaged osmanthus cake and 150 boxes of frozen xiaolongbao with a Chinese Canadian client. However, our company does not have self-operated export qualifications.
The freight forwarder I contacted earlier said that food export involves a lot of complicated procedures such as commodity inspection, animal and plant inspection, and overseas access. A little carelessness will lead to port detention and cargo seizure, which will not only require paying detention fees, but also may damage customers' trust in us.
I am so anxious that I can't even eat now, for fear of ruining this hard-won first foreign trade order and damaging our reputation. I would like to ask if you can act as an agent for the full export process of such prepackaged and frozen food, including document processing, customs declaration and inspection, cold chain logistics arrangement and export tax refund? Will there be any hidden risks?
Grace WangYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Foreign Trade ConsultantStart a Chat
We have 20 years of experience in food export agency. First of all，we will carry out strict pre-document review: we will check your food production license，factory inspection qualified report，and pre-confirmation letter of food access from Canadian CFIA in advance，focusing on verifying the Chinese and English compliance of prepackaged food labels，to ensure that the ingredient list，allergens，nutrition facts table，etc. fully meet overseas requirements，and avoid cargo seizure due to label problems.
In terms of core node connection，we will cooperate with local commodity inspection departments to give priority to the completion of animal and plant inspection filing and certification. At the same time，our cooperative cold chain logistics suppliers will reserve dedicated constant temperature cabins 48 hours in advance to ensure that the frozen xiaolongbao are kept in a -18℃ constant temperature environment throughout the process. In the customs declaration link，we will use the special green channel for food of customs to declare first，which greatly shortens the customs clearance time.
For the abnormal emergency plan，we will predict situations such as non-compliant labels，delayed commodity inspection，and tight space in advance. We are equipped with emergency label printing equipment and express green channel for commodity inspection. In case of temporary adjustment of overseas access policies，we will coordinate with customers to replace compliant products or assist in applying for temporary exemption as soon as possible.
When the final compliance is implemented，we will sort out all the documents required for export tax refund simultaneously to ensure the consistency of four streams: goods，documents，invoices and funds，complete the tax refund declaration quickly，and keep the full set of documents for filing for more than 3 years to avoid subsequent tax verification risks.
Lucas LiuYears of service：8Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Operations ConsultantStart a Chat
Food export customs declaration shall strictly follow the *Measures for the Administration of Import and Export Food Safety* updated in 2026. Prepackaged food shall complete the filing of customs food export enterprises in advance. The customs declaration form shall accurately declare the core elements of food such as HS code, country of origin, production batch, shelf life, and allergen information. False declaration may trigger price review disputes or direct cargo seizure.
For food exported to Canada for the first time, the customs may implement 100% on-site sampling and inspection, and a 3-5 day inspection and certification cycle shall be reserved in advance. For food containing endangered animal and plant ingredients (such as traditional pastries added with bird's nest and donkey-hide gelatin), an endangered species import and export license issued by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration is required, otherwise the customs will return the declaration and list it in the abnormal customs declaration list. We will assist in sorting out the accuracy of HS codes in advance, ensure that the customs declaration data fully matches the accompanying documents, and build a complete closed loop of customs declaration logic.
Cindy ChenYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Key Account ManagerStart a Chat
For the export logistics of fresh and frozen food, shipping companies or airlines with food cold chain transportation qualifications should be selected first. Frozen xiaolongbao should be transported in temperature-controlled reefer containers throughout the process. The reefer containers should be pre-cooled to -18℃ 24 hours in advance, and the refrigeration system and temperature recorder of the reefer containers should be checked before loading.
For routes to Canada, it is recommended to choose direct shipping companies to avoid food deterioration caused by temperature fluctuations during transit. In case of container rollover or full capacity, we will give priority to coordinating with the shipping company to arrange extra ships on the same route, and apply for extending the free storage period to 7 days to reduce the expenditure of port detention fees. Bill of lading endorsement shall be operated strictly in accordance with customer requirements to ensure the safe transfer of cargo rights. If the customer needs a telex release bill of lading, the compliance of the telex release letter of guarantee shall be confirmed in advance to avoid cargo right disputes.
Eric ZhouYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Manager of Foreign Exchange & Tax RebatesStart a Chat
In the food export agency business, you can apply for the VAT deferral policy, that is, there is no need to pay value-added tax in the export link, and the import VAT will be paid by the importer after the goods enter the importing country, which effectively relieves your capital pressure. For small food processing plants, we can assist in optimizing the tax structure, and enjoy export tax rebate preferences through the export qualification of the agency company.
The tax rebate rate is determined according to the HS code of the food. The tax rebate rate for prepackaged pastries is usually 13%, and that for frozen food is 9%. It should be noted that export tax refund needs to ensure the consistency of the four streams of goods, documents, invoices and funds.
If there are related party transactions, pricing shall be in accordance with the arm's length principle to avoid triggering BEPS (Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) risks. We will assist you in completing the compliance filing of related party transaction pricing and avoid tax verification.
Evelyn LiYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Cross-border Compliance SupervisorStart a Chat
The collection and payment of foreign exchange for food export agency shall strictly follow the *Guidelines for Foreign Exchange Business under Current Account* issued by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange. The agency company will handle the foreign exchange collection procedures in its own name, and transfer the payment for goods to your corporate account within 3 working days after receiving the foreign exchange, with the note "payment for food export" when transferring.
If RMB cross-border payment is adopted, it can be completed through the CIPS system. Compared with the SWIFT system, the CIPS system has faster arrival speed (usually 1-2 working days) and lower exchange rate fluctuation risk. It should be noted that the amount of foreign exchange received shall be consistent with the amount on the customs declaration form.
If there is advance payment for goods, it is necessary to file the advance payment in the Foreign Exchange Monitoring System for Goods Trade of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange in advance, otherwise it will affect the subsequent foreign exchange collection and settlement operations. We will assist you in completing the filing of advance payment for goods and optimizing the exchange rate for foreign exchange settlement to ensure the compliance of the whole process of foreign exchange collection and payment.
Michael ZhangYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Customs Declaration & Compliance ExpertStart a Chat
If your Canadian client adopts letter of credit settlement, you need to focus on reviewing the soft clauses in the letter of credit, such as "payment can only be made after the customer confirms the sample", "access certificate from the food regulatory authority of the importing country is required", etc. Such soft clauses may lead to failure to collect foreign exchange normally. We will assist you in negotiating with the customer to modify the soft clauses to ensure the compliance of the letter of credit. At the same time, the force majeure clause shall be specified in the export contract.
If the goods are delayed due to force majeure such as epidemic situation and port strike, the corresponding liability for breach of contract can be exempted. For food export, the time node of cargo right transfer (such as the transfer of cargo right to the buyer after shipment) shall be specified in the contract, and the return and exchange clause for unqualified food quality shall be agreed to avoid legal disputes caused by food deterioration. We will assist you in drafting or reviewing the export contract to avoid legal risks.
Kevin LinYears of service：4Customer Rating：5.0
Trade Solutions ManagerStart a Chat
On-site inspection of food exports usually includes three links: appearance inspection, label verification, and sampling for inspection. Prepackaged food shall ensure that the labels are clear and undamaged, and the content of the labels is consistent with the declaration information on the customs declaration form. If the customs carries out unpacking inspection, the factory inspection report and access documents of the food shall be prepared in advance to cooperate with the inspection of customs inspection personnel.
For frozen food, it is necessary to ensure that the reefer container is in refrigeration state during the inspection process to avoid food deterioration caused by temperature rise. If the customs requires sampling for inspection, it is necessary to cooperate with the customs to complete the sampling and track the inspection process.
The inspection cycle is usually 3-7 days. We will assist you in preparing all the documents required for inspection in advance, and guide your on-site personnel to cooperate with the inspection. If the seal is damaged, we will assist you in re-sealing the box and applying for customs confirmation as soon as possible to avoid cargo seizure caused by seal problems.
Daniel XuYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Director of Import & Export OperationsStart a Chat
The export of prepackaged food shall ensure that the packaging meets the overseas food contact material standards. Canada requires that food packaging materials meet the *Food Contact Material Safety Guide* of CFIA, and avoid using plastic packaging containing bisphenol A. The cold chain packaging of frozen xiaolongbao shall adopt the combination of EPS insulated box and food grade ice bag.
The number of ice bags shall be calculated according to the transportation cycle to ensure that the temperature remains below -18℃ within 48 hours after the reefer container is powered off. At the same time, MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) shall be prepared for the reefer container to clarify the refrigeration medium, temperature parameters and other information of the reefer container, which is convenient for customs and shipping companies to review.
If the food is fragile (such as Su-style pastries), pearl cotton or bubble pad with good cushioning performance shall be used for inner packaging to avoid damage during transportation. We will assist you in completing the compliance inspection of packaging materials and designing a cold chain packaging scheme that meets the requirements.
Andy GuoYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Supply Chain Management ExpertStart a Chat
Export tax refund for food exports needs to ensure the consistency of the four streams of goods, documents, invoices and funds, that is, the information of the actual flow of goods, customs declaration form, special VAT invoice, and payment collection and payment is completely matched. If the four streams are inconsistent, export tax refund cannot be handled, and may even trigger tax letter verification. Tax letter verification is usually for enterprises that export for the first time or have large export amounts.
We will assist you in preparing all the materials required for the letter verification (such as production records, delivery orders, transportation documents, etc.) to ensure the smooth passage of the letter verification. Export tax refund documents shall be filed for at least 5 years, including customs declaration forms, special VAT invoices, packing lists, bills of lading, etc. We will assist you in establishing a perfect document management system, regularly sorting out the filed documents, and avoiding the risk of tax refund caused by the loss of documents.
Linda GaoYears of service：7Customer Rating：5.0
Documentation SupervisorStart a Chat
Food export supply chain planning needs to establish a linkage strategy between inventory and orders. The shelf life of prepackaged pastries is usually 6 months, so production should be arranged reasonably according to the order quantity to avoid food expiration caused by inventory backlog.
For orders to Canada, it is recommended to adopt the CIF trade term, and we are responsible for arranging transportation and insurance, reducing your logistics risks and operating costs. Cost actuarial calculation shall cover multiple dimensions such as raw material cost, production and processing cost, logistics cost, agency fee, export tax refund, etc. We will establish a professional cost actuarial model to assist you in optimizing the supply chain structure and reducing the comprehensive cost.
At the same time, you can sign a long-term agency agreement with us to enjoy the discount of agency fees and further reduce export costs. In case of market demand fluctuation, we will assist you in adjusting the production plan and inventory level to ensure the stability of the supply chain.