2026 Comprehensive Guide to Food Import Customs Clearance: From Label Registration to Pickup Practice

1.Core Preconditions for Food Import Customs Clearance

Before customs clearance for imported food,three key access preparations must be completed,none of which can be missing:

• GACC Registration for Overseas Food Production Enterprises: After the update of Decree 248 of the General Administration of Customs in 2026,all overseas food production enterprises must complete filing with Chinese customs; products without filing are not allowed to enter the country.For example,a Southeast Asian nut processing enterprise failed to update its production line registration information in time,leading to 300 tons of almonds being detained at Shanghai Port,and finally released after completing supplementary filing with the assistance of Zhongshitong.
• Chinese Label and Instruction Filing: According to GB 7718-2011 (the basic standard remains effective in 2026),pre-packaged food labels must include 10 mandatory items: ingredient list,allergen warning,net content,shelf life,Chinese product name,etc.A Japanese chocolate imported by Ms.Lu was judged as "non-compliant label" by the commodity inspection department for not marking "contains soy lecithin",causing the goods to be detained at the port for 3 days.
• Quarantine Certificate and Certificate of Origin: Meat and dairy products must provide Certificate of Food Inspection and Quarantine for Export to China,and animal and plant-derived foods must additionally provide Entry Animal and Plant Quarantine Permit.For example,an EU milk powder importer was classified as "risky food" by Shanghai Customs due to the lack of "non-GMO" certificate issued by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture,delaying the customs clearance time.

2.Breakdown of the Entire Customs Clearance Process at Shanghai Port

From the arrival of goods to pickup,the process needs to be advanced in the following four steps:

1.Customs Valuation and Classification

The customs declaration form must be consistent with the information of Commercial Invoice,Packing List,and Bill of Lading.The key points of customs valuation in 2026 include:

- The matching degree between the "actual transaction price" of imported food and the "customs valuation database"

- If the declared price is 10% lower than the average import price in the same period,a supplementary price explanation is required (such as special contract clauses,international logistics cost breakdown sheet)

A German beer importer was required to provide a "dealer rebate agreement" by customs for declaring a price 15% lower than the average in the same period; otherwise,the price would be adjusted according to the "Customs Valuation Law",eventually leading to an increase of 32,000 RMB in the cost of the single shipment.

2.Commodity Inspection Pre-review and Inspection

Commodity inspection for food implements a "two-step pre-review system":

Special attention: The "traceability code for imported food" inspection is newly added in 2026,and blockchain traceability information of product batches must be submitted simultaneously during customs declaration.

3.Customs Inspection and Release

Inspection is divided into "machine inspection" and "manual inspection":

- Low-risk food (such as grain products): priority is given to machine inspection,with results available in 1-2 hours

- High-risk food (such as meat): manual inspection is mandatory,and the actual goods need to be checked by opening the box

A certain client once imported beef without providing the "quarantine ear tag number of each cow",and was judged as "invalid quarantine certificate" by the inspection department.Finally,with the coordination of Zhongshitong,the foreign supplier was contacted to reissue the traceability certificate to complete the release,avoiding 120,000 RMB of detention fees.

4.Pickup and Subsequent Supervision

After customs release,three operations need to be completed:

1.Document exchange: Exchange the delivery order at the shipping agent with the bill of lading

2.Tax payment: The tax system of the electronic port supports cross-border payment,and exchange rate fluctuations need to be noted

3.Sampling and inspection: Make an appointment with the China Inspection Company in advance,and the test report will be issued in 3-5 working days

(Case: An imported snack was found to have excessive preservatives in the sampling inspection.Zhongshitong launched a "label-inspection" dual pre-review in advance,avoiding full return.)

3.Risk Warning for Imported Food Customs Clearance in 2026

The following three types of risks need to be avoided with emphasis:

• Label Return Risk: The penalty clause for "incorrect marking of nutrition facts table" is newly added in 2026.For example,an enterprise mislabeled "sodium content" as "sodium element",causing the entire batch of products to be detained.
• Exchange Loss Risk: Imported food is mostly settled in euros or US dollars.It is recommended to lock in the exchange rate in advance (Bank of China and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China have cross-border RMB settlement channels).
• Detention Fee Trap: Shipping companies provide free storage for 28 days after the arrival of goods at the port,and the fee increases by 0.5 yuan per container per day after the deadline.Zhongshitong provides services of "shipping schedule warning + green channel for document exchange".

4.Advantages of Zhongshitong’s One-stop Service

As an established customs brokerage at Shanghai Port,we provide:

- Off-site declaration at ports nationwide: Can connect with Shenzhen/Ningbo/Qingdao ports to avoid congestion at a single port

- 24-hour pre-review team: Handle sensitive documents such as labels and quarantine certificates in advance

- Emergency clearance solutions: Provide "48-hour fast release channel" for special needs such as exhibition food and near-expiry food.

(Note: All cases in this article have concealed specific enterprise names.In actual operations,the latest announcements of the General Administration of Customs in 2026 must be strictly followed.)