Lianyungang Food Import Agency Customs Clearance: Compliance Risks to Be Checked and Avoided in Advance

Common Risk Points in Customs Price Verification

I have served many local cargo owners in Lianyungang,who assumed that customs price verification is only based on the invoice price,which is not the case.In 2026,the customs has adopted a new big data comparison system for imported food price verification,the price range of same category and same origin is fully transparent.Under-declaration or false price declaration will easily trigger cargo seizure and inspection directly,which will prolong the customs clearance time instead.

• The information on provided Certificate of Origin is inconsistent with FOB transaction price,the customs suspects under-declared price and initiates inspection
• Under EXW terms,ocean freight,insurance premium and other incidental expenses are not declared truthfully,leading to supplementary tax payment for price verification and late payment surcharge
• Food of different categories in the same batch are mixed loaded,without separate price declaration,resulting in wrong overall price verification and classification

Previously we assisted a Lianyungang cargo owner to handle a transit shipment of Nordic dairy products.The cargo owner excluded packaging fee and ocean freight from the declared price for convenience,which was detected by the system,resulting in supplementary tax plus late payment surcharge,costing over 12,000 RMB in extra expenses.This risk can be completely avoided in advance.During operation,we will sort out all expense items in advance to meet customs price verification requirements and avoid unnecessary costs.

Core Requirements for Commodity Inspection Pre-review and Access Qualification

In 2026,the customs strictly implements the updated requirements of GACC Order No.248.All overseas food manufacturers exporting to China must be included in the publicly released registration list of the General Administration of Customs.Any shipment from unregistered manufacturers cannot enter China regardless of its current location,which is a rigid red line.For pre-packaged food,there are two core points: Chinese label filing,and food additives in the ingredient list shall meet the national standard access requirements of China.

I once contacted a local Lianyungang business owner of imported casual snacks,who imported a popular sparkling water from South Korea.One plant-based sweetener in the ingredients is allowed for use in South Korea but does not meet the access requirements of China’s GB2760,which led to a mandatory return,causing total loss of over 100,000 RMB covering freight and cargo value.The core value of sourcing a professional agency service is to intercept such problems before shipment,rather than making remedies after the cargo arrives at the port.

Many cargo owners may wonder why a Shanghai-based agency can handle Lianyungang business.Headquartered in Shanghai,the international trade hub,we have a collaborative operation network covering all ports across China,with dedicated on-site operation teams stationed in Lianyungang,who can complete off-site declaration and coordinate on-site inspection.Cargo owners do not need to visit different government departments in person.Meanwhile,our global compliance network can verify all qualifications before overseas shipment,to control risks from the source.

Key Points for Animal and Plant Quarantine and Import License Application

Imported food covers multiple categories.For animal and plant-derived food such as imported meat,fresh produce and aquatic products,import animal and plant quarantine approval must be applied for in advance,and the quarantine permit must be obtained before shipment.Many cargo owners are not aware of this requirement,and start the application only after the cargo arrives at the port,which leads to long port detention,with daily demurrage at least several thousand RMB,and the accumulated cost will be a considerable amount.

In the second half of last year,Mr.Meng from Lianyungang contacted us when his cargo had been stacked at the port for 3 days.He imported a batch of Thai pre-packaged coconut juice,and appointed a small local agency who did not conduct quarantine approval or verify GACC qualifications before shipment.After the cargo arrived at the port,it was found that the manufacturer was not included in the 2026 updated GACC registration list.The customs gave two options: return or destruction.Return would cost hundreds of thousands of RMB for freight and container rental,which meant total loss of the whole batch.After taking over this case,our Shanghai compliance team immediately retrieved the latest list,helped Mr.Meng find a compliant registered factory of the same brand with the same production capacity,coordinated the overseas supplier to reissue the required documents,cooperated with the Lianyungang operation team to apply for off-site storage to postpone the return deadline,and quickly completed quarantine approval and label pre-inspection.The whole customs clearance and release process took only 5 days.Finally,Mr.Meng only spent less than 20,000 RMB in extra expenses,avoiding losses of hundreds of thousands of RMB.

Finally,we would like to remind you of several critical risk warnings: First,watch out for hidden fees.Many small agencies quote low agency fees at the beginning,but add extra charges for document exchange,container unpacking,label rectification at the final stage.We have encountered clients who were quoted 3,000 RMB at first,but ended up paying 18,000 RMB due to various unauthorized price increases.When sourcing an agency,make sure all expense details are clearly specified.Second,do not take chances to conceal ingredients.In 2026,the customs has upgraded the imported food testing screening,non-compliant additives can be detected very quickly,and the detected cargo will be returned mandatorily.Third,pay attention to exchange loss risk.In 2026,global exchange rate fluctuates drastically.Do not arrange foreign exchange payment until customs clearance is completed.We will send exchange rate reminders to clients in advance,suggest proper timing for hedging,to reduce unnecessary exchange loss.

As an important food import port in East China,Lianyungang has seen increasing import volume year by year in recent years.Many cargo owners believe that local agencies are more convenient,but most local agencies do not have the capability of global compliance verification and cross-port collaboration,and cannot solve problems once qualification issues arise.With years of experience in import and export agency services,our Shanghai headquarters connects global resources,and supports collaborative operation across all ports in China.No matter the shipment sails directly to Lianyungang or is transferred from other domestic ports,we can resolve all issues before shipment,help cargo owners control costs and avoid risks.