Full-process Compliance Customs Clearance Operation Details Guide for Food Import Agencies at Shanghai Port

Core Points of Full-process Compliance Operation for Food Import Agency

Last year,a food importer based in Suzhou imported complementary infant food from New Zealand.It failed to complete pre-review of Chinese labels in advance,so the goods were seized for inspection at Shanghai Yangshan Port after arrival.The rectification took 21 days,and extra demurrage and warehousing fees were incurred.This is a common pitfall for many enterprises that conduct food import for the first time.Many people mistakenly believe that they can pick up the goods smoothly once the shipment arrives,ignoring that imported food must go through multiple rounds of regulatory review.As an import agency team with 20 years of deep operation experience at Shanghai Port,we have sorted out core compliance nodes in the full food import process to help enterprises avoid common regulatory traps.

1.Pre-audit of Customs Valuation and Document Compliance

In 2026,the General Administration of Customs has tightened supervision on valuation of imported food,and higher consistency requirements are imposed on the certificate of origin,trade contract and invoice for prepackaged food.Many enterprises easily overlook that if the exporting country and China are parties to the RCEP Agreement,they need to pre-review whether the format of the certificate of origin conforms to the latest 2026 RCEP rules of origin,otherwise the preferential tariff under the agreement cannot be enjoyed.The practical operation detail here is: the agency shall upload the commercial invoice,packing list and certificate of origin provided by overseas suppliers to the Customs Single Window for pre-review in advance,to avoid goods seizure caused by inconsistent documents after arrival.We once helped an importer based in Zhejiang import red wine from Australia.We completed document pre-review 3 days in advance,found that the goods description on the certificate of origin was inconsistent with the actual packing list,and contacted the overseas supplier to make amendments in time,avoiding the risk of document rejection after the shipment arrived.

2.Inspection Pre-review and Animal & Plant Quarantine Handling

Imported food must pass the quarantine review of the customs authority,especially for meat,dairy,fruit and vegetable products,the Animal and Plant Quarantine Permit must be obtained in advance.In 2026,the registration review under Decree No.248 for overseas production enterprises is newly added,and products from enterprises that have not completed the registration cannot enter the Chinese market.Our practical experience here is: we once helped an importer based in Guangdong import dried durian from Thailand.We completed the pre-registration review of the Thai factory under Decree No.248 15 days in advance,found that the sanitation records of the factory’s production workshop did not meet Chinese requirements,and assisted it to complete rectification,avoiding the risk of goods return after arrival due to unregistered enterprise.In addition,the quarantine certificates issued by some exporting countries must be filed with the General Administration of Customs in advance,otherwise the goods cannot pass inspection.

Food Category	Core Document Requirements	2026 Newly Added Regulatory Requirements
Prepackaged Food	Certificate of Origin,Commercial Invoice,Packing List,Chinese Label Filing Certificate	Certificate of origin must conform to the latest RCEP format requirements
Food of Animal and Plant Origin	Animal and Plant Quarantine Permit,Exporting Country Quarantine Certificate	Overseas production enterprises must complete registration under Decree No.248
Health Food	Import Health Food Registration Certificate,Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Certificate	New traceability review requirement for raw materials is added

3.Import Permit and Chinese Label Filing

Some special food such as health food and infant formula need to apply for import permit,while the Chinese labels of prepackaged food must meet the requirements of GB 7718-2011 (the latest 2026 revised version),and the food additives in the ingredient list must comply with the access list of GB 2760.Many enterprises print labels on their own,but ignore that labels must be filed before import,otherwise the food cannot be sold in the domestic market.In 2026,the inspection rate of Chinese labels at Shanghai Port has risen to 35%,and unfiled labels will be required to make rectification.During the rectification period,the goods cannot be picked up.Our practical suggestion is: submit the label sample to the local entry-exit inspection and quarantine department for pre-review in advance,modify the problems found in time to avoid delay in picking up goods after arrival.

4.Full-process Risk Control and Hidden Cost Avoidance

The hidden costs in food import mainly include demurrage,document exchange fee,warehousing fee,etc.The demurrage rate at Shanghai Port in 2026 has increased by 12% compared with 2025,so it is very important to book the inspection time in advance.In addition,many agencies hide the charging standard of document exchange fee in the contract.Our practical suggestion is: list all charging items clearly before signing the agency agreement to avoid unnecessary disputes in the later stage.Another risk point is exchange loss during foreign exchange settlement.Choosing an agency with foreign exchange settlement qualification can reduce the exchange loss risk through exchange rate locking.We once helped an importer based in Shandong import beer from Germany,and saved about 8% of exchange loss cost by locking the exchange rate.

• Joint Declaration at National Ports: Cover 12 major ports nationwide including Shanghai,Shenzhen and Guangzhou,support off-site declaration and local inspection
• Overseas Agency Network Collaboration: Cooperate with local agencies in more than 30 countries around the world,provide full-process services including overseas goods pickup,document review and international logistics
• Compliance Risk Control System: Designated personnel are responsible for document pre-review,customs valuation communication and quarantine rectification,to avoid regulatory risks in advance
• One-stop Service: From overseas stock preparation to domestic warehouse distribution,no need for enterprises to coordinate multiple links separately

Many enterprises believe that food import is just simple logistics and customs declaration,but in fact it involves compliance requirements of multiple authorities including customs,entry-exit inspection and quarantine,and market regulation.One mistake in any link will lead to customs clearance delay or fines.Choosing an agency with rich practical experience can help enterprises save more than 30% of rectification cost and time cost.Under the 2026 trade environment,compliance has become the core competitiveness of food import.Only by making full-process compliance planning in advance can we ensure the smooth entry of imported food into the domestic market and seize market opportunities.