What are the core operation links and precautions of the formal ocean import agency full process in 2026?
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I am the person in charge of a newly established cross-border food import trading company in Shanghai. Last month, when we imported Australian macadamia nuts via LCL ocean freight, we were unfamiliar with the process and missed relevant documents for food access, so the cargo was detained at Yangshan Port for 12 days, and we suffered a considerable loss of more than 20,000 yuan in port detention fees and container detention fees alone.
Now we have signed a purchase order for three 20ft containers of Australian oats, which will arrive at the port next month. We plan to find a professional ocean import agency to handle the whole process this time. We would like to know what the complete operation process is, what materials we need to prepare in advance, how to avoid the previous problems of port detention and customs seizure, how long it takes from port arrival to cargo pickup under normal circumstances, and what other key risk points we need to pay attention to during the operation.
OliviaYears of service：5Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Customs AdvisorStart a Chat
In the pre-document audit stage，you need to submit the full set of documents to the agency 7 days before the cargo ship arrives at the port，including the original bill of lading，commercial invoice，packing list，certificate of origin，phytosanitary certificate，and food access filing number. The agency will conduct logical verification of the documents in advance. Shanghai Port has implemented advance manifest declaration in 2026. If the pre-audit of documents is correct，the pre-entry of the manifest can be completed 3 days in advance，to avoid time waste caused by supplementary materials after the ship arrives at the port.
In the core node connection stage，the agency will complete the bill of lading exchange within 1 working day after the cargo ship arrives at the port，and simultaneously submit customs declaration and inspection applications to the customs. After the customs system completes the review，a tax payment notice will be sent. You can choose to pay the tax by yourself or entrust the agency to pay on your behalf. The inspection rate for ordinary food cargo is currently stable at around 12%. If the cargo is not selected for inspection，it can be released within 24 hours after tax payment.
For abnormality plan setting，if the cargo is selected for inspection，the agency will arrange on-site personnel to accompany the customs for container unpacking，and prepare supplementary materials such as product test reports in advance. As long as the cargo matches the documents，the inspection and release can be completed within 1-2 working days basically. In case of sampling and testing，you can apply for early removal of the cargo to a supervised warehouse for pending inspection，so that there will be no extra port detention fees caused by the cargo being stored at the port.
In the final compliance implementation stage，after the cargo is released，the agency will arrange trailers to deliver it to your designated warehouse，and will sort out and deliver the full set of documents such as customs declaration forms and tax receipts to you. Import documents for food products need to be retained for at least 6 years for subsequent supervision and verification. The whole process from port arrival to cargo pickup can be completed in as fast as 3 working days，and will not exceed 7 days under normal circumstances，which basically will not incur extra unreasonable costs.
RobertYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Warehouse Management AdvisorStart a Chat
In 2026, the customs valuation system has realized global trade data linkage. If the declared price deviates from the average import price of the same category of goods in the same period by ±8%, a valuation warning will be triggered. After receiving the valuation notice, you need to submit price certification materials such as original factory invoices, foreign exchange payment vouchers, and trade contracts within 3 working days.
If reasonable proof cannot be provided, the customs will directly calculate and levy tariffs based on the benchmark price in the system. Many enterprises deliberately underreport prices to pay less tariffs, which will eventually lead to not only supplementary tax payment, but also a late fee of 0.5‰ per day. Enterprises that trigger the valuation warning for 3 consecutive times will have their credit rating adjusted upwards, the inspection rate for all subsequent imported goods will be increased to more than 40%, and in serious cases, they will be included in the list of dishonest entities and restricted from handling import and export business.
JohnYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Export Tax Rebate AdvisorStart a Chat
You can apply for free detention period from the shipping company in advance before the cargo ship arrives at the port. The default free detention period for ordinary 20ft containers is 7 days, and you can apply to the shipping company through the agency to extend it to 14 days without extra cost. In case of port congestion, you can also apply for an additional 3 days of free storage period, which can effectively reduce the expenditure of container detention fees and port detention fees.
If the customs clearance process is not completed after the cargo arrives at the port, you can first apply to transfer the cargo to a customs supervised warehouse. The storage cost of the supervised warehouse is only about 30% of the port storage fee, and no container detention fee will be calculated. In case of container rollover, the agency can give priority to arranging the nearest liner on the same route for transshipment, which will not affect the overall cargo pickup timeliness.
CharlotteYears of service：4Customer Rating：5.0
Currency Exchange AdvisorStart a Chat
In 2026, Shanghai Port has fully liberalized the VAT deferral policy for ocean imports. Eligible general taxpayer enterprises do not need to directly pay import value-added tax when importing goods, and can deduct the corresponding input tax amount during the tax declaration period after the goods are sold, which is equivalent to enjoying a 30-90 day interest-free period for tax payment. Calculated based on the 13% VAT rate, for goods with a value of 1 million yuan, about 12,000 yuan of capital occupation cost can be saved.
To apply for VAT deferral, the enterprise only needs to have a customs credit rating of general credit or above and no major tax violation records. The agency will help you complete the full set of procedures for deferral declaration, no additional special materials are required, and the tax amount will be directly reflected in the deductible items of your tax system, which fully meets the tax supervision requirements.
DanielYears of service：8Customer Rating：5.0
Legal AdvisorStart a Chat
In 2026, the CIPS cross-border payment system has covered all major banks in Australia. When you pay for the goods, you can choose to settle in RMB without exchanging US dollars, which can avoid losses caused by exchange rate fluctuations. In addition, the arrival time of CIPS payment is 2-3 working days faster than SWIFT, and the handling fee is only about 60% of that of SWIFT.
When paying foreign exchange, you should note that the amounts on the trade contract, invoice and customs declaration form must be completely consistent, and the payee must be the same entity as the contract signing party, otherwise it will trigger an early warning from the foreign exchange administration, and in serious cases, the foreign exchange settlement authority will be suspended, which will affect the subsequent development of import and export business. The agency will help you review the consistency of foreign exchange payment materials in advance to avoid compliance problems.
WilliamYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
International Logistics AdvisorStart a Chat
When signing the ocean import agency contract, the division of responsibilities for abnormal situations should be clearly agreed. For example, all losses such as port detention fees and fines caused by the agency's missing declaration of documents shall be borne by the agency, and customs seizure and penalties caused by the cargo owner's provision of false materials shall be borne by the cargo owner itself.
You should also note that the contract should include force majeure clauses, clarifying the handling methods for force majeure situations such as port congestion and temporary customs policy adjustment, to avoid unclear rights and responsibilities when disputes arise. If you settle by letter of credit, you should ask the agency to review the terms of the letter of credit in advance to avoid soft clauses, such as requiring the submission of unobtainable documents or setting unreasonable payment conditions, which may lead to the risk of losing both money and goods.
DavidYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Business Development AdvisorStart a Chat
During customs inspection, the customs will first check whether the seal number of the container is consistent with the seal number on the bill of lading. If the seal is damaged or the number does not match, it will be directly determined that the cargo is abnormal, and a full inspection by unpacking is required. When inspecting food goods, the customs will focus on checking whether the production date, shelf life and Chinese labels meet the requirements.
The Chinese labels should be affixed to the minimum sales packaging of the products in advance, and cannot be affixed after arrival at the port, otherwise you will be required to make rectification. During the rectification period, the cargo will be detained at the inspection site, resulting in extra storage costs.
If sampling and testing is required, you should cooperate with the customs to collect samples as required. The test results are usually available within 7 working days. If the results are qualified, you can pick up the goods normally; if not, you will be required to return or destroy the goods.
AlexanderYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Trade AdvisorStart a Chat
Oats are ordinary food and do not require dangerous goods packaging, but you should note that the packaging should have sufficient moisture-proof performance. The humidity in the cabin is relatively high during ocean transportation. If the moisture-proof performance of the packaging is poor, it is very easy to get damp and moldy, resulting in unqualified goods being returned.
The packaging should clearly indicate the name, weight, origin and other information of the goods, which should be completely consistent with the declared information. If the information on the packaging does not match the declared information, the customs will directly determine that the goods do not match the documents during inspection, and the goods will be detained.
If the goods are packed with wooden pallets, fumigation treatment should be carried out in advance with IPPC marks. Wooden pallets without fumigation marks will be confiscated and destroyed by the customs, and in serious cases, the whole batch of goods will be subject to quarantine treatment.
EmilyYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Client Success AdvisorStart a Chat
The full set of import documents, including customs declaration forms, tax receipts, trade contracts, foreign exchange payment vouchers, inspection and quarantine certificates, etc., should be completely retained. If you use this batch of goods for production and then export them later, you need to submit relevant documents of the import link for input deduction when applying for export tax refund. If the documents are incomplete, the tax refund application will be rejected and you will not be able to enjoy the tax refund policy.
The retention of import documents should meet the requirement of consistency of four flows, that is, the information of cargo flow, capital flow, invoice flow and document flow should be completely matched. If the tax department initiates a letter verification, you should be able to submit the full set of retained documents within 5 working days, otherwise it will be determined as abnormal, you need to pay back the already deducted tax, and corresponding fines will be imposed.
SarahYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Foreign Exchange AdvisorStart a Chat
If you import oats from Australia for a long time, you can choose the CIF trade term, and the foreign supplier is responsible for chartering and booking space. You do not need to bear the risks during transportation.
If there is cargo damage, loss and other situations during transportation, you can directly claim compensation from the supplier. If your single purchase quantity exceeds 10 containers, you can sign a long-term cooperation agreement with the shipping company, and the freight can be about 15% lower than the market price, which can effectively reduce logistics costs.
You can also set up safety stock according to your sales situation, and stock up in advance according to the ocean import cycle to avoid out-of-stock situations. The inventory turnover days can be controlled within 45 days, the capital occupation rate can be reduced by about 20%, and the stability of the overall supply chain will be greatly improved.