Customs Clearance Q&A

What specific document materials are required for food import handling procedures

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I am a new practitioner in the food trade sector. I consulted a freight forwarder last week, but the other party only gave a general description and I am afraid of missing any steps.

For example, pre-procedures like label review and overseas production enterprise qualification verification, as well as domestic inspection and quarantine declaration, will there be time difference issues? A friend of mine had his goods detained for 10 days just because one document was missing, and lost a whole batch of fresh goods.

Now I need every step to be accurate to avoid pitfalls. Can you list all the procedures for food import clearly, from before overseas shipment to after domestic customs clearance, including key nodes and precautions for each link?

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Expert Answer

Robert
RobertYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0

Warehouse Management AdvisorStart a Chat

Food import procedures shall be advanced in accordance with full-link nodes. In the pre-procedure stage，overseas manufacturing enterprises shall complete registration and filing with the General Administration of Customs of China，and complete pre-review of product formula and nutrition facts table simultaneously. The Chinese label shall be submitted to the customs for pre-review and obtain approval in advance.

At the core clearance node，the importer's qualification filing shall be completed before overseas shipment，and electronic declaration data shall be sent to the customs. The domestic port shall synchronize the joint operation of inspection declaration and customs declaration. The inspection and quarantine department will conduct sampling inspection according to product categories，and grant release after the goods are qualified. Please note that pre-declaration shall be submitted 3 days in advance to avoid delayed clearance caused by data lag.

For abnormal links，prepare re-inspection application materials for unqualified sampling results in advance，contact the warehouse in advance to apply for trans-warehouse when goods are stranded at the port，and complete foreign exchange settlement and subsequent food sales filing in time after clearance，to ensure the whole process is compliant without omission.

David
DavidYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0

Business Development AdvisorStart a Chat

Overseas manufacturing enterprises shall complete registration and filing with the General Administration of Customs of China in advance, and obtain a exclusive filing number after approval, which shall be marked on all import documents. Detailed materials in both Chinese and English shall be submitted for product formula pre-review, the nutrition facts table shall meet the latest requirements of GB28050, and the pre-review of Chinese labels shall be submitted 15 days before the goods arrive at the port to avoid return shipment caused by non-compliant labels.

Sarah
SarahYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0

Foreign Exchange AdvisorStart a Chat

For the international logistics link, select direct sailing routes to avoid port detention risks caused by transshipment. Confirm the free storage period with the terminal in advance, book cold chain space for fresh food products, submit customs declaration and inspection materials immediately after the goods arrive at the port to avoid missing the optimal processing time for fresh goods, and submit port of change application to the shipping company in advance to avoid extra port change fees.

Emily
EmilyYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0

Client Success AdvisorStart a Chat

VAT deferral is applicable during the import process. The deferral application shall be submitted to the tax authority with relevant qualifications in advance. After approval, import VAT can be deferred for payment to reduce capital occupation cost.

Cross-border related party transaction pricing shall comply with BEPS rules to avoid tax risks. CIPS RMB cross-border payment can be adopted for foreign exchange settlement to reduce the impact of exchange rate fluctuations.

William
WilliamYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0

International Logistics AdvisorStart a Chat

Import and export receipt and payment of foreign exchange shall comply with the compliance requirements of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange. Offshore account management shall strictly follow the regulations of SAFE. Complete transaction documents shall be provided for foreign exchange settlement and account reconciliation.

The transaction remark in SWIFT messages shall be filled in accurately to avoid suspense account risks caused by non-compliant messages. The exchange rate for foreign exchange purchase can be optimized through professional bank services to reduce exchange cost.

Daniel
DanielYears of service：8Customer Rating：5.0

Legal AdvisorStart a Chat

The import contract shall clearly specify food quality standards and inspection clauses, the force majeure clause shall cover unexpected situations, the transfer of cargo ownership shall be clearly specified when endorsing the bill of lading, intellectual property customs protection filing shall be completed in advance to avoid infringement risks, and the letter of guarantee application shall comply with relevant regulations of the bank to ensure transaction safety.

John
JohnYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0

Export Tax Rebate AdvisorStart a Chat

During port inspection, verify the authenticity of the seal, cooperate with customs officers' requirements for container unpacking inspection, ensure the goods packaging meets requirements during machine inspection, carefully read the inspection notice, submit samples as required for the testing process, follow up the laboratory report in time, and complete re-inspection of unqualified samples within the specified time limit.

Charlotte
CharlotteYears of service：4Customer Rating：5.0

Currency Exchange AdvisorStart a Chat

Food packaging shall meet the requirements of MSDS, moisture-proof and reinforcement solutions shall be determined according to the transportation route, UN dangerous goods packaging shall comply with the latest standards, dangerous goods classification appraisal shall be completed in advance, buffer packaging materials shall be made of food contact compliant materials to avoid cargo damage caused by packaging issues, and label sticking shall meet customs requirements.

Olivia
OliviaYears of service：5Customer Rating：5.0

Senior Customs AdvisorStart a Chat

Imported food inventory shall be linked to the supply chain, select CIF/FOB trade terms based on cost, optimize the international trade structure to avoid the risk of single supplier, and conduct precise cost calculation covering expenses of all links including taxes, logistics fees and inspection fees to ensure profit margin. Inventory turnover shall match the sales plan to avoid overstock.

Note: We respect all users' opinions and contributions. However, comments and answers reflect the views of their respective authors only.
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