How to operate the full process of customs clearance and procurement entrusted by an operating imported fruit store to a licensed agency?
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I run a community imported fruit store in Hangzhou, which has been open for nearly 8 months. Previously, I always sourced goods from unregulated scattered agents in the market, and encountered many bad experiences: last month, a batch of Chilean cherries was detained at the port for 5 days, nearly 30 boxes went bad and I lost nearly 20,000 yuan.
Another batch of Thai mangosteens was previously seized and destroyed directly because no quarantine permit was applied for in advance. Now the number of regular customers in my store is growing, and they have high requirements for the category and freshness of imported fruits.
I no longer want to take risks brought by unregulated scattered agents, and plan to seek long-term cooperation with a formal import and export agency. I want to know the full workflow of the imported fruit store agency service, what materials need to be prepared in advance, how to control cargo damage and customs clearance risks, and how to calculate tax and fee costs to avoid being overcharged.
EmilyYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Client Success AdvisorStart a Chat
First of all，complete pre-qualification verification. If you do not hold a food business license or import and export operation right，you can directly use the agency's compliant qualifications for affiliation. Submit the overseas supplier's filing number，original scanned copies of the certificate of origin and phytosanitary certificate 3 working days in advance，apply for the entry animal and plant quarantine permit 7 days in advance to avoid cargo seizure caused by missing qualifications.
The agency will simultaneously arrange cargo pickup at the overseas origin. The whole transportation is conducted in temperature-controlled cold chain containers，and direct sailing routes are prioritized to avoid transshipment. Pre-declaration review will be completed 24 hours before the vessel arrives at the port，the customs clearance time for fresh goods via the green channel is shortened to within 48 hours. After the vessel berths，the agency will directly coordinate with the port for disinfection and sampling quarantine，no need to queue with ordinary cargo.
Reserve 10% of redundancy for cold chain warehousing in advance. If temporary storage is required due to sampling inspection，the goods will be directly transferred to the customs designated cold chain warehouse with full traceable temperature control，and the cargo damage rate can be controlled within 1%. In case of document discrepancy，the agency will directly liaise with the customs for document modification，no need for your on-site processing.
After passing quarantine，the goods will be directly delivered to your store，and formal value-added tax input invoices and inspection and quarantine qualification certificates will be issued to you simultaneously. All documents will be retained for 3 years for future reference. The tax point cost is uniformly calculated for deduction at 9% as agricultural product input VAT，no extra arbitrary charges will be incurred. You only need to submit procurement requirements in advance，and all other links can be handled by the agency on your behalf，no additional dedicated staff arrangement is required.
SophiaYears of service：7Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Customs AdvisorStart a Chat
Before customs declaration for imported fruits, verification of the access list of overseas planting orchards and packaging plants must be completed in advance. If the supplier is not included in the access list published by the General Administration of Customs of China, the goods will be directly returned or destroyed. At the price verification stage, the procurement contract, foreign exchange payment voucher, and reference copies of recent import customs declarations of the same category shall be submitted in advance.
If the customs raises an objection to price verification, the price statement issued by the supplier can be directly submitted, and the price verification and confirmation can be completed within 3 working days, no need for lengthy consultation processes. If there is discrepancy in document information, such as quantity and weight deviation within 5%, you can directly apply for document modification without deleting the original declaration and re-submitting, which will not generate additional port detention costs.
DanielYears of service：8Customer Rating：5.0
Legal AdvisorStart a Chat
For imported fruit transportation, direct sailing routes are prioritized. A 7-day free storage period is applicable for Southeast Asia routes, and a 14-day free storage period is applicable for South America routes. Book cold chain container space in advance to avoid space overload and cargo rollover in peak seasons.
Complete document exchange procedures in advance before the vessel arrives at the port, and pick up the container within 2 hours after the vessel berths. In case of temporary port change, the agency can directly contact the shipping company to handle port change procedures, no extra demurrage fee is required.
The whole temperature control data is traceable. If the temperature deviation during transportation exceeds 2℃, an early warning will be triggered automatically, and the logistics specialist will coordinate and adjust temperature control parameters immediately to prevent fruit spoilage.
OliviaYears of service：5Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Customs AdvisorStart a Chat
Imported fruits are eligible for the VAT deferral policy. Import VAT does not need to be paid directly at the customs clearance stage, and can be deferred to be deducted against output VAT at quarterly declaration, which greatly reduces capital occupation cost. The input VAT of agricultural products can be calculated and deducted at 9%.
If the products are used for production or entrusted processing of goods applicable to 13% tax rate, an additional 1% deduction is allowed. The pricing of related party transactions shall comply with the arm's length principle, and the pricing deviation shall not exceed 10% of the average import price of the same category in the same period, to avoid transfer pricing adjustment by the tax authority.
SarahYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Foreign Exchange AdvisorStart a Chat
Foreign exchange payment prioritizes the CIPS RMB cross-border settlement channel, which can avoid exchange rate fluctuation risks. A preferential exchange rate point 20-50 basis points higher than the real-time quotation can be applied for foreign exchange settlement. The information on foreign exchange payment vouchers must correspond one-to-one with the customs declaration and procurement contract.
If the single foreign exchange payment amount exceeds 50,000 US dollars, submit the tax filing form in advance, no extra paper documents are required. SWIFT messages can be automatically verified by directly connecting to the bank system. The whole process of foreign exchange collection and settlement is operated online, and the funds will be credited to the account on T+1 day, no suspended fund posting problem will occur.
DavidYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Business Development AdvisorStart a Chat
When signing the cooperation agreement with the agency, the title transfer node of the goods shall be clearly specified. The title of the goods shall be transferred only after the goods are delivered to the store and accepted as qualified, and all cargo damage risks before that shall be borne by the agency. A force majeure coverage clause shall be clearly specified in the agreement.
In case of special circumstances such as port strikes and epidemic lockdowns, you can apply for exemption directly, without bearing port detention fee and container demurrage fee. You can require the agency to issue a performance bond, and if the goods are detained by customs or destroyed due to the agency's operational errors, full compensation at the procurement price can be claimed directly.
AlexanderYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Trade AdvisorStart a Chat
Inspection of imported fruits prioritizes the fresh goods inspection green channel. Notify the port staff of the cargo attribute in advance during X-ray scanning, to avoid excessive radiation dose that damages the fruits.
During unpacking inspection, the upper layer of goods will be checked first. If the outer packaging is intact, you can apply for exemption from unpacking the bottom layer of goods, to reduce cargo damage caused by unpacking.
If sample testing is required, priority testing can be applied for, and the testing time for fresh categories is shortened to within 3 working days. The goods can be released directly after passing the test, no long-term temporary storage is required.
EllaYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Financial AdvisorStart a Chat
The packaging of imported fruits shall comply with IPPC marking requirements. Wooden packaging must go through fumigation treatment to avoid cargo seizure caused by pest problems.
Cold chain transport packaging shall be added with buffer foam layer, and 10% of ventilation space shall be reserved for each box, to avoid spoilage caused by extrusion during transportation. Tropical fruits shall use special modified atmosphere fresh-keeping packaging, which can extend the fresh-keeping period by 15-20 days.
Even if there is short-term temperature control deviation during transportation, large-scale spoilage will not occur. MSDS shall be submitted to the shipping company and port in advance, to avoid being identified as sensitive goods and detained for inspection.
CharlotteYears of service：4Customer Rating：5.0
Currency Exchange AdvisorStart a Chat
The four documents including procurement contract, customs declaration, foreign exchange payment voucher and input invoice for imported fruits shall be consistent in corresponding information. All documents shall be kept on file for more than 3 years for future reference. In case of tax verification letter, the full set of documents can be submitted directly, and the verification can be completed within 3 working days.
The information on the issued input invoice must correspond one-to-one with the product name, quantity and unit on the customs declaration. If there is information deviation, issue a red-letter invoice to write off the original one in advance, and then reissue the correct invoice, to avoid non-deductible input VAT. When declaring VAT monthly, verify the information of import VAT payment certificate in advance, to avoid missing deduction or wrong deduction problems.
JohnYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Export Tax Rebate AdvisorStart a Chat
You can make monthly procurement plans based on the store's sales data, lock the overseas origin supply 30 days in advance, and the procurement cost can be reduced by 10%-15%. Choose CIF trade term in priority, under which the agency bears the transportation and insurance costs, and you do not need to bear cargo damage risks during transportation.
Adopt an inventory linkage mode, reserving 15% of safety stock in the port bonded warehouse, so that replenishment can be completed within 24 hours after the store is out of stock, no need to hoard large quantities of goods to occupy capital. Adjust procurement frequency according to the sales cycle of different categories: tropical fruits are procured twice a month, and temperate fruits are procured once a month, which greatly reduces inventory loss.