Pet supplies import customs clearance always gets stuck? Professional brokerage firm helps you complete the whole process of quarantine license clearance

Last year,we served Mr.Xie who runs a cross-border pet supplies e-commerce business.He imported 20 tons of tofu cat litter from Thailand,but made a wrong HS code classification when declaring with a general freight forwarder: he classified plant fiber products under the general plastic product category.Not only did he pay 12% extra tariff,his cargo was also put under customs controlled inspection,resulting in nearly 20,000 RMB demurrage fees after 7 days of port detention.Along with missing the e-commerce promotion peak,the total loss reached nearly 100,000 RMB.Such cases are very common in the pet supplies import sector,and the core value of professional agency firms is to help avoid such preventable losses in advance.

Core Regulatory Requirements for Pet Supplies Import in 2026

Regulation rules vary greatly across different categories of pet supplies.Many cargo owners encounter pitfalls simply because they are not familiar with the access requirements for segmented product categories.The following is a comparison of regulatory details for each category:

Core Selection Criteria for Pet Supplies Import Agency Firms

The agency industry has mixed service quality,many general freight forwarders have no knowledge of the specific regulatory rules for pet product categories.You should focus on verifying the following 3 points during selection:

• Verify practical operation experience: Prioritize agencies with at least 3 years of proven pet supplies import operation cases.Avoid general freight forwarders that accept all types of cargo.Regulatory requirements for pet product categories update rapidly,and agencies without practical experience will easily cross the access red line.
• Confirm detailed quotation: Require the agency to provide a full-process quotation list that clearly states all expense items including document exchange fee,port miscellaneous fee,inspection service fee,fumigation fee,to avoid hidden surcharges afterwards.Meanwhile,clarify the division of demurrage liability,and confirm that all demurrage fees caused by the agency’s declaration errors shall be borne by the agency.
• Confirm service scope: Verify whether the agency can apply for the Entry Animal and Plant Quarantine Permit on your behalf,carry out pre-inspection of commodity inspection in advance,and has experience in handling valuation disputes.Many small agencies can only complete basic declaration tasks,and have no solutions at all when facing clearance blockage,making the cargo owner bear all the losses.

Frequent Pet Supplies Import Risks and Countermeasures

In 2026,China Customs updated its valuation and inspection control model for pet supplies,which compares the average national declared price of the same category and brand in the past 3 months.If the declared price is 10% lower than the warning line,the cargo will be directly put under control.Our team will collect complete trade chain documents for clients in advance,including certificate of origin,foreign exchange payment voucher,and supplier factory invoice.When facing valuation disputes,we can submit complete documents for appeal within 3 working days,and complete valuation and release as fast as in 24 hours.

Animal and plant quarantine is another common cause of clearance blockage.For example,many wooden cat trees imported from Southeast Asia do not get IPPC fumigation done by suppliers before shipment,so no fumigation mark is found after cargo arrives at the port.In this case,the cargo will either be returned,or the importer has to pay a high price for on-site fumigation,which will delay the process for at least 7 days.Our team will connect with overseas suppliers before cargo shipment,check all document requirements in advance,and remind them to complete fumigation and attach IPPC marks for packages containing wooden materials,so as to resolve all potential issues at the port of origin.

Zhongshitong is headquartered in Shanghai,supporting remote declaration at all ports across China.Our 120+ global partner networks cover major pet supplies exporting countries.No matter your trade term is FOB or EXW,we can connect with overseas suppliers in advance to complete document review,and avoid missing documents after cargo arrival.For pet supplies exported from RCEP member states,we will help clients apply for qualified certificates of origin in advance,so as to deduct up to 15% of the tariff.Last year,when we handled the import declaration for a batch of ASEAN-produced cat litter for client Mr.Wang in Zhejiang,we saved 82,000 RMB of tariff cost solely with the qualified certificate of origin.

Risk Warning: There are two absolute red lines for pet food import that must never be crossed.First,the exporting country of the product is not included in China’s pet food export-to-China access catalogue.Second,the overseas manufacturer does not obtain the General Administration of Customs China registration qualification.If any of the two rules is violated,the cargo will be directly returned or destroyed after arrival,with no room for negotiation.Last year,one client who imported a niche pet food from the US through another agency failed to check the access qualification in advance,and the entire cargo was destroyed upon arrival,resulting in a total loss of 320,000 RMB.In addition,if your company does not have import and export operation right,do not use the "document-purchasing customs declaration" method for import.Once verified by customs,your company will be listed on the dishonesty list,and all subsequent import and export businesses will be put under inspection control.

If you encounter clearance blockage,incomplete documents,valuation disputes or other issues in your pet supplies import order,you can directly contact our team,and we will provide a targeted operation solution based on your specific product category,country of origin,and arrival port.