7 Fatal Traps in Imported Food Clearance

Mr. Zhang was recently in a frantic rush due to a box of Spanish ham stranded at the customs, and Ms. Li's French red wine was returned due to label issues. With the surging demand for imported food, the scale of China's imported food exceeded 600 billion yuan in 2023, but 1 out of every 10 batches of goods gets stuck in the clearance process. This article will break down the "clearance code" for food imports to help you avoid those "pitfalls" worth tens of thousands of yuan.

A fatal mistake often made by importers is ordering goods first and then handling qualifications. A certain cross - border e - commerce once had a whole container of Japanese wagyu rot in the bonded area due to not handling the import food consignee filing. Essential documents include:

• Business license (should include food business items)
• Record - filing certificate of import and export rights
• Import food consignee filing number
• Registration number of overseas production enterprises (18 - digit code)

Experts from Zhongshi Customs Clearance remind: 70% of return shipment cases are due to document flaws. For frozen foods, special attention should be paid to:

• Certificate of origin (original + Chinese translation)
• Health certificate (issued date is earlier than the arrival date of the means of transport at the port)
• Component test report (should include allergen information)
• Sample of Chinese label (font height ≥ 1.8mm)

In 2024, the intelligent image - reviewing system newly launched by the General Administration of Customs can identify abnormalities in X - ray images within 5 seconds. Common inspection focuses:

• Cold - chain foods: Whether the full - process temperature records are complete
• Pre - packaged foods: Whether the conversion of the nutrition facts table is accurate
• Fresh foods: Whether the quarantine seal matches the certificate
• Health products: Whether they contain unreported new resource components

In addition to the 13% VAT and 0 - 25% tariff, also note:

• Anti - dumping duty (for example, Australian wine was once levied an additional 107% - 212%)
• Preferential tax rate (required to submit a certificate of origin such as FORM E)
• Delayed declaration fee (if the goods are not declared within 14 days after arrival at the port, it is levied at 0.5‰ per day)

After obtaining the inspection and quarantine certificate for entry goods, be sure to:

• Establish a sales record of imported food (retention period ≥ shelf - life + 6 months)
• Cooperate with the flow traceability inspection of the State Administration for Market Regulation
• Pay attention to the early warnings of the General Administration of Customs (such as the recent detection of mineral oil in German chocolate)