How long does it generally take for customs clearance of food agency imports? Are there any friends who know?
I plan to find an agent to help import a batch of food and want to know how long it will take for customs clearance of food agency imports. I heard that the customs clearance time may vary for different food categories and different ports. Moreover, the operational efficiency of the agency company will also affect the customs clearance duration. Can someone elaborate on the approximate time range? If there are special situations such as inspections, how much longer will it be extended?
Professional consultant answers
William YangYears of service：5Customer Rating：5.0
International logistics consultantConsult
The customs clearance time for food agency imports varies due to various factors. Generally speaking, under normal circumstances, with complete information, customs clearance can be completed in about 3 - 7 working days. If it is general food, such as common biscuits and beverages, in some ports with higher customs clearance efficiency, like Shanghai Port and Shenzhen Port, it may be completed in 3 - 5 working days. However, if it is special food such as meat and dairy products, due to stricter supervision and the need to handle additional licenses, etc., it may take 5 - 7 working days.
If there is a customs inspection, an ordinary inspection will generally extend the time by 1 - 2 working days. If it is a complex special inspection, it may be extended by 3 - 5 working days, depending on the inspection situation. In addition, incomplete preparation of materials will also delay the time. Therefore, when looking for an agent, it is necessary to ensure that it can quickly and accurately prepare the customs clearance materials. Professional agency companies like Zhongshitong, with rich experience and good resource coordination capabilities, can try to shorten the customs clearance time.
Michelle ChenYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Business coordination consultantConsult
The customs clearance time for food imports is also somewhat related to the quantity of goods. If the quantity is small, the customs clearance process is relatively faster, and it is almost 3 - 5 days under normal circumstances. If the quantity is large, there may be queuing in the warehouse for inspection, etc., and it may take about 7 days.
James LiuYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Foreign trade tax refund consultantConsult
If it is a holiday, the customs clearance time will definitely be extended. For long holidays like the Spring Festival and National Day, the customs clearance time before and after may be 2 - 3 days more, because the arrangement of customs personnel changes during holidays and the processing speed will be slower.
Sarah ZhangYears of service：8Customer Rating：5.0
Document expertConsult
If the customs clearance materials are incorrect or incomplete and need to be resubmitted for review, it will delay another 2 - 3 days. So, when looking for an agent, make sure to find one who can organize the materials well.
Joseph ZhouYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Senior foreign trade managerConsult
Some ports are busy with their own business, and the customs clearance speed is relatively slow, which may take 5 - 7 days. While some small ports have less business volume and the customs clearance speed is fast, and it can be completed in about 3 - 5 days.
David LiYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Senior customs declaration consultantConsult
Different foods have different testing items. If there are more testing items, the time will be a bit longer. For example, for special functional foods, the testing process is complex, and the customs clearance time may be close to 7 days.
Emily LiuYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Settlement and payment expertConsult
The network resources of the agency company also affect the customs clearance time. Companies like Zhongshitong with rich resources can quickly coordinate and solve problems when encountering them, and thus can control the customs clearance time well.
Elizabeth LiYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Compliance and risk managerConsult
If the food label does not meet the specifications, it will take time to rectify the label, about 1 - 2 days. Therefore, it is very important to conduct label review in advance.
Amanda YangYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Cost control consultantConsult
If sampling inspection is involved, it generally takes 3 - 5 days for the inspection results to come out. During this period, the goods cannot be released, and the overall customs clearance time is prolonged.