Is the huge profit of imported food agency coming to an end?

Mr. Zhang, who was swiping his phone late at night, was suddenly struck by a video - a craftsman in an Italian century - old cheese workshop was cutting golden cheese with traditional techniques. He subconsciously swallowed, only to find that the same product couldn't be found on domestic e - commerce platforms at all. Behind this lies a 163 - billion - yuan gap in the imported food market, and the agency business is the key link connecting overseas delicacies with domestic dining tables.

Data from the General Administration of Customs shows that in 2023, the scale of imported food increased by 11.7% year - on - year, and the growth rates of categories such as cheese and olive oil exceeded 30%. Ms. Li's personal experience is even more persuasive: The Greek yogurt brand she represents achieved a monthly sales volume of 200,000 boxes in three months through the community group - buying channel.

• Consumption upgrading: Generation Z is willing to pay a premium for "story - driven food"
• Channel sinking: The consumption growth rate of imported food in third - and fourth - tier cities is twice that of first - tier cities
• Favorable policies: The RCEP agreement reduces the import tariffs on Southeast Asian food

Supply chain experts from Zhongshitong revealed that to succeed in agency, one needs to grasp: Accurate product selection (avoid religious taboos/perishable products), Shortened supply chain (direct delivery from the bonded warehouse saves 15 days compared to traditional agency), Complete certificates (imported food must have both a hygiene certificate and a Chinese label). There was once a Mr. Zhang whose entire container of Malaysian pastries was detained by the customs for three months due to missing the halal certification.

Through in - depth interviews with 20 practitioners, we have compiled a golden pit - avoiding list:

• Beware of the "exclusive sales" trap: A German beer agency contract secretly contains a clause of a guaranteed minimum sales volume of 2 million
• Be cautious in choosing niche categories: French foie gras sauce was unsalable in large quantities due to insufficient consumer awareness
• Test the market temperature: First try single - order cross - border direct mail and then purchase in bulk

Industry observations show that the agency model is undergoing a triple evolution: from simple trade to brand operation (such as custom - made packaging exclusive to China), from offline distribution to the DTC model (reaching consumers directly through private domain traffic), and from single - product agency to solution provision (matching recipe tutorials and cooking tools). This requires practitioners to have both an eye for product selection and local - operation capabilities.

When you pick up that bottle of Spanish olive oil in the supermarket, you may not think that the agent behind it spent six months overcoming the halal certification problem. This track full of opportunities is waiting for more "delicacy hunters" to enter with wisdom and courage. Are you ready to become the next "ferryman" of imported food?