Was imported cheese detained by the customs? A must - read guide for Changsha people to avoid pitfalls

Mr. Zhang in Changsha saw a stretching video of French Brie cheese late at night and immediately placed an order for 2 kg. It was not until he received a logistics reminder that "customs declaration procedures need to be handled" that he realized: Behind the sweetness of imported cheese, there is a complex customs clearance process. According to statistics, in 2023, the cheese import volume at the Changsha port increased by 37% year - on - year, but about 65% of consumers have a cognitive blind spot regarding the customs declaration process.

Unlike ordinary food, cheese import needs to break through three barriers:

• Qualification verification barrier: The original factory needs to provide 7 types of documents such as a health certificate and a component test report. Ms. Li once had a whole batch of cheese returned due to the lack of an irradiation treatment certificate.
• Quarantine inspection barrier: Changsha Customs conducts 20 tests on dairy products, such as β - lactamase. A certain batch of Dutch cheese was once destroyed due to the detection of excessive lactic acid bacteria.
• Tax calculation barrier: According to the WTO agreement, the tariff for hard cheese is 12% and for soft cheese is 20%, and a 13% value - added tax also needs to be added (the latest tax rate in 2024).

The customs declaration manager of Zhongshitong revealed: "The core of cheese customs declaration is to anticipate risks.". Its service cases show:

• Prepared an Australian free - sale certificate in advance for a certain client, shortening the customs clearance time to 3 working days.
• Reduced the tax rate of a certain mixed cheese from 20% to 12% through classification suggestions.
• Established a cold - chain traceability system to solve the problem of temperature control during the transportation of Italian mozzarella cheese.

Personal purchases need to pay attention to:

• The single - time mailing weight limit is 5 kg (a purchase voucher is required).
• Mold - fermented cheeses (such as blue - veined cheese) are prohibited from entering the country.
• It is recommended to choose a cross - border e - commerce platform that has been filed.