Is it mandatory to entrust an agency company for exporting food?

According to the "Import and export"Food Safety Management Measures", food export enterprises may chooseSelf-declarationorEntrusting an AgentTwo modes. However, it is recommended to entrust a professional agent in actual operations:

• Customs AEO-certified enterprises are required to have a professional customs declaration team.
• Special certifications for the target market (such as EU FVO inspections) require agent registration.
• Special transportation methods such as cold chain logistics involve multi-party coordination.

How to judge the professional qualifications of an agency company?

The latest verification standards for 2025 should focus on three dimensions:

• Legal qualifications:
  • Customs-registered customs declaration enterprise
  • Possessing a Food Distribution License
  • International freight forwarding qualification (FIATA certification preferred)
• Industry experience:
  • Export cases of similar food products in the past 3 years ≥20.
  • Cold chain food requires ATP certificate operation experience.
• Service network:
  • Qualifications of the Destination Port Customs Clearance Partner
  • Overseas Warehouse Temperature Control System Certification Documents

What necessary expenses are included in the agency fees?

Significant changes in the composition of agency service fees for 2025:

• Basic service fee(Account for 60-70%):
  • Customs declaration pre-entry and submission
  • Origin CertificateApplication for the...
  • Compliance document review
• • Presentation of L/C documents: 800 - 1500 yuan per order
  • Agency for export tax rebate: 5% - 8% of the tax rebate amount
  (Recommended choice):
  • Overseas market access consulting (e.g., U.S. FDA registration)
  • Transportation Plan Optimization (Reducing Cargo Damage Rate)
  • Tariff planning (application of RCEP agreement rates)

How to Apply for Common Export Food Certifications?

The certification requirements vary significantly across different target markets:

• Basic Authentication:
  • China Customs Export Food Production Enterprise Registration (Valid for 5 Years)
  • HACCP Certification (Mandatory Requirement for Frozen Foods Added in 2025)
• Regional certification:
  • EU: BRCGS Certification + Organic Food EC834/2007 Certification
  • United States: FSMA Registration + USDA Grading Certification
  • Japan: JAS Certification + Positive List System Compliance Statement

Which stages are prone to causing goods to be detained by customs?

In 2025, the General Administration of Customs reported cases highlighting the following key risk points:

• Label ProblemAccounting for 35%:
  • Nutrition Facts table unit error (e.g., mixing kilojoules and kilocalories)
  • Allergen information missing (EU requires labeling of 14 categories)
• Certificate defectAccount for 28%:
  • The signatory of the health certificate has not been registered.
  • The test report has exceeded its validity period (most countries require ≤6 months).

What legal risks should be considered when selecting an agency company?

It is recommended to clearly specify the following terms in the agency agreement:

• Clause on Joint and Several Liability for Document Authenticity
• Trade Secret Protection Clause (Including Formula Confidentiality Agreement)
• Force Majeure Exemption Clause (referring to the 2023 revised version of INCOTERMS)
• Dispute resolution clause (recommend specifying China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission)