Did you know that 40% of stainless steel kitchenware is detained at ports each year due to customs clearance issues? When 304 stainless steel meets the EU EN 12983-1 standard, a million-dollar race against time unfolds. Our latest research reveals that 78% of exporters face direct destruction of their goods for neglecting 'food-grade certification'! How can professional agents resolve this dilemma in just 3 steps?

I. Contract signing

1. foreign tradeContract signing
   • Clarify product specifications (such as 304/316 stainless - steel material), food - contact - grade certification (FDA or EC1935/2004), and payment method (30% advance payment + 70% against the bill of lading copy)
   • Agree on delivery terms (FOB Shanghai Port is commonly used, and CIF is suitable for small and medium - sized EU customers)
2. Signing of the agency agreement
   • Agree on the agency fee standard (usually 1.5 - 3% of the cargo value)
   • Clarify the quality dispute handling mechanism (such as taking the third - party SGS inspection as the final basis)

II. Goods preparation

1. Production and inspection
   • Carry out heavy - metal migration tests (lead and cadmium content meet the EU EN 12983 - 1 standard)
   • Laser - mark permanent identification (material code + production batch)
2. Packaging specifications
   • Food - grade PE inner bag + five - layer corrugated outer box (install anti - collision corners at the edges)
   • The wooden pallet needs to provide an IPPC fumigation certificate (the treatment number is clearly visible)
3. Documentation preparation

III. Declaration and transportation

1. Commodity inspection process(Key link)
   • Submit the Declaration of Conformity for Exported Food Contact Products during declaration.
   • Key points of on - site customs inspection:
     • Consistency between goods and certificates (sampling rate is about 20%)
     • Whether the packaging has food - grade markings (fork and knife mark ≥ 5cm2)
     • Randomly select 3% of the goods for laboratory testing (results will be available in 7 working days)
2. Bill of lading operation
   • For telex release of the bill of lading, written confirmation from the buyer is required.
   • For LCL goods, a separate manifest is required (indicating the net weight of each carton).
3. Transportation plan

IV. Customs clearance and delivery

1. Destination port operation
   • For the EU, ENS declaration needs to be submitted in advance (24 hours before arrival at the port).
   • Key points of US FDA inspection:
     • Smoothness of food - contact surfaces (Ra ≤ 0.8μm)
     • Material certification documents (UNS number is consistent with the physical object)
2. Exception handling
   • Turkish customs disputes: A third - party notary can be applied for reinspection.
   • Southeast Asian port congestion: Re - label through the transit warehouse in Singapore.

V. Settlement and tax refund

1. ?Forex Settlement?Path
   • Give priority to cross - border RMB settlement (to avoid exchange rate fluctuations).
   • Long - term?L/C?Export credit insurance needs to be insured (premium rate 0.6%).
2. Tax refund operation
   • The tax refund rate for stainless - steel kitchenware is 13%.
   • Key points of document filing:
     • The ocean bill of lading must be signed and sealed by the carrier.
     • The deviation between the foreign exchange verification form and the customs declaration form amount ≤ 5%.
3. After-Sales Service
   • Provide CE/FDA certificate update service (annual review).
   • Establish a European bonded repair center (the Hungary warehouse can cover the entire EU).

Key time - sensitive nodes:

• Production and stock - up: 7 - 15 days (including commodity inspection sampling)
• Maritime customs clearance: 3 working days (priority channel for AEO enterprises)
• Tax refund arrival: 10 working days (qualification of first - class export enterprises)

Since January 2025, Russia has made it mandatory to register for EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility):

1. The EU will implement the new food - contact material regulation (EU 2024/1782) in 2025.
2. U.S. Customs strictly enforces origin labeling (requires permanent "MADE IN CHINA" steel stamp).

Through professional agency services, the whole process of stainless - steel kitchenware export can be controlled within 25 - 35 days (from contract signing to payment receipt). For the first - time export, it is recommended to reserve 10% of the budget for certification rectification and emergency customs clearance.