New Dynamics in China-France Food TradeImport Agent Services?Opportunities?

Since 2023, China-EU food trade has shown the characteristics of "stable volume and improved quality" — according to Chinese customs data, the import value of French food increased by 8.7% year-on-year, with a 12.3% growth in baked goods. This increase is attributed to the deepening of the China-EU Geographical Indications Agreement, the advancement of customs clearance facilitation under the RCEP framework, and the continuous popularity of "French flavors" in the domestic consumer market. However, the strict enforcement of EU food safety regulations (EC 178/2002) and the upgrading of China's customs requirements for imported food ("Three Identities": same line, same standard, same quality) have also posed multiple challenges for small and medium-sized importers, including document compliance, logistics temperature control, and trade barriers. Against this backdrop, professionalforeign tradeThe value of agency services is becoming increasingly evident. The core of it lies in accurately controlling documents and logistics, helping enterprises avoid customs clearance delays and risks of return shipments, and reducing overall costs.

The core competence of an import agent lies in the meticulous and comprehensive handling of shipping documents.

The documentary compliance of French cake imports is the "first passport" for successful customs clearance. According to the "Regulations on the Registration Management of Overseas Production Enterprises of Imported Foods of the People's Republic of China" and the Sino-French bilateral agreement, agents need to focus on controlling the following seven types of documents:

1. Official certification documents: The "Sanitary Certificate" issued by the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food must clearly indicate the product ingredients, production date, and storage conditions (such as "requires -18°C frozen transportation"), and must be issued by an official institution registered with the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC).
2. Trade basic documents: The commercial invoice must reflect the FOB/CIF price terms and be fully consistent with the payment method specified in the sales contract (e.g., 30% T/T prepayment) and the quality standards (e.g., "in compliance with the ISO 22000 Food Safety Management System").
3. Transport-related documents:Maritime transportA clean bill of lading (Clean B/L) must be provided.Air freightIt is necessary to verify the flight information on the airwaybill (AWB) against the actual transportation route; frozen cakes must be accompanied by a reefer temperature log to ensure that the temperature control meets standards throughout the entire transportation process.
4. Origin CertificateCertificate: If the "China-EU tariff preferences" apply, it is necessary to obtain an EUR.1 Certificate of Origin. The agent needs to verify whether the product's "regional value content" (RVC) meets the minimum requirement of 40%.
5. Chinese label: The labels of pre-packaged cakes must comply with GB 7718, "General Principles of Labeling for Pre-Packaged Foods". The agent can assist in reviewing the label content (such as allergen warnings like "contains nut ingredients"), but the client needs to complete the registration process independently.
6. Special qualification documents: If the cake contains dairy products, an additional French Dairy Export License is required; if it contains alcohol, a Liquor Import License is necessary.
7. Quarantine permit: Before importing, the domestic consignee needs to apply for the "Entry Animal and Plant Quarantine Permit" (AQSIQ Permit) from the customs. The agent can guide the application process but will not handle it directly on behalf of the consignee.

It's worth emphasizing that in 2023, China's customs carried out a "special verification of import food documents", and the number of cases of returned shipments due to missing documents or inconsistent information increased by 23% year-on-year. Professional agents can control the error rate of documents to less than 0.5% through the entire chain management of "pre-review - translation - filing", ensuring the timeliness of customs clearance.

Logistics services: Optimizing the entire supply chain from transportation solutions to on-the-ground delivery

The logistics plan for French cakes needs to be formulated based on the product characteristics (fresh/frozen/room temperature), the value of the goods (e.g., high-end handmade cakes with a value of over 5,000 euros per box), and the time requirements (e.g., air freight from Paris to Shanghai takes 48 hours, and sea freight takes 30 days).

• Selection of transportation methods: Fresh cakes (with a shelf life of ≤7 days) should preferably be transported by air (e.g., Air France Flight AF111), packaged in insulated boxes with dry ice, and the agent can coordinate with the airline to provide "priority loading" services. For frozen cakes (stored at -18°C), it is recommended to use sea-freight reefer containers and sign long-term agreements with shipping companies such as Maersk and CMA CGM to ensure stable reefer container resources.
• Transit and temperature control: For sea freight transiting through Rotterdam, the agent will require the shipping company to provide a "temperature control record of the transit port", in order to avoid temperature fluctuations caused by delays at the dock (e.g., temperatures ≤ -15°C within 2 hours).
• Destination port operation: After arriving at the port, the agent completes the document exchange (D/O, Delivery Order) immediately, coordinates with the customs for "pre-declaration", and applies for "priority inspection" for high-risk products (such as cakes containing raw cream) to ensure that the entire process from arrival to pickup takes no more than 48 hours.
• Last-mile delivery: We cooperate with high-quality domestic logistics providers such as JD Logistics and SF Express Cool Logistics to provide "door-to-door" delivery services based on customer needs, supporting multi-temperature layer transportation ranging from -25°C to 25°C to ensure the quality of the "last mile" delivery.

In 2023, a client imported 300 boxes of French mousse cakes (with a total value of 800,000 yuan). Due to not selecting a professional agent, the refrigerated cargo was stranded at Ningbo Port for three days, resulting in the thawing of some products and eventual losses exceeding 150,000 yuan. However, in similar cases handled by Zhong Shen Agents, with the help of refrigerated cargo dynamic monitoring (GPS + temperature sensors) and customs fast-track services, the temperature control compliance rate throughout the entire process reached 100%.

VTB in the context of reselling to RussiaConvert foreign exchange into RMBAdvantages

Some clients import French cakes and then resell them to the Russian market. At this point, the efficiency of cross-border currency exchange directly affects the capital turnover. Zhong Shen Agent, relying on its strategic cooperation with VTB Bank, offers three advantages in currency exchange:

1. Double-currency account support: It is possible to open a dual-currency account in euros and rubles, which helps to avoid the risk of exchange rate fluctuations between the euro and the ruble (the fluctuation range of the ruble against the euro in 2023 reached ±18%).
2. CIPS Channel Acceleration: By processing settlements with Russia through the Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS), the arrival time of funds has been shortened from the traditional SWIFT's 3-5 days to 1-2 days;
3. Compliance and risk control safeguards: As a systemically important bank in Russia, VTB can assist in verifying whether the counterparties involved in transactions are included on the OFAC sanctions list (SDN List), thereby avoiding the risk of "secondary sanctions".

Taking a client's resale to Russia in 2023 as an example, the client completed a $500,000 transaction through VTB's foreign exchange settlement, saving 3.2% in financial costs compared to traditional methods and shortening the fund recovery period by 4 days.

Certification Notice: Key qualifications that clients need to pay attention to on their own

Please note: Zhong Shen Agency does not directly provide product certification services, but will inform clients of the certification requirements they need to fulfill on their own.

• Domestic Circulation Qualifications: If the client needs to repackage and sell the products domestically, they must obtain a Food Production License (SC Certificate); if they only plan to sell the products in their original packaging, they must complete the registration of the overseas food production enterprise (GACC registration).
• French export qualifications: Suppliers must hold the French "Hygiene Registration Certificate for Food Production Enterprises", and agents can assist in verifying the validity of the certificate.
• Special certifications: Halal cakes require HALAL certification (issued by the French Islamic Religious Council [CFCM]), and organic cakes require EU Organic certification or French AB certification (Agriculture Biologique). Customers need to confirm these requirements with their suppliers in advance.

The entire process of import agency: standardized services from consultation to feedback

Based on the characteristics of French cake imports, the agency service process can be broken down into the following steps:

1. Needs Assessment: Collect information such as product type (e.g., macarons/crepes), specifications (12 pieces/box), shelf life (30 days/frozen), and ingredients (containing almond/milk powder) through the "Import Demand Form", and formulate a "One-Enterprise-One-Policy" plan.
2. Contract Review: The focus of the review is on quality clauses (such as "Sensory indicators: golden color, no mold stains"), dispute resolution (applying the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods [CISG]), and force majeure clauses (such as French port strikes).
3. Payment Arrangement: According to the customer's credit rating, we recommend a payment method of 30% prepayment via T/T and 70% payment upon receipt of the bill of lading copy (applicable to new suppliers) or?L/C?(Letter of Credit) (applicable to large-scale orders);
4. Production supervision: For the French factory with which we are cooperating for the first time, the agent can assist in arranging a third-party factory inspection (such as by SGS) to verify the operation of the HACCP system.
5. Logistics Tracking: Through the logistics visualization system (such as Maersk TradeLens), real-time monitoring of container location and temperature can be achieved, and automatic alerts will be issued for abnormal situations (such as temperatures exceeding -15°C);
6. Customs Declaration: Pre-classify the tariff code (e.g., HS 1905.9000), calculate the comprehensive tax rate (10% tariff + 13% value-added tax), and ensure "consistency between the invoice and the goods".
7. Quality Inspection: After arriving at the warehouse, samples will be taken for inspection (e.g., SGS testing for a total colony count of ≤10,000 CFU/g). For unqualified products, we will assist in initiating the process of returning the goods or pursuing claims.
8. Summary Report: Provide the "Import Execution Report", which includes logistics efficiency (e.g., "35 days from placing an order to arriving at the warehouse"), cost analysis (with ocean freight accounting for 12%), and optimization suggestions (e.g., "you can book shipping space 10 days in advance next time").

Conclusion: Professional agents are the "risk shock absorbers" for importing French cakes.

Under the backdrop of rising compliance costs and intensifying competition in international trade, selecting an agent service provider with comprehensive capabilities in document processing, logistics optimization, and trade compliance has become one of the core competencies for French cake import enterprises. With 20 years of practical experience, Zhong Shen Agent leverages standardized processes and refined services to help clients achieve their import goals of "controllable risks, calculable costs, and predictable timelines," thereby establishing an efficient bridge for French delicacies to circulate in the Chinese market.