French biscuits under the new opportunities of Sino-French food tradeImport Agent ServicesPractice

In recent years, withChina-Europe Railway ExpressThe normalization of operations and the deepening of trade facilitation under the RCEP framework have led to the continuous expansion of China's imported food market. French biscuits, with their exquisite craftsmanship and unique flavors, have become a popular category of imported baked goods. According to data from the General Administration of Customs in 2023, the export value of French baked goods to China increased by 18% year-on-year. The surge in import demand has placed higher demands on the professionalism of agency services.Zhong Shen International Trade Co., Ltd.As a senior consultant with 20 years of experience in theExport Agent ServicesAs a service provider with 20 years of experience, we rely on three core capabilities—document processing, logistics coordination, and trade compliance—to provide enterprises with a full-chain solution from order placement to delivery.

The core of import agency lies in the "meticulousness" and "strictness" in document processing.

The compliance of documents for French cookie imports is the key to successful customs clearance, and it must strictly meet the requirements of Chinese customs and inspection and quarantine authorities. In the agency service, the document processing needs to focus on the following three types of documents:

1. Basic commercial documentsIncluding the commercial invoice provided by the exporter (which must list the description of the goods, unit price, total amount, and trade terms, such as CIF Shanghai), the packing list (which indicates the gross weight, net weight, volume, and packaging specifications), and the bill of lading.Maritime transportfor B/L,Air freight(For AWB). The agent needs to verify that the invoice and contract amounts are consistent to avoid customs inquiries due to discrepancies in the declared value of the goods.
2. Official Qualification DocumentsIt is necessary to provide a sanitary certificate issued by the French authorities, certifying that the products comply with the EU Food Hygiene Regulation (EC 852/2004) and China's GB 14881-2013 "General Hygiene Standards for Food Production". If the products involve geographical indications (such as Breton butter cookies), additional certification of origin protection (AOC/AOP) is required.
3. Technical Compliance DocumentIngredient analysis report (which must list the types and contents of additives and comply with the China GB 2760-2014 standard), nutritional information table (which must comply with the GB 28050-2011 General Guidelines for Nutrition Labeling of Prepackaged Foods), and compliance declaration for food contact materials (EC 1935/2004). The agent must verify in advance whether the additives are on the list of permitted uses in China. For example, the maximum permitted use of lemon yellow (E102) in China is 0.1 g/kg, and exceeding this amount will result in the products being returned.

Special note: Certifications such as the registration of overseas food producers (Customs General Administration Decree No. 141) and the filing of Chinese labels require importers to handle them themselves or entrust third-party agencies to do so. Our company can provide document review assistance but will not handle these matters directly on behalf of importers.

Logistics Management: Full-chain control from the port of departure to the port of destination

Most French biscuits are general cargo (not requiring cold chain), but some products containing cream and chocolate require controlled transportation temperatures (recommended below 20℃). Logistics solutions for these products need to be designed differently.

• Selection of transportation methodsFor small batches (≤2,000 kg), air freight (Paris-Shanghai, with a transit time of 4-6 days) can be used to reduce inventory turnover pressure. For large batches (≥5,000 kg), it is preferable to choose full container load (FCL) sea freight. The goods will depart from Marseille/Le Havre ports, pass through the Mediterranean Sea-Suez Canal route, and arrive at Yangshan Port in Shanghai, with a voyage duration of approximately 35 days. The cost of sea freight is more than 60% lower than that of air freight.
• Transit and Risk ControlFor ocean freight, attention should be paid to the demurrage charges at the destination port (about USD50/day/20GP) and storage fees (about RMB80/day/container). The agent will coordinate with the shipping company in advance to apply for a 14-day demurrage exemption period. For air freight, it is necessary to monitor the flight status to avoid delays caused by weather or aviation control, which may affect the efficiency of customs clearance.
• Customs clearance coordination at the port of destination3 days before arrival at the port, complete the pre-declaration of customs declaration and simultaneously submit the accompanying documents (such as automatic import licenses, HS codes 1905.3100/1905.3200 do not require quotas); during customs inspection, the agent needs to cooperate on-site to open the boxes and check the goods against the declared information (such as specifications, brands, production dates), ensuring that the labels are affixed in accordance with the requirements of "the affixing position is obvious and the information is clear".

Expansion of business with Russia: VTBConvert foreign exchange into RMBAdvantages to Support Cross-Border Payments

It's worth noting that some importers distribute French biscuits through Russia or cooperate with Russian companies for distribution. In this case, the efficiency of foreign exchange settlement becomes crucial. Zhong Shen International Trade Co., Ltd. and Russiaforeign tradeThe bank (VTB) has established a long-term cooperation and offers three major advantages in foreign exchange settlement:

• Exchange Rate Lock - inSupport T+0 spot foreign exchange settlement and 3-month forward lock-in foreign exchange settlement to avoid the risk of ruble/euro exchange rate fluctuations;
• Arrival timeThrough direct connection to the SWIFT system, cross-border payments between the euro and the RMB can be credited within 24 hours (while traditional agents typically take 3-5 days).
• Compliance guaranteeAs a state-owned bank of the Russian Federation, VTB strictly complies with the OFAC and EU sanctions compliance requirements, reducing the risk of cross-border payments being frozen.

Full-process agency services: controlling the 9 key stages from order placement to delivery

Based on the characteristics of French cookie imports, the agency service can be broken down into the following key stages:

1. Needs AssessmentDetermine the product type (crispy/chewy biscuits), specifications (small packaging/gift box), and import volume (trial order/regular purchase), and assess whether an import animal and plant quarantine license is required (if containing dairy products, such a license must be provided).
2. Contract ReviewThe key points to be verified include trade terms (it is recommended to use CIF or DAP, and clarify the division of freight/insurance responsibilities), quality clauses (agree on sensory indicators: crispness ≥ 80%, moisture ≤ 5%), and dispute resolution (select the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission).
3. Payment ArrangementFor small orders, a 30% prepayment via T/T is required (to be paid in full before shipment), while large orders can be issued with an irrevocable letter of credit.?L/C?(Letter of Credit at sight), the agent assists in reviewing the soft clauses of the letter of credit (such as "the exporter is required to provide a third-party inspection report").
4. Production monitoring and packingSend QC to the French factory for spot checks (with a sampling ratio of ≥5%), verify the batch of raw materials (e.g., wheat flour must be non-GMO), inspect the production environment (with a cleanliness level of ≥100,000), and test the packaging for sealing (drop test: no damage after a free fall from a height of 1.5 meters).
5. Clear customs and pay taxesCalculate the comprehensive tax rate (15% tariff and 13% value-added tax, assuming preferential treatment as a most-favored-nation), and after paying the taxes, obtain the customs payment receipt, which can be used as a proof for input tax deduction;
6. Delivery & After-SalesBefore the goods are stored, a full inspection (sensory and microbiological indicators: total colony count ≤10000 CFU/g) is conducted. For unqualified products, the return/destruction process is initiated. We provide a 12-month document archiving service and cooperate with customs in subsequent inspections.

Risk Alerts and Countermeasures in the Context of International Trade

Currently, the European Union is strengthening the traceability supervision of exported food products (traceability requirements in EC 178/2002), requiring French biscuit manufacturers to provide full-chain traceability documents covering "raw materials - processing - packaging". Agents will assist importers in reviewing the completeness of traceability information. Meanwhile, Chinese customs is implementing "double random" inspections on imported food products (with the inspection rate increased to 8% in 2023). It is recommended that enterprises conduct pre-audits of their labels in advance (submitted via the "Internet + Customs" platform) to avoid delays in inspection due to non-compliant labels.

Conclusion: The core of French biscuit import agency lies in avoiding customs clearance risks through professional document processing, reducing costs through meticulous logistics coordination, and ensuring business sustainability through trade compliance management. With 20 years of industry experience, Zhong Shen International Trade Co., Ltd. has served over 200 food import enterprises and handled a total import value of French biscuits exceeding 300 million yuan. We are your trustworthy full-chain agency partner.