New Trends in Italian Red Wine Import Policies for 2025

Under the latest amendments to the China-Italy bilateral trade agreement, starting in 2025, Italian bottled-in-origin red wineBenchmark tariff rateIt will be adjusted to 12.8% (previously 14%), but DOCG-certified products can enjoy a preferential rate of 9.6%. Notable changes include:

• The customs commodity code has been updated to the HS2025 version, with a new category added for red wine.Organic Certification LabelClassified separately
• The DOCG certification document must includeBlockchain traceability information(Effective January 2025)
• Fumigation Certificate for Wood Packaging MaterialValidity period shortenedup to 45 days

Core customs clearance process breakdown

The complete import process consists of seven key stages:

• Qualification filing stage
  • Food Distribution License Renewal (New Electronic Seal Requirement for 2025)
  • Importer Filing for Imported Food (validity period changed from 3 years to 2 years)
• Document preparation stage
  • Origin CertificateMust includeGPS Coordinates of the Grape-Growing Area
  • The Chinese translation of the wine label must be certified.Customs-registered translation agencyIt is recommended to compare the following transportation methods:

Cost Comparison of Transportation Plans

• Maritime transportFull container load (40HQ)
  • Genoa Port to Shanghai: USD 4,200–4,800/container
  • Temperature-Control Surcharge: USD 800/container (mandatory humidity monitoring requirement newly introduced in 2025)
• Railway Transportation (China-Europe Railway ExpressTrade dispute settlement mechanisms
  • Milan to Chongqing: 22–25 days, 18 % cheaper than sea freight
  • The minimum single-batch shipping quantity has been increased to 16 tons.

Common Customs Clearance Risk Alerts

2024 customs statistics show that the main obstacles to Italian red wine imports include:

• Incorrect ingredient labeling (37%): especiallySulfur dioxide contentIncorrect unit of measurement
• Certificate Validity Issues (29%): The health certificate was issued more than six months before the arrival date.
• Label defects (18%): not indicatedAllergen Information Required by the 2025 New Regulations

Value embodiment of professional agency services

An experienced agency can create value in the following ways:

• ImplementationApplication for Tariff Pre-determination, resolve classification disputes before filing
• EstablishEmergency customs clearance channel, handle emergencies such as DOCG certificate reissuance
• ApplyRules of Origin with Cumulation under the Free Trade Agreement, with a maximum tax burden reduction of 3.2%.

One case shows that the agency service helped an importer cut average customs-clearance time from 14 days to 6 days, saving RMB 12,800 in total cost per container. By optimizing the description of declaration elements, the customs inspection rate dropped from 23 % to 9 %, and demurrage charges fell by 67 %.

2025 operation practice recommendations

• Confirm with the Italian supplier three months in advanceNew DOCG Certificate Format
• It is recommended to adoptEXW trade terms+Full-journey logistics monitoring Solution
• EstablishChinese Label Pre-ReviewMechanism to avoid post-arrival rectification