With the full implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the implementation of the No.88 Announcement of the General Administration of Customs in 2023,canned goodsThe tariff structure and regulatory requirements have undergone fundamental changes.The traditional customs declaration agent’s "declare and leave it to others" model is putting enterprises at risk of surging demurrage fees (averaging 500 yuan per container per day) and facing the double challenge of label compliance rectification (with a rework rate exceeding 30%).

3 underlying logics of canned food customs declaration: Triangle game of regulations,process,and cost

At the regulatory level,from 2026 onwards,exported canned goods will be required to display labels indicating the following information:"Not ready to eat" or "needs to be heated"(for specific countries); in the process,the customs definition of “pre-packaged food” has expanded from “sales packaging” to “transport packaging,” leading to 3 additional declaration elements.

The can is going in.Agent SOP: A 5-step closed-loop process from document preparation to customs clearance

Step 1: Prepare the core documents (compliance basics)

Output:

• CommercialInvoice:ItisnecessarytospecifytheHScodeofthecan(e.g.20081010forfruitcannedgoods),theingredientratio(fruitflesh≥50%),andtheprocessingmethod(hotfilling).
• Packinglist:Markthenetweight,grossweight,andpackagingmaterial(tinplate/glass)ofeachbox,whichmustmatchtheactualgoods100%.
• Quarantinecertificate:Whenexporting,itisnecessarytoprovidethe"CustomsClearanceCertificateforExportedGoods"issuedbytheChinaInspectionandQuarantineBureau.ForimportingcountriessuchasVietnam,anadditional"PlantQuarantineCertificate"(forfruitcannedproducts)isrequired.
• Labelfiling/recordfiling:Inadvance,registerthelabeltemplatewiththecustomsoftheimportingcountry(forexample,forRCEPcountries,itneedstobeinbothChineseandEnglish,plusthelocallanguage),toavoidhavingtomakerectificationsafterthegoodsarriveattheport.

Step 2: Select the three hard indicators of the customs declaration agent

Output:

• Digitalcapabilities:IsthereanAPIthatcaninterfacewiththecustomssystemandtrackthedeclarationstatusinrealtime(toreducetheriskofgoodsbeingheldupattheport)?
• Industryexperience:Inthepastyear,Ihavehandledatleast50customsdeclarationsforcannedgoodsandamfamiliarwiththeclassificationofHScodes(suchasthedifferencesbetween2008and2009).
• EmergencyResponse:Thetimelimitforbeingpresentduringtheinspection(forexample,YantianPortinShenzhenrequiresstafftoarriveatthescenewithintwohourstoassistwiththeunpackingofcontainers).

Step 3: Key nodes of the declaration process

Output:

• Pre-declaration:Submittheelectroniccustomsdeclarationform24hoursbeforethegoodsarriveattheport,andpayspecialattentiontotheverificationprocess."SpecialItemCode"(e.g.cannedfoodcontainingfruitpulpneedstobemarkedas“non-endangeredspeciesproducts”).
• TariffDispute:Ifyouareselectedforinspection,youneedtoprepareinadvance“UnpackingChecklist”(Specifyingproductname,batch,andshelflifeforeachbox)toavoidconfusionduringcustomsunpacking.
• Taxpaymentandrelease:ByleveragingtherulesoforiginoftheRegionalComprehensiveEconomicPartnership(RCEP),providingaFormEcertificateallowsfora5%tariffreduction(whichrequirespriorprocessingintheexportingcountry).

The Overlooked Hidden Risks: The "Hidden Thread" Between Labeling and Quarantine

90% of customs declaration delays are caused by“Secondary Label Rectification”: For cans exported to Malaysia,the labels must include the "Halal" logo (even if the product does not contain meat); for cans imported from Japan,a "Radiological Substance Test Report" is required (additional certification is needed for production areas around Fukushima).Additionally,incorrect HS code classification (such as categorizing "pet cans" as 2309 instead of 230910) can result in a 30% overpayment of tariffs.

There are three actions that can be carried out today.

• Downloadthe"HSCodeQuickReferenceTableforCannedProducts"(includingallproductcategoriesfrom2008to2009)andcheckwhethertheclassificationofyourexistingproductsiscorrect.
• Contactthreecustomsdeclarationagentsandaskthemtoprovide“DigitalServiceSolutions”(IncludingAPIintegration,real-timetrackingscreenshots),comparingresponsespeeds.
• Checktheexistinglabelstoseeiftheyincludean"allergenstatement"(forexample,canscontainingmilkshouldbelabeledas"maycontaindairyproducts"),toavoidbeingrecalledafterenteringthecountry.