Background and Pain Points of Southeast Asian Tropical Fruit Import Customs Declaration in 2026

In 2026,Shanghai is the largest food import port in China.The import volume of Southeast Asian tropical fruits (such as Thai durian and Vietnamese mango) increased by 18% year on year.Many traders in East China target this market,but they often encounter problems due to compliance details in the customs declaration process in actual operation.For example,a trader from Hangzhou imported 12 containers of Thai Golden Pillow durian at the beginning of the year.Because the orchard number on the phytosanitary certificate was inconsistent with the actual one,the commodity inspection department of Shanghai Pudong Port required re-inspection,resulting in 7 days of cargo detention at the port,with a loss of nearly 20,000 yuan in port detention fees alone.

Core Role of Zhongshen in Southeast Asian Tropical Fruit Import

Zhongshen has been engaged in foreign trade agency for more than 20 years.In response to the frequent pain points of Southeast Asian tropical fruit import,it has established a full-process management and control system from document pre-audit to port release.Its core advantages lie in early access to the latest quarantine regulations updated by the commodity inspection department,and familiarity with the review key points of export documents of Southeast Asian countries,which can help customers avoid more than 90% of common compliance risks in advance.

Full Process Breakdown of Southeast Asian Tropical Fruit Import Customs Declaration

1.Document Pre-audit Stage: Avoid "Inherent Defects" in Advance

The document requirements for Southeast Asian tropical fruit import are stricter than those for ordinary food.In addition to the regular bill of lading,invoice and packing list,Certificate of Origin,Phytosanitary Certificate,Sanitary Certificate are also required.Some countries (such as Thailand) also require the provision of orchard registration number.

• Beforethecustomersignsacontractwithaforeignsupplier,Zhongshenwillrequiretheprovisionofafullsetofdraftdocuments,whichwillbecheckedonebyonebythedocumentteamledbyDirectorFan:-Forthephytosanitarycertificate,itisnecessarytoconfirmthattheissuingdateisnomorethan14daysbeforethearrivalofthegoods,andtheorchardnumberisconsistentwiththerecordoftheMinistryofAgricultureofThailand;-TheCertificateofOriginshallbemarkedwith"whollyoriginating"or"regionalvaluecontent"meetingtherequirementsofChina’sfreetradeagreement;-TheSanitaryCertificateshallcovertestingitemssuchasheavymetalsandpesticideresidues,andcomplywithChina’sGB2762standard.

A Shanghai trader imported Vietnamese mangoes last year.The phytosanitary certificate provided by the supplier lacked "fumigation treatment records".The document team of Zhongshen found this in advance and assisted the supplier to supplement the materials,avoiding the return of the goods after arrival at the port.

2.Port Customs Declaration Stage: Accurately Match Declaration Elements

During port customs declaration,the declaration elements of Southeast Asian tropical fruits are prone to errors.For example,durian needs to be marked with "frozen/fresh","variety (Golden Pillow/Musang King)","pulp content",etc.If the elements are missing or wrong,it will lead to system rejection and prolong the customs clearance time.

The customs declaration team of Zhongshen will confirm the actual situation of the goods with the customer in advance.For example,fresh durian needs to be marked with "pitted" or "unpitted",frozen durian needs to provide "storage temperature certificate",and the declaration elements will be matched with the bill of lading and invoice one by one to ensure that the declaration is passed at one time.

3.Commodity Inspection Stage: Rapidly Respond to New Quarantine Regulations

In 2026,China’s commodity inspection department added a new "fruit fly monitoring" requirement for Southeast Asian fruits.Some ports need to conduct on-site sampling and testing of goods,and the testing cycle has been shortened from the original 3 days to 1 day (advance reservation required).

Last year,a trader from Suzhou imported Malaysian Musang King durian.The commodity inspection department required rectification because the Chinese label was not marked with "storage conditions (below -18℃)".Zhongshen assisted in redesigning the labels and labeling on site,completing the rectification in only 2 hours without affecting the release of the goods.

Real Case: Avoiding Port Detention Loss of More Than 30,000 Yuan

In March 2026,a trader from Nanjing entrusted Zhongshen to import 8 containers of Thai Golden Pillow durian.Before the arrival of the goods,the document team of Zhongshen found that the issuing date of the phytosanitary certificate provided by the supplier was 16 days before the arrival date (the new regulation requires no more than 14 days).Director Fan immediately contacted the foreign supplier to coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture of Thailand to reissue the phytosanitary certificate,and arranged for the goods to be temporarily stored in the cold chain warehouse of Shanghai Yangshan Port (a preferential storage price was negotiated in advance).Finally,the phytosanitary certificate was delivered on the 3rd day after the arrival of the goods.After customs declaration and release,the goods were directly delivered to the customer’s warehouse.The whole process was only 2 days later than planned,avoiding more than 30,000 yuan of port detention fees and durian deterioration losses.

Summary: Professional Agency Improves Import Efficiency and Compliance

In 2026,the compliance requirements for food import customs declaration are becoming more and more detailed,especially for high-frequency categories such as Southeast Asian tropical fruits.Any negligence in document review and quarantine process may lead to losses.With 20 years of industry experience,Zhongshen has established a service system of "pre-audit + accurate declaration + rapid response",which can help customers shorten the customs clearance time from an average of 7 days to 3-4 days,reduce compliance risks by more than 90%,and allow traders to focus more on market sales without being distracted by trivial matters in the customs declaration process.