In 2026,the EU market still remains highly attractive to Chinese food products,but its access threshold has risen to an all-time high.For many domestic food manufacturers,getting their products on the shelves of European supermarkets requires not only coping with fierce price competition,but also overcoming strict regulatory barriers.Take the condiment enterprise run by Mr.Ye as an example: a recent batch of goods exported to the Netherlands was detained at the port of destination because the allergen declaration on the label did not meet the latest revised EU standards.This not only incurred high port detention fees,but also almost led to customer loss.This is not an isolated case,but a common pain point in the current food export trade.

Facing the complex international trade environment,it is often difficult for enterprises to deal with all emergencies relying solely on their own export departments.Zhongshen has been deeply engaged in the foreign trade agency industry for more than 20 years,and has built a strict compliance operation system in view of the particularity of food export.We are not only transporters of goods,but also gatekeepers for enterprises to avoid trade risks.By integrating core links such as customs declaration,inspection application,international transportation,foreign exchange settlement and export tax refund,we provide customers with one-stop solutions to ensure that each order can maximize profits on the premise of compliance.

Document Review: Precisely Control the Source of Compliance

The documentation requirements for food exports are much higher than those for ordinary goods,and the EU has almost harsh regulations on ingredients,additives,shelf life and label translation.Any minor negligence,such as typographical errors in the nutrition facts table or authorized additives not included in the list,may lead to the return of the entire container of goods.

EU-specific Policies and Risks

The health inspection mechanism implemented by the European Commission is increasingly strengthened,focusing on the review of official health certificates and component analysis reports.In 2026,the EU further tightened the definition and labeling requirements for "ultra-processed foods".Common risk points include:

• UnnaturallabeltranslationthatfailstoincludeEU-specifiedallergeninformation;
• UseoffoodadditivesorcolorantsnotapprovedbytheEU;
• Inconsistencybetweenthecertificateoforiginandtheactualplaceofproduction,triggeringanti-dumpinginvestigations.

Zhongshen’s Response Strategies

In response to the above risks,Zhongshen launches a "pre-inspection mechanism" before shipment.Our team of document experts will check the customer’s labels and documents item by item against EU Regulation No 1169/2011.For deeply processed food with complex ingredients,we will assist in contacting CNAS-qualified third-party testing institutions for pre-inspection to ensure that all indicators meet the standards of the destination country.After experiencing the last return incident,Mr.Ye fully entrusted us with the document review,and all subsequent export batches achieved "zero rectification" customs clearance.

International Transportation and Warehousing: Ensure Food Quality and Safety

Food is a highly time-sensitive sensitive cargo,and temperature control and timeliness in the logistics link directly determine the quality of the goods and business reputation.

Challenges in the Transportation Process

In 2026,freight rates in the international shipping market fluctuate frequently,and shipping space is tight.For frozen or fresh food,temperature fluctuations during sea transportation are a fatal risk.In addition,EU ports have extremely high requirements for the storage conditions of inspected goods,and ordinary warehouses often cannot meet food-grade temperature and humidity requirements.At the same time,with the gradual implementation of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM),carbon emission accounting in the logistics link has also become a new concern.

Zhongshen’s Response Strategies

We have signed long-term strategic cooperation agreements with a number of shipping companies,which can give priority to guaranteeing shipping space for food exports.In terms of cold chain transportation,Zhongshen provides full-process temperature control data monitoring services,and customers can view the temperature changes in the container in real time to ensure that the goods are always in the best storage environment.In case of inspection at the port of destination,our locally partnered food-grade storage facilities in the EU can respond quickly and provide compliant temporary storage services to avoid goods from deteriorating in the open environment.At the same time,we will optimize the logistics plan,choose transportation routes with lower carbon emissions,and assist customers in meeting environmental compliance requirements.

Customs Declaration and Inspection: Efficiently Cross Access Barriers

Customs declaration is the core link of food export,and also the stage with the most concentrated risks.

EU-specific Customs Clearance Barriers

The inspection rate of food by EU customs is generally higher than that of ordinary goods,especially for plant-derived food,with focus on pesticide residues and excessive heavy metals.The new EU Customs Single Window System launched in 2026 puts forward millisecond-level response requirements for the accuracy of declaration data.Once notified by the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF),enterprises will face a ban lasting for several months.

Zhongshen’s Response Strategies

Zhongshen has a senior customs declaration team,who are proficient in HS code classification.Through accurate declaration and standardized document submission,we effectively reduce the probability of being targeted for inspection by the system.In case of inspection,we use the communication experience accumulated over 20 years to assist enterprises in quickly cooperating with the customs to complete sampling and testing,shortening the inspection cycle.For food involving quota licenses,we will remind customers to apply in advance and guide them to complete the verification and write-off of the electronic ledger to ensure that the declaration data is completely consistent with the actual goods.

Foreign Exchange Receipt and Payment and Export Tax Refund: Accelerate Capital Collection

For food trade with thin profits,fluctuations in foreign exchange rates and the speed of tax refund funds arrival directly affect the health of enterprises’ cash flow.

Risks in Financial Operations

In 2026,the foreign exchange market is becoming more volatile,and improper timing of foreign exchange settlement may erode most of the export profits.At the same time,the tax authorities have strengthened the review of tax refund documents,and any situation of "inconsistency of the three documents" may lead to tax refund letter verification,delaying capital collection for up to several months.

Zhongshen’s Response Strategies

Zhongshen provides professional foreign exchange management advice to help customers conduct foreign exchange settlement and purchase at high exchange rates.In the tax refund link,we have established a standardized tax refund declaration process to ensure that customs declaration forms,VAT invoices and logistics documents are strictly matched.With a good tax credit rating,our tax refund declaration channel is unobstructed,and the review can usually be completed in a very short time after declaration,greatly improving the efficiency of capital turnover.

Comparative Analysis of Agency Service Effectiveness

To show the value of professional agency services more intuitively,we compared the operation effects of enterprises’ self-operated exports and those entrusted to Zhongshen for agency:

Customized Services Help Enterprises Expand Overseas

Food export is a systematic project,with all links closely connected.Whether it is small and medium-sized enterprises trying to develop the EU market for the first time,or senior exporters looking to optimize supply chain costs,they all need a professional partner who understands policies,operations and the market.With the deep resource accumulation at Shanghai Port,Zhongshen can customize export agency solutions according to your product characteristics (such as baked food,beverages,fresh agricultural products,etc.) and target market countries.We suggest that you have in-depth communication with our expert team before starting business to avoid potential risks in advance,so that your products can have a stable and long-term development in the international market.