I. Current Status of Sino-German Biscuit Trade and Analysis of Import Opportunities

In recent years, China-Germany food trade has shown steady growth. According to 2023 data from China Customs, Germany’s food import value rose 12.7% year-on-year, with baked goods (including biscuits) accounting for 21%. Demand for traditional German artisanal biscuits—such as Leibniz butter biscuits and Lindt dark-chocolate biscuits—continues to climb. This trend stems from domestic consumption upgrades: consumers are flocking to premium biscuits that feature traceable ingredients (e.g., Bavarian wheat flour, Alpine milk) and additive-free formulations (low-GI, zero trans-fat).

From a policy environment perspective,China-Europe Rail FreightThe regular operation of the (Duisburg–Xi’an/Chengdu) service compresses the transit time from Germany to China to 14–18 days, significantly faster than traditional?Ocean shipping?Save 20% of your time; the implementation of the second list under the EU-China Geographical Indications Agreement has further strengthened the intellectual-property protection of German specialty biscuits and provided importers with clearer compliance guidance. However, note that the EU’s hygiene and safety oversight on food exports is tightening (e.g., Regulation EC 178/2002), and the professionalism of the import process directly affects customs-clearance efficiency and cost control.

II. German CookiesImport Agent ServicesCore: Dual-track professional control over documentation and logistics

(I) Document Processing: Full-process review to mitigate customs clearance risks

Importing German biscuits requires twelve categories of core documents; the professionalism of the agency service is chiefly demonstrated through precise review and compliant handling of these documents:

• Basic commercial documents: Commercial Invoice (must specify the trade terms, e.g., CIF Hamburg), Packing List (must list the net/gross weight and specifications of each carton), Bill of Lading (for sea freight, a clean B/L is required,?Air freight?(Requires matching of the master and house air waybills);
• Official Certified Documents: German official phytosanitary certificate (Phytosanitary Certificate, must state "in compliance with EU food hygiene regulation EC 852/2004"),Certificate of Origin(If the China-EU Agreement tariff rate applies, an EUR.1 form must be applied for);
• Technical Support Documentation: Certificate of Analysis (COA, must specify additive types and contents, referencing China’s GB 2760 standard), Nutrition Facts Table (must be translated in accordance with GB 28050 General Rules for Nutrition Labeling of Prepackaged Foods).

The agency team will be involved throughout the entire process: verifying that the invoice amount matches the contract (to prevent customs from questioning the dutiable value), translating and notarizing technical documents (to secure approval from both customs and inspection & quarantine authorities), and filing all documents in an electronic ledger (to satisfy the customs audit requirement for a three-year retention period). A 2022 case shows that one client’s failure to correctly complete the “producer information” field on the certificate of origin caused a seven-day customs clearance delay and demurrage charges of RMB 23,000; after our pre-audit, such issues can be prevented 100% in advance.

(II) Logistics Management: Multimodal Transport and Node Monitoring

Logistics services must be tailored according to cargo characteristics (e.g., whether it contains cream and requires cold-chain), time-sensitivity requirements (C-end e-commerce requires arrival at the warehouse within 30 days), and cost budgets (about USD 3,500/40'GP for FCL sea freight, and roughly USD 8/kg for air freight):

• Selection of transportation methods: Conventional biscuits (shelf-stable) are recommended for sea freight in full container loads (FCL). Leveraging long-term agreements with Maersk and CMA CGM, we can secure space and negotiate freight discounts of 10%–15%. For premium short-shelf-life biscuits (shelf life ≤60 days), air freight is advised (Frankfurt–Shanghai/Beijing). Partnering with Lufthansa and Air China enables a 48-hour “door-to-airport” service.
• Customs Clearance Coordination: Adopt the "advance declaration" model (transmit the customs declaration to customs 3 days before the cargo arrives at the port), leveraging AEO-certified enterprise status (average customs clearance time reduced to 1.2 days);
• Increase inventory turnover rate by 50%: Provide bonded warehouses (for customers whose sales channels are not yet finalized, allowing deferred customs duties) and standard warehouses (supporting nationwide distribution, partnering with JD Logistics and SF Express to achieve 48-hour delivery to B2B/B2C customers).

In a 2023 order for a supermarket chain, by combining “FCL ocean freight + advance declaration + bonded warehouse storage,” the customer completed customs clearance within 24 hours of the cargo’s arrival at the port, cutting warehousing costs by 18%.

III. VTB for Re-export Business to Russia?Foreign exchange settlement?Advantage Analysis

Some importers choose to transship via Russia (e.g., through the port of Kaliningrad) to optimize logistics routes or circumvent specific trade barriers. In this scenario, our company and Russia’s VTB Bank (Russiaforeign tradeDeep cooperation with banks (top 50 global banks) can provide convenient foreign-exchange settlement:

• Exchange Rate Lock - in: Supports real-time multi-currency exchange among EUR, RUB, and CNY, locks in exchange rates via forward settlement agreements (deviation ≤0.5%), eliminating foreign-exchange losses;
• Quick settlement: VTB has established a direct SWIFT connection with major Chinese banks (such as Bank of China and ICBC), cutting cross-border remittance settlement time to T+1 (the norm is T+3);
• Compliance guarantee: As a systemically important bank in Russia, VTB’s settlement procedures comply with the China-Russia Agreement on Promoting Bilateral Trade in Local Currencies, mitigating the risk of payment disruptions caused by international sanctions. Q3 2023 data show that re-export transactions to Russia settled through VTB saw a 40% improvement in fund-arrival speed, with not a single delay attributable to the bank.

IV. Import Compliance Reminder: Certification Requirements and the Boundaries of Agency Services

Special note: Our company does not directly provide product certification services, but we can assist clients in clarifying certification requirements and supplying documentation support:

• German Export-End Certification: LFGB (Food Contact Material Safety Certification, covering metal cans/cartons for biscuit packaging), IFS (International Featured Standards certification, required by some premium biscuit manufacturers);
• Requirements for the Chinese import side: Entry-exit inspection and quarantine (CIQ) for imported goods requires a Chinese label (which must indicate “Country of Origin: Germany” and “Name of the Domestic Agent”) and registration of the overseas food production enterprise (which must be filed in the “Registration System for Overseas Food Production Enterprises” of the General Administration of Customs).
• Suggested operations: Customers may entrust a third-party certification body (e.g., SGS, Bureau Veritas) to handle the process. Our company can provide a “Certification Document Checklist” (including producer qualifications and test report templates) along with translation support to ensure the certification documents meet the requirements of both China and Germany.

5. End-to-End Agency Services: One-Stop Implementation from Consultation to Feedback

Drawing on 20 years of hands-on experience, we have broken the import process down into nine key milestones, each paired with professional operating standards:

1. Client Consultation: Clarify the cookie type (crispy/tough), specifications (gram weight/packaging), import volume (first trial order ≤ 2,000 kg, regular order ≥ 10 tons), and target market (supermarkets/e-commerce/custom channels) via the "Demand Survey Form";
2. Negotiation and Contract Signing: Review the "quality clauses" in the contract (e.g., broken cake rate ≤3%), the "risk transfer node" (FOB Hamburg vs. CIF Shanghai), and "dispute resolution" (selecting the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission);
3. Orders & Payment: Arrange the payment method according to the trade term (e.g., DAP Shanghai): T/T 30% deposit + 70% on arrival, or at sight.?L/C?L/C）；
4. Production supervision: On-site supervision during loading (e.g., verifying that the raw material batch numbers match the COA), and recording a video of the packing process (retaining evidence to prevent disputes over cargo damage);
5. Logistics Management: Issue the "Logistics Tracking Sheet" (including vessel name/voyage, estimated arrival time, container number) and update the logistics status daily;
6. Customs Compliance: Pre-classify the HS code (e.g., 1905.3100 for “sandwich biscuits”), calculate the customs duty (MFN rate 15%) and VAT (13%), and submit the “Single Window” customs declaration;
7. Delivery and Distribution: Allocate to regional warehouses based on customer needs (e.g., East China Warehouse – Shanghai, South China Warehouse – Guangzhou) and provide electronic return of the "Delivery Receipt."
8. Quality Assurance: Assist customs in sampling and testing (e.g., total plate count ≤1000 CFU/g); non-compliant goods shall be returned or destroyed in accordance with the "Guidelines for Handling Non-compliant Imported Foods";
9. Summary Feedback: Issue the "End-to-End Import Report" (covering logistics lead times, cost breakdowns, and document filing index) to help clients optimize their next import plan.

VI. Risk Mitigation and Agency Value: Professional Operations Create Invisible Returns

Common risks associated with importing German biscuits include: customs detention due to document discrepancies (35%), expiration of short-shelf-life products caused by transport delays (22%), and secondary rectification triggered by non-compliant labeling (18%). By leveraging professional agency services, the following can be achieved:

• Time - limit guarantee: Standard orders shall be delivered within 45 days from contract signing to delivery (counted from production completion);
• Cost control: Through centralized procurement of logistics and batch processing of documents, the comprehensive service fee rate is 8%–12% lower than self-handling;
• Risk underwriting: Provide an “Emergency Plan for Customs Clearance Failure” (e.g., temporary warehousing, port-of-call diversion). Out of 127 shipments handled since 2022, the customs clearance success rate has remained at 100%.

Conclusion: Importing German biscuits is a dual test of “market demand + professional execution.”?Zhong Shen?Drawing on 20 years of foreign-trade agency expertise, we anchor our service in documentation, empower it with logistics, and safeguard it with compliance, delivering end-to-end support—from front-end consulting to back-end feedback—that helps clients achieve the optimal balance of efficiency, cost, and risk in their import operations.