New Dynamics in China-Japan Food Trade: Opportunities and Compliance Challenges in Japanese Cake Imports

In recent years,as the RCEP agreement deepens and domestic consumption upgrades,Japanese baked goods—such as wagashi and fresh-cream cakes—have seen a surge in demand across China.Customs data show that from January to October 2023,China’s total food imports from Japan rose 18.7 % year-on-year,with bakery products accounting for more than 25 %.However,due to the 2011 nuclear incident,Chinese customs still subjects food from ten Japanese prefectures (cities) including Fukushima to 100 % inspection and demands stricterRadiation inspection reports and compliance documentation—import thresholds have risen sharply.Against this backdrop,professionalThe agent’s document-review and logistics-coordination capabilities have become the key to breaking through customs-clearance bottlenecks for companies.

Core documents for importing Japanese cakes: the three “golden standards” of agency review

Document processing isis the “l(fā)ifeline,” especially for perishable goods; missing or incorrect documents can lead to port delays,cargo damage,or even return shipment.As a professional foreign-trade agent,for the import of Japanese cakes we focus on controlling the following documents:

• OfficialSanitationCertificate(CertificateofSanitation):MustbeissuedbyJapan’sMinistryofAgriculture,ForestryandFisheries(MAFF)oritsauthorizedbody,clearlystatingthemanufacturer’sname,productcomposition(e.g.whetheritcontainsfoodadditivesbannedinChina),productiondate,andshelflife(whichmustmatchtheactualconsignment).TheagentmustverifythatthecertificatenumbercorrespondstotheregistrationdatainChinaCustoms’“ImportedFoodOverseasManufacturerRegistration”system(IFS).
• CertificateofOrigin(CO)andRadiationTestReport:Productsfromthe10prefectures(cities)otherthanFukushimamustbeaccompaniedbyacertificateoforiginissuedbyanMETI-accreditedbody;allJapanesefoodexportedtoChinamustcarryathird-partylaboratoryreportonradioactivesubstances(cesium-134,cesium-137),withlimitsconformingtoGB2762-2017NationalFoodSafetyStandard—MaximumLevelsofContaminantsinFoods.
• CommercialDocumentsandTransportDocuments:Includingcommercialinvoice(muststateFOB/CIFpriceterms),packinglist(indicatenetweight,grossweight,andtemperature-controlrequirementsforeachcarton),Billoflading(mustbea“cleanB/L,”andthecontainernumbermustbeboundtothecold-chainmonitoringdevicenumber).Theagentmustverifythattheinvoiceamountdeviatesfromthecustomsvaluationsystem’sreferencepricebynomorethan±15%,soastoavoidtriggeringapricequeryduetounder-orover-invoicing.

End-to-End Cold-Chain Management: How Agents Safeguard “Last-Mile” Freshness

Japanese cakes are mostly perishable items containing cream and raw eggs,which impose extremely strict requirements on transport temperature (usually 0–4 °C) and timeliness (≤72 hours from factory to China warehouse).Zhongshen International Trade guarantees full-process compliance through a “three-stage logistics control” system:

• Exportsegment(withinJapan):Coordinatecold-chaincarriersqualifiedundertheTIRConvention;deployrefrigeratedtrucksequippedwithGPStemperatureloggers(compliantwithEN12830)torecordtemperaturecontinuouslyfromfactorytoport(dataauto-uploadedevery5minutes),allowingtheforwardertoretrievethedatainrealtimeforpre-clearancereview.
• Oceanleg(China–Japanroute):PrioritizelinercompaniesequippedwithReefercontainers(refrigeratedcontainers),suchasMitsuiO.S.K.Lines(MOL),andrequiretheshipownertoprovidetheEquipmentInterchangeReceipt(EIR)indicatingthesettemperatureandpower-ontime.24hoursbeforearrival,theagentsubmitsthepre-declarationthroughthe“SingleWindow”toshortenthecontainerpickupwaitingtimeattheterminal.
• Importsection(withinChina):PartnerwithanAEO-certifiedcustomswarehouseandadoptthe“advancedeclaration+releaseuponarrival”model;containersaredevannedwithintwohoursafterthecargoreachestheport.Ifcustomsselectstheshipmentforinspection,thebrokerwillcoordinatewiththeinspectionsitetoprovideatemporaryrefrigeratedcontainer(temperatureadjustable)topreventprolongedexposuretoambientconditions.

Expansion of business with Russia: VTBAdvantages Help Businesses with Capital Turnover

For clients simultaneously engaged in export business to Russia,Zhongshen International Trade leverages its strategic partnership with Russia’s VTB Bank to deliver highly efficient foreign-exchange settlement.Unlike traditional agents,the VTB direct-connect channel enables: ① RUB/CNY cross-border settlement within T+1 (vs.the usual T+3); ② a 30 % reduction in fees (only 0.15 % transfer charge); ③ support for telegraphic transfer (T/T),(L/C) and other multi-currency settlement options are especially suitable for companies exporting baking equipment and ingredients to Russia,significantly improving capital turnover efficiency.

Certification Reminder: The “Prerequisite Mandatory Course” that enterprises must complete on their own

Please note: Zhongshen International Trade does not provide product-certification services; however,clients must be specifically reminded that,before importing Japanese cakes,the following certifications/permits must be obtained:

• RegistrationofOverseasFoodProductionEnterprisesforImport:Japanesemanufacturingenterprisesmustcompleteregistrationinthe“RegistrationSystemforOverseasFoodManufacturingEnterprisesExportingtoChina”administeredbytheGeneralAdministrationofCustomsofChina(GACC).Theregistrationnumberformatis“JPN”followedby14digits,anditsvaliditycanbeverifiedontheGACCofficialwebsite.
• Entry-ExitAnimalandPlantQuarantinePermit(AQSIQ):Cakescontaininganimalorplantingredients(suchascreamoreggs)mustbedeclaredinadvancetothelocalcustomsauthority;documentsincludingtheforeignmanufacturer’squalificationcertificateandingredienttestreportmustbesubmitted,andtheprocessingcycleisabout20workingdays.
• Chineselabelfiling:Pre-packagedcakesmustcarryaChineselabelthatcomplieswithGB7718-2011“GeneralStandardfortheLabelingofPrepackagedFoods,”includingtheproductname,ingredients,countryoforigin,shelflife,andthedomesticdistributor’sinformation.Theagentmayassistinreviewinglabelcompliance,butfilingmustbecompletedindependentlybytheenterprise.

End-to-End Agency Service: 9-Step Compliance Control from Order to Delivery

Based on the import characteristics of Japanese cakes,Zhongshen International Trade has refined the agency process into:

• CustomerInquiry:Confirmtheproducttype(e.g.chilledorambientcake),theregionoforigin(whetheritisarestrictedarea),andthetargetcustomsclearanceport(ShanghaiorGuangzhouisrecommended,astheyhavewell-establishedcold-chainfacilities).
• NegotiationandContractSigning:Clearlydefinethescopeofservices(whetheradvancetaxandfeepaymentsareincluded)andtheallocationofdemurrageliability(e.g.ifdemurrageiscausedbydocumentationissues,thecustomershallbeartheexcessstoragecharges).
• Orders&Payment:ItisrecommendedtosettlebyD/P(DocumentsagainstPayment)orL/C(LetterofCredit)toreducetheriskofadvancepayment;forRussia-relatedbusiness,VTBL/CcanberecommendedtoenhanceRussianparty’strust.
• ProductionSupervision:ReviewtheHACCPcertification(HazardAnalysisandCriticalControlPoints)andISO22000(FoodSafetyManagementSystem)certificatesoftheJapanesefactorytoensuretheproductionenvironmentmeetsChinesestandards.
• LogisticsManagement:Dependingonthevolume(smallbatchescanbeshipped,whenshippinglargequantitiesinrefrigeratedcontainersbysea,selecttheappropriatemodeoftransportandcoordinatewiththeinsurertotakeout“AllRisksforRefrigeratedCargo”(coveringlossofgoodscausedbytemperatureexcursions).
• CustomsCompliance:Whenpre-recordingthecustomsdeclaration,accuratelydeclaretheHScode(e.g.1905.9000,pastries),calculatethecustomsduty(MFNrate15%)andVAT(13%),andensuretheymatchtheactualgoodsvalue.
• DeliveryandDistribution:Partnerwiththird-partycold-chainlogisticscompanies(e.g.JDLogisticsandSinotransColdChain)toprovidedoor-to-doordelivery,withfull-routeGPSplustemperaturemonitoring,allowingcustomerstotracktheshipmentinrealtime.
• QualityAssurance:Aftercustomsclearance,samplesaredrawnandsentforinspection(tothelocalcustomstechnicalcenter).Thetestitemsincludemicroorganisms(totalplatecount,coliforms)andadditives(suchassodiumsaccharin,sodiumcyclamate),andaninspectionreportisissued.
• SummaryandFeedback:Providethe"ImportCustomsClearanceReport,"includingclearancetime(average48hours),taxanddutybreakdowns,andinspectionstatus(inspectionrateapproximately10%ifnoanomalies),tohelpclientsoptimizetheirnextimportplan.

Conclusion: A professional agent is the “compliance escort” for importing Japanese cakes.

Importing Japanese cakes may look “small but beautiful,” yet it in fact involves multiple hurdles—trade policy,cold-chain logistics,and document compliance.Choosing a foreign-trade agent capable of document auditing,cold-chain coordination,and forward-looking analysis of trade conditions not only lowers customs-clearance risk but also boosts overall operational efficiency through extended services such as VTB settlement.With 20 years of industry experience,Zhongshen International Trade keeps delivering “full-chain,traceable,risk-controlled”Services that help high-quality Japanese baked goods enter the Chinese market efficiently.