I. Current Status and Trend Insights of German Milk Chocolate Imports

In recent years, China's imported food market has continued to expand. According to 2023 customs data, the import value of dairy and chocolate products increased by 12.7% year-on-year, with German milk chocolate accounting for over 35% of the high-end market due to its high cocoa content, strict quality control, and brand premium. In the current international trade environment, the EU regulates food exports under the "Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF)," while China has strengthened the "Administrative Provisions on Registration of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Food" (Decree 248), requiring overseas manufacturers to be registered in China. At the same time, under the China-Germany trade agreement, some chocolate products are subject to preferential tariff rates (e.g., milk chocolate under HS code 18063200 has a MFN rate of 8%, but may enjoy a lower rate if it meets the rules of origin). Companies need to stay updated on policy dynamics to avoid customs delays due to a lack of compliance.

II.Import AgencyCore Competencies: Professional Control of Documents and Logistics

(I) Document Handling: The "Passport" for Full-Chain Compliance

The documentation system for importing German milk chocolate must strictly comply with customs and inspection/quarantine requirements. The core documents include:

• Commercial Documents: Commercial invoice (must state the goods description, unit price, total price, and be consistent with the contract), packing list (listing gross/net weight, number of pieces, packaging specifications);
• Official documents: Official German health certificate (must state "complies with Chinese national food safety standards"),Certificate of Origin(a general certificate of origin or FORM E, which affects the application of preferential tariffs), component analysis report (including key indicators like cocoa butter content, milk solids content);
• transportation documents:?Ocean shipping?Bill of Lading (B/L, must show "clean on board"), insurance policy (under CIF terms, insured by the agent, covering total loss and risk of taint during transport).
  Our documentation team has over 10 years of experience in food imports and can accurately review document consistency. We once saved a client 300,000 RMB in demurrage costs by identifying a missing "manufacturer registration number" on a health certificate in advance.

(2) Logistics Management: A Dual Guarantee of Temperature Control and Timeliness

German milk chocolate is sensitive to the transport environment (optimal storage and transport temperature is 20-22°C, humidity ≤60%), so the logistics plan must be customized:

• Transportation method: For small batches (≤2000kg),?Air freight?(Frankfurt-Shanghai, 48-hour delivery) is preferred. For large quantities (≥5000kg), use refrigerated sea containers (Hamburg Port - Shanghai Yangshan Port, approx. 35 days, with the reefer set to a constant 22°C);
• Port Coordination: Shanghai and Guangzhou are the main customs clearance ports. Our company has deep cooperation with shipping lines like Sinotrans and Maersk, allowing for priority booking and access to reefer container resources;
• Accelerated Customs Clearance: Pre-classify the HS code (18063200), pre-enter the customs declaration, and cooperate with customs' "two-step declaration" model to achieve release within 24 hours of arrival.

III. Expansion of Business with Russia: VTB?Foreign exchange settlement?'s Efficiency and Compliance Advantages

For clients involved in re-export to Russia or with settlement needs, choosing VTB Bank (Russianforeign tradeBank) for settlement offers a triple advantage:

• Settlement efficiency: VTB has established direct clearing channels with major Chinese banks (such as Bank of China, ICBC). T/T payments can be received in 1-2 working days, which is 30% faster than regular cross-border remittances;
• Exchange Rate Hedging: Supports direct exchange between RMB and Ruble. Lock in the exchange rate through forward settlement to mitigate fluctuation risks (e.g., in 2023, the Ruble fluctuated by 15%, and locking the rate could reduce losses by 5-8% per transaction);
• Compliance guarantee: VTB strictly adheres to the "Agreement on Promoting Bilateral Trade in Local Currencies" between China and Russia. The requirements for matching transaction documents (like contracts, customs declarations) are low, reducing the probability of being audited by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange.

IV. Full-Process Import Operations: Risks and Responses in 9 Key Stages

1. Client Consultation: Precise Needs Assessment

It is necessary to clarify the client's objective (brand agent/distributor/self-use), product specifications (cocoa content ≥30%? does it contain nuts?), import volume (a trial order of ≤2 tons is recommended for the first shipment), and target market (supermarket/e-commerce/offline stores, which affects label review requirements).

2. Negotiation and Contract Signing: Risk Control of Terms

Focus on reviewing trade terms (CIF is recommended, as the agent is responsible for transport insurance, which is more controllable), payment terms (for small orders, T/T 30% advance + 70% upon arrival; for large orders, a sight?L/C?can be opened), and the quality dispute period (a 15-day period is recommended to avoid having no basis for disputes after customs clearance).

3. Order and Payment: Financial Security Supervision

The agent can provide a third-party escrow account. The client pays into the escrow account, and the funds are released after the goods arrive and pass a preliminary inspection, reducing the risk of advance payments (in 2022, we helped a client intercept a shipment of "goods not as described," recovering a loss of 450,000 RMB).

4. Production Supervision: On-site Standard Verification

It is necessary to confirm if the German factory is BRC (British Retail Consortium) certified (an internationally recognized food production standard) and to verify on-site the raw materials (whether the milk source complies with EU Regulation 2073/2005) and packaging (whether a preliminary draft of the Chinese pre-packaged label has been affixed).

5. Logistics Management: Full-Process Visualized Tracking

Monitor the reefer container's temperature in real-time through a TMS system (data uploaded automatically every 2 hours) and the vessel's position (synchronized with the AIS system). An emergency plan is triggered within 10 minutes of an anomaly alert (e.g., temperature exceeding 25°C), which may involve temporary storage at a nearby port.

6. Customs Compliance: Tariff and Inspection Response

Customs focuses on checking: ① Country of origin (by comparing the "manufacturer code on the packaging" with the certificate of origin); ② Ingredients (whether the test report and the "milk solids content" on the customs declaration are consistent); ③ Labels (the Chinese label must include "country of origin," "domestic agent," and "allergen information"). Our customs clearance team is familiar with customs inspection logic and assisted clients in responding to 37 inspections in 2023, all with a zero rejection rate.

7. Delivery and Distribution: Warehousing and Delivery Coordination

After the goods are released, they are transferred to a temperature-controlled warehouse (22°C±2°C) for temporary storage and then distributed according to the client's needs (e-commerce clients' goods are sent directly to Cainiao warehouses, supermarket clients' goods are sorted by store orders), supporting a distribution network of "24-hour delivery to the Yangtze River Delta, 48-hour delivery nationwide."

8. Quality Assurance: Final Inspection and Issue Resolution

A 5% sample of the goods is sent for third-party testing (SGS or CTI), focusing on microbes (total bacterial count ≤10,000 CFU/g) and heavy metals (lead ≤0.5 mg/kg). If a test fails, a return or destruction procedure is initiated (must be completed within 10 working days to avoid accumulating storage fees).

9. Summary and Feedback: Data-Driven Review

Provide a "Full-Process Import Report" containing a "cost structure analysis (sea freight 22%, customs duty 15%)," "timeline nodes (factory production 45 days, sea freight 35 days, customs clearance 3 days)," and "risk point records (e.g., this time the reefer temperature fluctuated once)," to help the client optimize the import plan for the next batch.

V. Certification Notice: Compliance Preparations to be Completed by the Enterprise

Special note: Our company does not provide certification application services but can advise on key certification requirements:

• Registration of overseas production enterprises：德國工廠需通過中國海關(guān)總署注冊(cè)（查詢網(wǎng)址：http://jckspj.customs.gov.cn），獲取在華注冊(cè)編號(hào)（如4400/DE/001）；
• Domestic Circulation Qualifications: The importer must have a food business license (including the scope of "pre-packaged food sales");
• Special certifications: If the target market is a Muslim region, a HALAL certification must be applied for independently. If the client requires an organic claim, an organic certification from an institution like Germany's BCS must be provided. It is recommended that companies start the certification process 3 months in advance to avoid affecting customs clearance.

In summary, the core of German milk chocolate import agency lies in "document compliance + precise logistics + risk pre-assessment."?Zhong Shen?With 20 years of industry experience, we focus on client needs and use our professional capabilities to help companies efficiently open up their import channels and seize opportunities in the high-end food market.