I.Current Trade Situation and Opportunities for British Biscuit Imports

In recent years,China’s imported food market has continued to expand.According to customs data for 2023,the import value of baked goods increased by 12.7% year-on-year.Among them,British biscuits,with their traditional craftsmanship and reputation for quality,account for more than 20% of the high-end market.However,after the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union,trade rules have been restructured.The Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) between the EU and the UK has come into effect,and customs procedures have shifted from "unified customs clearance in the EU" to "bilateral independent declaration between the UK and the EU".Coupled with China’s upgraded supervision of imported food requiring "traceable sources and full control throughout the process" (Announcement No.248 of the General Administration of Customs),enterprises face challenges such as increasing complexity of documentation,fluctuating logistics efficiency,and increasing compliance risks when importing independently.Against this backdrop,professional import agencies have emerged to assist enterprises in overcoming these challenges and ensuring the smooth import of high-quality food products.Agency services have become a key option for enterprises to reduce costs and improve efficiency.

II.British biscuitsCore Services: A Dual Engine of Documentation and Logistics

(I) Document Processing: Full-Link Audit & Compliant Declaration

Output:

The document system for imported cookies is the core basis for customs verification,tax deduction,and market access.With 20 years of foreign trade experience,we have established a document management mechanism of "three-level review + two revisions".

• BasicDocumentationGroup:Thecommercialinvoice(CI)mustspecifytheingredientsofthebiscuits(e.g.wheatflourcontent≥60%),thecountryoforigin(UK),andthetradeterms(CIFShanghai);thepackinglist(PL)mustdetailthepackagingspecifications(e.g.12boxespercarton,eachboxweighing200g),andfullymatchtheinformationonthebilloflading(B/L)regardingthe"grossweightperpiece".Thebilloflading(MBL)mustbeissuedbyashippingcompany(suchasMaersk)oranNVOCC(non-vesseloperatingcommoncarrier)toensureclearownershipofthegoods.
• SpecialDocumentGroup:OfficiallyissuedbytheUKgovernment(EUR.1)Itisnecessarytocheckthe"UK-ChinaMost-Favored-NationTreatment"toavoidthetariffratejumpingfrom15%totheMFNexternaltariffrate.Thehealthcertificate(PHC)mustbeissuedbyanauthorizedagencyoftheUKFoodStandardsAgency(FSA),statingthatit"complieswithGB29921-2021’NationalFoodSafetyStandard-LimitofPathogenicBacteriainPrepackagedFood’".Theingredientdetectionreport(COA)mustlistadditives(suchasammoniumbicarbonate≤0.3g/kg)andbecompareditembyitemwiththeChineseGB2760standard.
• DeclarationDocumentGroup:Theagencyteamwillintegratetheabove-mentioneddocumentstogenerateacustomsdeclarationelementstable(includingHScode1905.3100"biscuits,withfilling"or1905.3200"biscuits,withoutfilling"),acustomsdeclarationform(submittedthroughasinglewindow),andacustomsdutyguarantee(ifnecessaryfortaxdeferral),ensuring"consistencybetweenthedeclarationandthegoods"andavoidingtherisksofportdetention(withdailydetentionfeesofapproximately5,000yuan)orreturnshipmentduetodocumentdiscrepancies.

(II) Logistics Management: Multimodal Transport & Timeliness Control

Output:

The import logistics of British biscuits needs to balance cost and delivery time.Zhong Shen International Trade relies on its global logistics network to provide services mainly based on maritime transport.Customized Solutions for Supplementary Needs:

• Oceanshippingsolution(Accountingfor85%):ThemainrouteisFelixstowe→ShanghaiYangshanPort,withavoyagedurationofapproximately35days.Containersof20GP/40HQ(40HQcanholdabout28tons)arerecommended.Itisnecessarytopayattentiontomoistureproofmeasuresforbiscuits(adddesiccant)andanti-pressuremeasures(stackingheightlimitedto4layers).Beforearrival,completethe"two-stepdeclaration"(outlinedeclaration+fulldeclaration),whichcanenablerelease1-2daysinadvance.Combinedwithbondedwarehousing(suchasWaigaoqiaoBondedZone),itcanrealize"reportandpickupimmediately".
• AirFreightSolution(Forurgentorders):LondonHeathrowAirport(LHR)→ShanghaiPudongAirport(PVG),withaflightdurationofapproximately12hours.Thermalcontainers(20°C±2°C)areusedtopreventcream-basedbiscuitsfrommelting.Customsclearanceiscompressedtowithin48hours,butthecostis3-5timeshigherthanthatofseafreight.

In addition,the agency team will monitor logistics nodes (such as ETD/ETA) in real time,coordinate the land transport section (from the UK factory to Felixstowe Port) through the TIR Convention (International Road Transport Convention) to reduce transit losses; and provide logistics cost analysis reports to optimize the combination of "sea-rail combined transport" and "sea-air combined transport",reducing logistics costs by an average of 8% to 12%.

III.Business Expansion into Russia: VTBAdvantages and Risk Mitigation

Some enterprises export British biscuits to Russia through transit or sell them directly to Russia,involving ruble/RMB settlement.Zhong Shen International Trade Co.Ltd.has established a strategic cooperation with the Russian Foreign Trade Bank (VTB),offering three advantages in foreign exchange settlement:

• Flexibledual-currencysettlement:SupportT/Ttelegraphictransfer(30%prepayment+70%paymentuponarrival),D/Pcollection(spot/forward),andtheabilitytolockintheCNY/RUBexchangerate(throughNDFforwardcontractswithnoprincipalsettlement),therebyavoidingexchangeratefluctuations(thefluctuationrangeoftherubleagainsttheRMBreached±18%in2023).
• Complianceguarantee:AsasystemicallyimportantbankinRussia,VTBisontheOFAC(OfficeofForeignAssetsControloftheUSDepartmentoftheTreasury)non-sanctionedlist,whichallowsittoavoidtherestrictionsimposedbytheSWIFTsystem.Failure(AfterRussianbankswerepartiallyexcludedfromSWIFTin2022,thesuccessrateofsettlementsthroughVTBincreasedto92%).
• Financingsupport:Provideimportdocumentarycredit(underL/C),accountsreceivablefinancing(underD/A),alleviatetheenterprise’sfundingpressure,andthefinancingcostis1.5-2percentagepointslowerthanthatofdomesticbanks.

IV.Certification Reminder: Key access documents that need to be handled by the client themselves

Although Zhong Shen International Trade Co.Ltd.does not provide certification services,we would like to particularly remind our clients of the following mandatory documents (otherwise,it will be impossible to clear customs or enter the market):

• Registrationofoverseasproductionenterprises:
• Chineselabelfiling:PrepackagedbiscuitsmustbelabeledwithaChineselabelthatcomplieswithGB7718-2011(indicatingtherawmaterials,productiondate,shelflife,anddistributorinformation).Thelabelsamplemustberegisteredonthe"Internet+Customs"platform(theregistrationperiodisapproximately15workingdays).
• BRCCertification(optionalbutrecommended):TheBritishRetailConsortium(BRC)certificationisrecognizedinmorethan60countriesworldwide.BiscuitsholdingaBRCAA-levelcertificatecanenhancethetrustofdomesticpurchasers.Itisrecommendedthatclientsentrustthird-partycertificationagencies(suchasSGSandBureauVeritas)tohandlethecertificationprocess.

V.Full-process agency service: closed-loop management from consultation to feedback

Zhong Shen International Trade Co.Ltd.has refined the import agency process into nine major nodes to ensure that every step can be traced and controlled:

• CustomerInquiry:Throughthe"DemandSurveyForm",weclarifythetypesofbiscuits(crispy/chewy),theannualimportvolume(e.g.500tons/year),andthetargetmarkets(EastChina/SouthChina),andevaluatethecomplexityoftheservice.
• NegotiationandContractSigning:ReviewthequalificationsoftheUKsuppliersprovidedbytheclient(businesslicense,FSAregistrationcertificate),negotiateservicefees(usually1.5%-3%ofthevalueofthegoods),andsigntheImportAgencyAgreement(clarifyingthedivisionofresponsibilities,suchasqualityissuesbeingresolvedbytheclientandthesupplierthroughnegotiation).
• Orders&Payment:Reviewtheprocurementcontractonbehalfoftheclient(keyclauses:qualitystandards,deliveryperiod,disputeresolution),andassisttheclientinpassingthereview.ForpaymentsviaLetterofCredit(L/C)orTelegraphicTransfer(T/T),wehighlyrecommendusingVTBchannelsforourbusinessoperationsinRussia.
• ProductionSupervision:Ifrequestedbytheclient,wecanentrustalocalthird-partyorganizationintheUK(suchasIntertek)toconducton-sitesupervisionandinspectionofthefactory,verifyingtherawmaterials(whetherthewheatflourisnon-GMO)andtheproductionenvironment(compliancewithISO22000cleanlinessstandards).
• LogisticsManagement:Asmentionedearlier,thekeypointsarebookingtheshippingspace(bookingittwoweeksinadvancetoavoidoverbooking),loadingtheship(supervisingtheloadingtoconfirmtheleadsealnumber),andtransportation(real-timeGPStracking).
• CustomsCompliance:Theagentcompletesthecustomsdeclaration(submittedtothee-port),paystaxes(15%tariff+13%value-addedtax),andundergoesinspection(cooperatingwiththecustomstoopentheboxandverifythecookiespecifications/quantities).Theaveragecustomsclearancetimeis3-5workingdays(noabnormalities).
• DeliveryandDistribution:Accordingtotheclient’srequirements,arrangefordomesticlogistics(suchasCainiao/JDLogisticsColdChain)todeliverthegoodstothewarehouseorenduser,andprovideadeliverynote(POD)asproofofdelivery.
• QualityAssurance:Assistclientsinapplyingforcustomssamplinginspection(inspectionitems:totalcolonycount,peroxidevalue).Iftheinspectionfails,theagentcanprovidesuggestionsforreturn/destructionofthegoods(subjecttotheclient’sdecision).
• SummaryandFeedback:Output:Providean"ImportFullProcessReport"(includingcostbreakdown,timeefficiencyanalysis,andcomplianceriskpoints)toassistclientsinoptimizingtheirnextbatchofimportplans.

Conclusion: Professional agents help British biscuits enter the Chinese market efficiently

The import of British biscuits poses a dual challenge of "quality + compliance".With 20 years of foreign trade agency experience,Zhong Shen International Trade Co.Ltd.focuses on two core capabilities: document processing and logistics management.Combined with the VTB foreign exchange settlement advantages of our Russia-based operations,we provide enterprises with a full-process service that is "risk-controllable,cost-predictable,and time-efficient".It should be emphasized that the certification process must be completed by the client themselves,but our agency team will provide full-time document review and process guidance to ensure that enterprises can focus on seizing market opportunities in the British biscuit import sector without unnecessary burdens.