The Trend of German Cake Imports Under the New Opportunities of Sino-German Food Trade

In recent years,Sino-German bilateral trade has continued to deepen.In 2023,China’s total imports of food from Germany increased by 18% year-on-year.Among them,baked products have become a new favorite in the consumer market due to their exquisite craftsmanship and high-quality raw materials.German cakes are known for their high butter content and precise sugar control,but the import process involves strict food safety supervision and trade compliance requirements.Against this backdrop,professionalThe agent’s document processing and logistics coordination capabilities have become key factors for enterprises to reduce costs and shorten customs clearance time.

Core Documents for German Cake Import: Full-Chain Audit from Source to Customs Clearance

The primary challenge in importing German cakes lies in document compliance.According to the "People’s Republic of ChinaAccording to the "Measures for Food Safety Management" and the EU’s "Food Hygiene Regulation" (EC 852/2004),foreign trade agents are required to participate in the entire process of document review to ensure that the documents and the actual goods match each other.

1.Basic commercial documents

The commercial invoice must list the cake ingredients (such as cream content and additive types),net weight/gross weight,and trade terms (such as CIF Shanghai); the packing list must indicate the specifications of each box (such as 12 pieces per box) and cold chain packaging labels (such as "KEEP REFRIGERATED").Bill of Lading (B/L) orThe air waybill must specify the mode of transportation (it is recommended to choose a cold chain container with a temperature control range of 0-4°C) and verify that the consignor (the German baker) is consistent with the contracting party.

2.Official regulatory documents

• (EUR.1):IssuedbytheGermancustomsorauthorizedagencies,itcertifiesthattheproductis"madeinGermany"andisanecessarydocumentforenjoyingthemost-favored-nationtariff(HScode1905.9000,provisionaltaxrate15%);
• HealthCertificate:ItmustbeissuedbytheGermanFederalInstituteforRiskAssessment(BfR)orthestate-levelfoodregulatoryauthorities,withafocusonverifyingthestatementthat"theproductscomplywiththeChineseNationalFoodSafetyStandards(GB7099-2015forpastriesandbread)".
• IngredientAnalysisReport(AnalysisCertificate):Itshalllistkeyindicatorssuchastransfattyacidsandtotalcolonycount.Iftheproductcontainsdairyproducts(suchasbutter),anadditional"ImportHealthCertificateforDairyProducts"isrequired(asstipulatedinAnnouncementNo.43of2022issuedbytheGeneralAdministrationofCustoms).

Foreign trade agents need to get involved in document review before signing a contract,such as checking the validity of health certificates (usually 6 months) and the qualifications of the testing institutions for ingredient reports (which require ISO 17025 certification),to avoid delays in customs clearance due to missing documents (according to customs data,in 2023,12% of the food products that were returned due to document issues were baked goods).

Logistics Management: Professional Coordination of Cold Chain Transportation and Multimodal Transportation

The perishable nature of German cakes places stringent demands on logistics.Foreign trade agents need to select the optimal transportation solution based on the volume of goods and time requirements:

Selection of Transportation Modes

• Smallbatches(≤200kg):Itisrecommendedtouseairfreight(Frankfurt-Shanghai,withaflightdurationofapproximately10hours),combinedwithDHLorUPS’stemperature-controlledexpressdeliveryservice(withGPStemperaturemonitoringthroughoutthejourney,withanerrorof±0.5℃);
• Forlargequantities(≥2tons):Itisrecommendedtousesea-bornerefrigeratedcontainers(fromHamburg,GermanytoShanghai,China,withavoyagedurationofapproximately35days).Itisnecessarytoconfirmwiththeshippingcompany(suchasMaerskReefer)thepre-coolingtimeoftherefrigeratedcontainers(itisrecommendedtoreducethetemperatureto2°C24hoursinadvance)andthetemperaturerecordingduringthejourney(datawillbeautomaticallyuploadedevery2hours).

2.Connection between transit and pickup

After the goods arrive at the port,the agent needs to coordinate the seamless connection between customs inspection and warehousing.For example,Shanghai Yangshan Port requires that cold-chain food be unloaded and transferred to the customs-designated supervision warehouse (such as the Waigaoqiao Bonded Zone cold-chain warehouse) within 6 hours.The agent needs to book the inspection channel in advance and prepare the "Transport Vehicle Disinfection Certificate" (a standard requirement after the COVID-19 pandemic),to avoid product spoilage due to delays (according to industry statistics,the loss rate of cold-chain food that is not picked up in time can reach 8%-12%).

Expansion of business with Russia: VTBAdvantages that boost capital flow

If the importing enterprise is also involved in exporting business to Russia,Relying on our long-term cooperation with VTB,we can provide foreign exchange optimization solutions.As a systemically important bank in Russia,VTB boasts advantages such as low exchange rate fluctuations (daily volatility ≤ 0.3%) and fast settlement speed (T+1 settlement) in RMB-RUB transactions,helping enterprises reduce cross-border funding costs.For example,through two-way trade involving "German cake imports and Russian chocolate exports," enterprises can settle payments in local currency via VTB accounts,thereby mitigating USD exchange rate risks.

Certification Note: This is a key step that enterprises need to complete independently.

Special Note: Zhong Shen International Trade Co.Ltd.does not directly provide product certification services,but will guide enterprises throughout the process of preparing materials.For the import of German cakes,the following certifications need to be paid attention to:

• RegistrationofOverseasFoodProductionEnterprisesforImportinChina’sGeneralAdministrationofCustoms:Germanbakersneedtocompletetheregistrationinthe"ImportedFoodOverseasProductionEnterprisesRegistrationManagementSystem"oftheGeneralAdministrationofCustoms(registrationnumberformat:DE+6digits),andagentscanassistinverifyingtheregistrationstatusoftheenterprise;
• ImportQuarantineApprovalforAnimalsandPlants(AQSIQ):Ifthecakecontainsanimal-derivedingredients(suchaseggsandcream),itisnecessarytoapplyforthe"Entry-ExitQuarantinePermitforAnimalsandPlants"fromthecustomsinadvance.Theagentcanguideyouinfillingouttheapplicationformandcheckingtheaccompanyingmaterials(suchasforeignofficialquarantinecertificates);
• Labelfiling/recordfiling:PrepackagedcakesmustcomplywithGB7718-2011"GeneralPrinciplesofLabelingforPrepackagedFoods".Agentscanreviewthelabelsamples(suchasChineseproductnames,ingredientlists,andshelflife),buttheregistrationmustbesubmittedbytheenterprisetothelocalcustomsauthoritythemselves.

Full process: A closed-loop service from consultation to feedback

Based on the practical experience of Zhong Shen International Trade,the process of importing German cakes can be broken down into nine main steps:

• CustomerInquiry:Determinethetypeofcake(e.g.BlackForestcake,Munichwhitecake),thequantity(20-footrefrigeratedcontainers/airfreightpallets),andthetargetports(Shanghai/Qingdao),andassesswhetheritinvolvesspecialingredients(e.g.alcoholcontentexceeding0.5%requiresadditionaldeclaration).
• NegotiationandContractSigning:Reviewthe"risktransferclauses"inthetradecontract(suchasthetransferofriskafterthegoodsareloadedontotheshipattheportofloadingundertheCIFterm),agreeontheagencyservicefee(usually1.5%-3%ofthevalueofthegoods)andthedivisionofresponsibilities(suchastheportdetentionfeescausedbynon-compliancewiththedocumentsbeingbornebytheclient);
• Orders&Payment:IfweadoptForanL/C,theagentneedstoverifytheissuingbank’squalifications(itisrecommendedtochooseafirst-tierbanksuchasCommerzbank)andcoordinatewiththeclienttomakeaprepayment(usually30%);
• ProductionSupervision:Althoughwedon’tdirectlyparticipateinproduction,wecanassistclientsinrequiringGermansupplierstoprovideproductionprocessrecords(suchasbakingtemperaturecurvesandrefrigerationtime),ensuringcompliancewiththeHACCPsystem.
• LogisticsManagement:Afterbookingtheshippingspace,tracktheshippingschedule/flightinformation,obtaintheETD(EstimatedTimeofDeparture)andETA(EstimatedTimeofArrival),andsynchronizethecustomer’slogisticsstatusinrealtime;
• CustomsCompliance:Pre-enterthecustomsdeclarationform(ElectronicPortSystem),checktheHScode(1905.9000"Otherpastries"),calculatethetariff(customsvalue×15%)andVAT((customsvalue+tariff)×13%),andassistinpayingtaxes(throughtheSingleWindowpaymentsystem);
• DeliveryandDistribution:Aftercustomsclearance,theagentcancoordinatewiththird-partylogistics(suchasJDLogistics)todeliverthegoodstotheclient’sdesignatedwarehouse(theclientneedstoprovidethe"ColdChainDeliveryRecord"foracceptance).
• QualityAssurance:Iftheproductisfoundtohavedeteriorated(suchasmeltedbutterorexcessivemold),assistthecustomerinsubmittingaclaimtotheinsurancecompany(e.g.PICC)(requiringtheprovisionofa"arrivalinspectionreport"anda"transportationtemperaturerecord").
• SummaryandFeedback:Providethe《Output:Thereport(includingcustomsclearancetimelineandtaxbreakdown)andthelogisticstrackingreport.Settlethefinalpaymentandcompletetheproject’sfullcycle.

Conclusion: Professional agents are the "compliance guardians" for German cake imports

The import of German cakes involves multi-dimensional challenges in "documentation - logistics - compliance".Professional foreign trade agents,through accurate document review,efficient cold chain logistics coordination,and full-process compliance guidance,can help enterprises reduce customs clearance time from the industry average of 10-15 days to 5-7 days,and lower hidden costs such as port detention fees and storage fees.Against the backdrop of deepening Sino-German trade,choosing an agent service provider with extensive experience in food importation is a crucial step for enterprises to seize market opportunities.