I.Current market opportunities and challenges for Italian food and beverage imports

In recent years,Chinese consumers’ demand for high-end Italian food and beverages has continued to rise.As iconic products of Italian culture,wine and coffee have seen an average annual import growth of over 15%.Behind these opportunities,challenges are also evident: the EU’s new Customs Code implemented in 2023 has strengthened requirements for origin traceability.Chinese customs has set stricter standards for the label compliance of imported foods (such as the registration of Chinese back labels),ingredient declarations (coffee must indicate caffeine content),and storage conditions (wine must be transported at a constant temperature of -5°C to 25°C).At the same time,Fluctuations (such as the risk of congestion in the Suez Canal) and exchange rate fluctuations (the annual fluctuation of the euro-yuan exchange rate exceeds 8%) have also increased the uncertainty of import costs.

II.Core Document Processing for Italian Imported Red Wine/Coffee: Key Value of Professional Agency

Importing Italian food and beverages,and ensuring that the documents comply with regulations is the "first passport" for customs clearance.Taking wine as an example,you need to provide the "Health and Phytosanitary Certificate" (SPS Certificate) issued by the European Union,and the "Product Certificate" certified by the Italian Chamber of Commerce.》(Form E),wine sample labels (which need to be registered with the Chinese Customs in advance) and ingredient analysis reports (including alcohol content and sulfur dioxide content); for coffee,a "roasting degree certificate" (differentiating between deep/medium roasting),pesticide residue testing reports (in compliance with the Chinese GB 2763 standard) and a non-GMO declaration (if applicable) are required.

The advantages of document processing in the field of international trade are reflected in three aspects: Firstly,Preliminary review and pre-correction——The team has 10 years of experience in EU document review and can translate and verify foreign-language documents (such as Italian health certificates) provided by clients 30 days in advance,thus avoiding common issues like "mismatched product names and HS codes" and "expired dates" that may lead to document rejections.Secondly,Record-keeping assistance——For the registration of wine labels,we will provide a "Chinese Label Element Correspondence Table",which clearly specifies the 12 mandatory items that need to be marked,including "country of origin","bottling date",and "distributor information".Thirdly,Emergency Handling——We once assisted a client in resolving the issue of a delay in the certificate of origin due to the Italian notary office being on vacation.By providing a "guarantee letter + subsequent supplementary submission" solution,we ensured that the goods were declared before arriving at the port.

III.From Milan to Shanghai: Full-Link Logistics Planning and Risk Control

The core of the logistics process is the "balance between timeliness and cost".Taking 20-foot container import as an example,there are mainly two transportation solutions from Italy to China:

• FullContainerLoad(FCL)(GenoaPort→ShanghaiYangshanPort):Thevoyagetakesabout35daysandissuitableforbulkimports(≥1,000casesofredwine).Theadvantageislowcost(about8eurospercase),butattentionshouldbepaidtotheshippingcompany’s"coldboxreservation"(redwineneedstobetransportedinaconstant-temperaturecontainer,andthestoragespacemustbereserved15daysinadvance);
• (Milan→Xi’an):Thetotaljourneytakesabout18daysandissuitableforhigh-value,time-sensitivepremiumcoffee(suchasArabicabeansfromtheTuscanyregionofItaly).However,anadditional"transhipmentfee"(forswitchingrailwaysinMalaszewicze,Poland)isrequired.Thetotalcostis20%higherthanmaritimetransport,butitcanshortentheinventoryturnoverperiod.

The logistics service feature of Zhong Shen International Trade Co.Ltd.lies in its "end-to-end monitoring": By cooperating with local Italian logistics providers such as DHL and DB Schenker,the company offers "door-to-door" services.Starting from the pickup from the Milan warehouse,the goods’ status is monitored in real time via GPS and temperature sensors (the temperature for wine transportation must be ≤28°C).Upon arrival at the port,relying on the AEO certification (Advanced Economic Operator) qualification,customers can enjoy conveniences such as "priority inspection" and "guaranteed customs clearance",reducing the customs clearance time from the industry average of 7 days to 3-5 days.In the final delivery phase,the company collaborates with JD Logistics to provide a "temperature-controlled warehouse + regional distribution" solution,ensuring that the wine maintains its optimal quality before reaching the end-consumers.

IV.Multi-market collaboration: Russia’s VTBCompared with the process in Southeast Asia

For importers who are simultaneously operating in multiple markets,Zhong Shen International Trade’s "cross-regional service capabilities" are a major advantage.Taking the Russian market as an example,the company’s services in Russia include market research,product promotion,logistics and customs clearance,and after-sales service.Often,international settlements face issues such as slow account settlement and significant exchange rate losses.However,Zhong Shen International Trade Co.Ltd.has established a foreign exchange settlement channel with VTB Bank (Russia’s second-largest state-owned bank),which enables the following benefits:

• Collectionperiod:T+2toarrive(T+7forordinarychannels);
• Exchangeratelocking:YoucansignaforwardexchangeagreementwithVTB30daysinadvancetolockintheexchangerateoftheeuro/ruble/RMBandavoidtheriskoffluctuations.
• DocumentSimplification:Onlythe"commercialinvoice+copyofthebilloflading"arerequiredtocompletetheforeignexchangesettlementdeclaration,withouttheneedtoprovideadditionalcomplextradebackgroundmaterials.

Compared with Southeast Asian markets (such as Vietnamese coffee imports),the process here places greater emphasis on "certification differences": Vietnamese coffee needs to provide a Halal certification (for Muslim markets),while the HS code classification during customs clearance (Vietnamese coffee is often categorized as "unroasted and unprocessed coffee with caffeine removed," HS code 09012100) differs from Italian roasted coffee (HS code 09012200),with a 5% tariff rate difference.Zhong Shen International Trade Company tailors "process comparison tables" for clients based on market differences,clarifying details such as "additional certifications required in Southeast Asia" and "HS code classification techniques," helping clients avoid losses from port congestion fees caused by procedural confusion.

5.Certification Assistance: Provide guidance on requirements and full-process support

It should be noted that Zhong Shen International Trade Co.Ltd.does not handle certification directly,but provides "end-to-end assistance".Taking the "overseas production enterprise registration" required for imported food in China as an example,we will:

• Listnotification:Providea"ListofMaterialsRequiredfortheRegistrationofItalianFoodCompanies",includingthecompany’sbusinesslicense(whichmustbenotarizedinItalyandcertifiedbytheChineseEmbassyinItaly),aproductionprocessdiagram,andqualitycontrolsystemdocuments(whichmustbeaccompaniedbyEnglishtranslations);
• Progresstracking:Helpclientsimportfoodthroughthe"GeneralAdministrationofCustoms".Submitanapplicationthroughthe"BusinessRegistrationSystem"andregularlyprovidefeedbackonthereviewstatus(thereviewperiodistypically45-60days);
• Q&A:Forcommonquestions(suchas"Doesthediscrepancybetweentheproductionenterprise’saddressandtheregisteredaddressaffecttheaudit?"),provideinternalguidancedocumentsfromthecustomsasareferencebasis.

For the "Declaration of Compliance with the Use of Imported Food Additives" required for red wine,we will assist clients in checking the "National Food Safety Standard - Food Additive Use Standards" (GB 2760),clarifying key indicators such as "the maximum use of sulfur dioxide is 0.25g/L",to avoid the return of products due to excessive additives.

VI.Practical Suggestions for Enterprises: Key Steps from Preparation to Implementation

• TimePlanning:Itisrecommendedtostartpreparationsthreemonthsinadvance–inthefirstmonth,completethesupplierselectionandcontractsigning(clarifythe"partyresponsibleforprovidingdocuments");inthesecondmonth,initiatedocumentpre-reviewandlogisticsbooking;andinthethirdmonth,completelabelregistrationandcertificationapplication.
• Costcontrol:Importingredwinecanreducethecostofrefrigeratedcontainersby"transportinginbatches"(e.g.transporting1,000boxesintwoshipmentsof500boxeseach);importingcoffeecantakeadvantageofthe"ASEANAgreementtariffrate"(e.g.whentransitingfromSoutheastAsia),butattentionshouldbepaidtothe"directtransportationrule"(whichrequiresprovidingacertificateofnon-processing).
• ComplianceReminder:Itisessentialtomaintainthe"originalpackaging"(e.g.thewoodenpalletsofredwinemustbeartheIPPClogo)toavoidhavingthegoodsdetainedbycustomsdueto"unfumigatedwoodenpackaging".Whenimportingcoffee,itisnecessarytospecifyits"use"(e.g."processingrawmaterial"or"directsale")inthedeclaration,whichwillaffectthecomplianceofsubsequentsaleschannels.

In the Italian food and beverage import sector,the value of professional agency services lies not only in "solving problems",but also in "preventing problems in advance".With 10 years of experience in EU market services,Zhong Shen International Trade Co.Ltd.relies on two pillars - document processing and logistics planning - to provide enterprises with a "fully transparent and traceable" import solution from Milan warehouses to Chinese terminals,helping every bottle of Italian red wine and every cup of Italian coffee reach consumers in the best condition.