I.Opportunities and Challenges for Japanese Cake Imports under the New Landscape of China-Japan Food Trade

Driven by the deepening of the RCEP agreement,China-Japan food-trade facilitation keeps improving: in 2023 China’s food imports from Japan rose 12.7 % year-on-year,with bakery items (including cakes) surging 18.3 %,reflecting explosive growth in demand for Japanese-style desserts.Yet cakes,being highly perishable,face multiple import hurdles—stringent cold-chain temperature control,meticulous document-compliance checks,and complex inspection-and-quarantine standards.Against this backdrop,professionalProxy services have become a key reliance for enterprises to reduce operational risks and enhance efficiency.

II.Document Processing: The “Customs Clearance Pass” for Importing Japanese Cakes,the Core Moat of Agency Services

The compliance of documentation for imported Japanese cakes directly determines customs clearance efficiency and may even determine whether the goods are rejected and returned.According to the "People’s Republic of ChinaIn accordance with the Measures for the Administration of Food Safety and the China-Japan bilateral agreement,the core documents that must be submitted include:

• The"HealthCertificate"issuedbytheJapaneseauthorities:mustindicatethesourceofrawmaterials,theregistrationnumberofthemanufacturingenterprise,andastatementofcompliancewithChina’sfoodsafetystandards;
• (CO):MustbeissuedbyJapanCustomsoranauthorizedbody,clearlystatingthatthegoodsare“ofJapaneseorigin”toqualifyforRCEPtariffpreferences(forcertaincakesunderHS94042100,thetariffratedropsfrom15%to12%);
• Ingredientlistandnutritionlabel:theoriginalJapaneselabelandaChinesetranslationmustbeprovided;theChineselabelmustbepre-filed(pre-reviewed)withcustomstoavoidrectificationafterarrivalattheport.
• PackingListandCommercialInvoice:mustspecifyproductdetails(e.g.weight,shelflife)andcold-chaintransportrequirements(e.g.“keepbelow–18°C”);
• ManufacturerFilingCertificate:JapanesecakemanufacturersmustcompleteregistrationwiththeGeneralAdministrationofCustomsofChina(GACCfiling);theagentcanassistinverifyingthemanufacturer’sfilingstatus.

Our professional documentation team has over 10 years of experience in food imports and offers a full “pre-check – preparation – submission” service chain: at the pre-check stage we verify the completeness of every document element (e.g.whether the signature and seal on the health certificate meet the requirements of Japan’s Ministry of Health,Labour and Welfare); during preparation we ensure the Chinese label complies with GB 7718 “General Standard for the Labeling of Prepackaged Foods”; at submission we interface directly with the customs system to avoid rejection caused by formatting errors.We once helped a client avert a customs detention triggered by the omission of “food additives” in the ingredient list,saving the company more than RMB 50,000 in demurrage.

III.Logistics Management: The “l(fā)ast mile” of cold-chain transport,the technological moat of agency services

The logistics core of Japanese cake imports is "temperature-controlled continuity"; the choice of transport mode must balance cost and timeliness:

• Coldchain(FCL/LCL):Suitableforlarge-volumeimports(e.g.a20-ftreeferholds~3tofcake);chooseFDA-certifiedreefersonly(e.g.MaerskStarCool)andensurethetemperaturelog(ReeferLog)isfullytraceable(-18°C±2°C).Theforwardercanarrange“door-to-door”servicewiththecarrier,coveringpickupattheJapanesefactory,palletizing&wrapping,andpre-coolingofthereefer.
• Coldchain:suitableforsmall-batch,high-time-sensitiveneeds(e.g.new-producttesting),requiresULDthermalcontainers(e.g.EnvirotainerRAPe2)andthenotation“PerishableCargo”togetherwithtemperature-controlrequirementsontheairwaybill(AWB);theforwardercanconnectwithdesignatedcold-chainwarehousesatNaritaandOsakaairportstoshortentheairport-to-porttransittime.

During customs clearance,the agency team will liaise with Customs in advance to schedule inspections.If a sampling test is required (probability ≈ 15%),they can coordinate a third-party laboratory (e.g.SGS) to issue the report quickly (usually within 3–5 working days),preventing cargo spoilage caused by testing delays.In 2022,we handled 12 shipments of Japanese cakes for a bakery chain: by optimizing the logistics route (clearing at Shanghai Yangshan Port and using the “advance declaration” model),average clearance time was cut from seven days to 48 hours,and the damage/spoilage rate was kept below 0.3% (industry average ≈ 1%).

IV.End-to-end agency service: closed-loop management from requirement confirmation to summary feedback

With 20 years of foreign-trade expertise,Zhongshen International Trade is bringing Japanese cakesThe process is broken down into nine key nodes to ensure every step is traceable and controllable:

• Clientconsultation:Clarifycaketype(frozen/chilled),annualimportvolume,andtargetcustomsclearanceportthroughthe"ImportDemandSurveyForm,"andassessservicefeasibility;
• Negotiation&Contracting:Reviewthe“riskclauses”inthetradecontract(e.g.delete“demurragecausedbydocumentationissuesshallbebornebytheagent”)andclearlydefinetheservicescope(certificationservicesexcluded);
• Orders&Payment:Helpclientschooseapaymentmethod(T/Tismorecommon;L/CrequiresacreditreviewoftheJapanesebank).ForRussia-relatedbusiness,VTBBankcanberecommended.(Supportsdual-currencysettlementinRUB/CNY,reducingexchange-ratevolatilityriskby30%);
• ProductionOversight:On-sitefactorysupervisionduringloading(non-mandatory),verifythattheproductionenvironmentmeetsHACCPstandards,recordtheproductiondateandshelflifeofthecakes(mustbe≥6months);
• Customscompliance:pre-classifyHScodes(e.g.frozencakesunder94042100,chilledcakesunder21050000),calculateduties(MFNrate15%,decreasingannuallyunderRCEP)andVAT(13%),andcompletethe“SingleWindow”declarationinadvance;
• Delivery&Distribution:Arrangedomesticdeliveryaccordingtocustomerrequirements(cold-chainvehiclesmustbeGSP-certified)andprovidean"in-transittemperature-controlmonitoringreport";
• QualityAssurance:Assistthecustomerincompletingthearrivalinspection(e.g.samplingandweighing,checkingpackagingintegrity);ifdamageorspoilageisfound,theagentcanhelpfileaclaimwiththeinsurancecompany(e.g.PICC).
• Summary&Feedback:Providethe"ImportOperationsReport,"includingcostanalysis(proportionofoceanfreight/customsclearancefees)andtime-to-deliverystatistics(daysfromorderplacementtodelivery),tooptimizetheplanforthenextorder.

V.Certification Reminders and Risk Mitigation: Key Steps Clients Must Complete Independently

Please note: Zhongshen International Trade does not directly provide product-certification services,but it can assist in preparing the documentation required for certification.Certifications that may be involved in importing Japanese cakes include:

• JapanJASCertification(forcakesmadewithingredientsconformingtoJapaneseAgriculturalStandards):themanufacturingenterprisemustapplytoJapan’sMinistryofAgriculture,ForestryandFisheries(MAFF);
• RegistrationofOverseasFoodManufacturersbytheGeneralAdministrationofCustomsofChina(GACC):JapanesecakefactoriesmustcompleteGACCregistration(registrationstatuscanbecheckedviathe“Internet+Customs”platform);
• IFSInternationalFoodStandardcertification(notmandatory,butmayberequiredbylargesupermarkets):auditedbyathird-partybody(e.g.SGS).

We recommend that the client verify whether the manufacturing enterprise has obtained the above certifications before signing the contract,to avoid customs clearance issues due to missing certifications.

VI.Multi-Regional Service Extension: VTB’s FX-Settlement Edge Highlights Comprehensive Agency Strength

Zhongshen International Trade’s agency services span the world’s key trading regions.Taking Russia-related business as an example,the company holds a clear edge at the foreign-exchange settlement stage: through a partnership with Russia’s VTB Bank (the country’s second-largest commercial bank),it offers direct RUB/CNY settlement.Compared with the traditional USD route,this cuts exchange losses—saving roughly 1.5 % in costs—and shortens arrival time from 5–7 days to 2–3 days.This capability serves not only Russia-bound trade but also showcases the agency team’s strength in integrating cross-border financial resources,giving clients more flexible payment solutions.

Conclusion: Importing Japanese cakes is a textbook “high-barrier,high-return” venture.The value of a professional foreign-trade agent lies in using pinpoint document control,end-to-end cold-chain logistics,and closed-loop process management to shield companies from operational risk and lower their total cost.Choosing an agency with deep experience in food imports is the critical first step toward cracking the Japanese bakery market.