The Situation of Chocolate Import Trade in Japan: Opportunities and Compliance Challenges Coexist

In recent years,China’s imported food market has continued to expand,and Japanese chocolate has gained a significant share in the high-end snack market thanks to its exquisite craftsmanship and reputation for quality.According to data from the General Administration of Customs in 2023,the trade volume of food products between China and Japan increased by 12.7% year-on-year,with the import volume of chocolate and cocoa products rising by 18.3%.However,the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP),the tightening of inspection and quarantine standards between China and Japan,and other factors have posed challenges to the development of the chocolate industry in China.Due to the impact of fluctuations,import enterprises need to address more complex compliance requirements and cost control challenges.ProfessionalThe agency service integrates document,logistics,and customs clearance resources,becoming a key support for enterprises to reduce risks and improve efficiency.

Core Service 1: Full-chain Document Processing - The "Passport" for Import Compliance

The document management of chocolate imports from Japan is the core barrier of agency services,involving the review and declaration of more than 10 key documents.According to the "People’s Republic of China Customs Law",the import of chocolate from Japan requires a series of formalities,including product quality inspection,tax payment,and customs declaration.According to the "Product Inspection Law" and Decree No.248 of the General Administration of Customs (the "Regulations on the Registration and Management of Overseas Production Enterprises of Imported Food"),the following documents need to be paid special attention to:

• BasicCommercialDocuments:Businessinvoice(whichshouldspecifythetransactionmethod,suchasCIF/FOB),packinglist(listingthespecifications,grossweight/netweight),andbilloflading.forB/L,isAWB);
• CertificateofOriginandQuality:IssuedbytheJapaneseauthorities(ApplicabletoRCEPpreferentialtariffrates,withanagreementtariffrateaslowas0%forproductsunderHScode1806),andhealthcertificates(issuedbythecertificationagenciesofJapan’sMinistryofAgriculture,ForestryandFisheriesortheMinistryofHealth,LabourandWelfare,andmustbemarked"incompliancewithChina’snationalfoodsafetystandards").
• SpecialRegulatoryDocuments:Importedfoodconsigneeregistrationcertificate(whichneedstobecompletedinadvanceonthe"Internet+Customs"platform)andChineselabelsamples(whichneedtocomplywithGB7718"GeneralStandardsfortheLabelingofPrepackagedFoods").

The professional agency team can provide pre-audit services for single documents,such as verifying the applicability of the "back-to-back certificate" clause in the certificate of origin (for goods transited through third countries),to avoid the need to pay additional tariffs due to incomplete certificate information.At the same time,by interfacing with data from Japanese official institutions,they can verify the authenticity of health certificates in real time,reducing the risk of goods being returned due to counterfeit certificates.

Core Service II: Logistics Coordination—Dual Guarantee of Temperature & Timeliness

As chocolate is a product that melts easily,the temperature control and transportation efficiency need to be strictly controlled during the logistics process.The logistics management capabilities of the agency service are reflected in the following three aspects:

• SelectionofTransportationMode:ForshipmentsfrommajorJapaneseexportports(Tokyo,Osaka,Kobe)toChina’smainports(Shanghai,Guangzhou,Tianjin),weprimarilyrecommendoceanfreightrefrigeratedcontainers(40-footHCrefrigeratedcontainerswithatemperaturecontrolrangeof10-18°C).Comparedtoairfreight,thisoptioncanreducelogisticscostsbyover60%.Ifcustomershaveextremelystringenttimerequirements(e.g.fornewproductlaunches),wecancoordinatecharterflightsorairfreightrefrigeratedpalletservicestoensuredeliverytotheportwithin48hours.
• Supplychainnodecontrol:ThroughtheTMS(TransportManagementSystem),real-timemonitoringofcontainertemperature,location,andestimatedarrivaltime(ETA)isachieved.Whenthetemperaturedeviatesfromthethresholdvalue,anautomaticalertistriggered,allowingtheagentteamtoquicklycoordinatewiththedestinationporttoreplacerefrigeratedcontainersoractivateemergencystorage.Atthesametime,long-termagreementsareestablishedwithshippingcompanies(suchasNYKandMOL)toensureprioritybookingofshippingspaceduringpeakseasonsandavoiddelayscausedby"havinggoodsbutnocontainers".
• Theefficiencyofcustomsclearanceandonwardtransportation:3-5daysinadvance,transmitthepre-declarationdataofthe"SingleWindow"tothecustoms,completetheclassificationofHScodes(suchas18063200),pricedeclaration(whichmustmeetthecustomsvaluationrequirements,suchastheCIFpriceincludingfreightandinsurancepremiums),andoriginverification.Ensurethattheinspectionandreleaseofthegoodsarecompletedwithin24hoursaftertheirarrivalattheport,soastoreducethelossofportdetentionfees(aboutUSD150/day/container).

Expansion of business with Russia: VTBLeveraging Strengths to Crack the Cross-Border Payment Puzzle

Some import enterprises are involved in re-exporting to Russia or engaging in triangular trade (such as purchasing chocolate from Japan for resale to Russia),in which case cross-border foreign exchange settlement becomes a critical pain point.By establishing an agency relationship with VTB Bank,we offer two major advantages in foreign exchange settlement:

• Flexiblemulti-currencysettlement:SupportsettlementsinUSD,EUR,CNY,andrubles(RUB),avoidingtheriskofexchangeratefluctuationsofasinglecurrency(forexample,theruble’sexchangerateagainsttheRMBfluctuatedby15%in2023);
• Complianceguarantee:AsasystemicallyimportantbankinRussia,VTB’sSWIFTchannels(thoughpartiallyrestricted)stillcovermajortradingcountries.TheagencyteamcanassistenterprisesincompletingOFAC(OfficeofForeignAssetsControloftheUSDepartmentoftheTreasury)sanctionsscreening,therebyavoidingaccountfreezesduetocounterpartiesbeingincludedonsanctionslists.

Customer Notice: Certification Prompts and Service Boundaries

It should be noted that,according to the "Measures for the Management of Imported Foods",imported chocolate must complete the following certifications/registrations,but our company does not directly provide certification services:

• Registrationofoverseasproductionenterprises:JapanesechocolatemanufacturersmustcompleteregistrationwiththeGeneralAdministrationofCustomsthroughthe"ImportedFoodOverseasProductionEnterpriseRegistrationManagementSystem"(theregistrationnumberformatisJPN+6digits);
• Importerregistration:Domesticimportenterprisesarerequiredtocompletetheimporterregistrationatthelocalcustomsoffice(theregistrationnumberisa4-digitcustomsdistrictcodefollowedbya10-digitnumber);
• Labelreview:Chineselabelsmustpasscustomsreview(whichcanbeentrustedtothird-partyinspectionagenciessuchasSGSandHuaceInspection).Ourcompanycanassistinorganizingcorporatequalificationdocumentsandprovidinglabeltemplatereferences,butthecertificationapplicationandreviewmustbecompletedbytheclientthemselvesorbyentrustingaprofessionalcertificationagency.

Full-process service: a closed-loop management from consultation to feedback

Based on industry practices,Japanese chocolateThe service can be broken down into nine major steps:

• CustomerInquiry:Confirmtheimportquantity(e.g.20-footcontainer/40-footcontainer),brand(e.g.Royce’,WhiteLovers),targetport(e.g.ShanghaiWaigaoqiao/GuangzhouNansha),andspecialrequirements(e.g.organiccertifiedproducts);
• NegotiationandContractSigning:Definethescopeofservices(whetheritincludesadvancefinancingandwhetheritcollectsforeignexchangeonbehalfofclients)andreviewtheriskclausesinthecontract(suchastheresponsibilityforreturnshipmentsduetounqualifiedinspections).
• Orders&Payment:Assistinopeninga(L/C)orarrangeaT/Tprepayment(usually30%),ifD/P(DocumentaryPayments)isinvolved,itisnecessarytoevaluatethecreditratingoftheJapanesesupplier;
• ProductionSupervision:Forcustomizedproducts(suchasholiday-limitededitions),youcanentrustalocalthird-partyorganizationinJapan(suchasJETRO,theJapanExternalTradeOrganization)toconductanon-sitefactoryinspectiontoconfirmthattherawmaterials(withacocoacontentof≥35%)andpackaging(moisture-proofaluminumfoil+shock-prooffoam)meettherequirements.
• LogisticsManagement:Coordinatebookingofshippingspace,arrangecontainerloadingandsupervisetheloadingprocess(takephotostorecordtheconditionofthegoods),andhandleinsurancematters(purchaseallrisksinsuranceandmolddamageinsurance);
• CustomsCompliance:Completingthedeclarationofthecustomsdeclarationform(notethatthe"Use"columnshouldbefilledinas"Directsale"or"Processing"),payingthecustomsduty(withamost-favored-nationtariffrateof8%andanRCEPtariffrateof0%)andvalue-addedtax(13%);
• DeliveryandDistribution:Arrangedomestictransportationaccordingtocustomerneeds(coldchaintruckdeliverytosupermarkets/warehouses,temperaturecontrolrequirement≤22℃);
• QualityAssurance:Helpclientsapplytothecustomsforsampletesting(thetestingitemsincludemicroorganisms,heavymetals,andfoodadditives).Iftheresultsareunsatisfactory,theagentwillinitiatetheprocessofreturningordestroyingthegoods.
• SummaryandFeedback:Providethe"ImportFullProcessReport"(includinglogisticsefficiency,costcomposition,andcustomsclearancekeypoints),settlethefinalpayment,andfilethedocuments(witharetentionperiodof≥3years).

Conclusion: A Professional Agent is an "Accelerator" for Import Efficiency

The import of Japanese chocolate may seem "small but beautiful",but in reality,it involves multiple challenges in trade policies,logistics technology,and customs rules.Choosing a foreign trade agent with the ability to handle documents,coordinate logistics,and manage risks can not only reduce the "cost of trial and error" for enterprises,but also spread the overall cost through large-scale operations (such as centralized procurement of freezers and bulk declaration to enjoy the convenience of AEO customs enterprises).In the face of increasing uncertainties in international trade,professional agency services have evolved from an "option" to a "necessity",becoming the core competitiveness for enterprises to expand their import business.