Current China-Japan Food Trade Landscape and Opportunities for Japanese Biscuit Imports

In recent years,with the entry into force of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP),the facilitation of China–Japan trade has improved markedly.China Customs data for 2023 show that the value of food imports from Japan rose 12.7 % year-on-year,with bakery products (including biscuits) accounting for more than 20 % of the total,making them one of the most sought-after import categories.Japanese biscuits are renowned for their meticulous craftsmanship and safe ingredients and are highly popular among Chinese consumers,yetIssues related to document compliance,logistics coordination,and trade barriers place high demands on a company’s professional capabilities.As a senior consultant with 20 years of experience in theA domain service provider with 20 years of experience,it has built core strengths in document processing and logistics management,helping companies break through customs-clearance bottlenecks.

Core Documents for Japanese Biscuit Import Customs Clearance: Full-Chain Control from Review to Declaration

Document compliance is the “l(fā)ifeline” of import customs clearance; for Japanese biscuit imports,the following six categories of core documents require special attention:

• Certificate:MustbeissuedbyJapan’sMinistryofEconomy,TradeandIndustry(METI)oranauthorizedbody;iftheRCEPpreferentialtariffisclaimed,aCertificateofOriginFormEisrequired,statingtheproduct’sHScode(e.g.1905.31.00,correspondingto“biscuits,includingwafersandcommunionwafers”)andthepercentageoforiginatingcontent(regionalvaluecontent≥40%).
• HealthCertificate:IssuedbyJapan’sMinistryofHealth,LabourandWelfare(MHLW)oraninspectionbodyaccreditedbyit,thedocumentmustlisttheproductingredients,theregistrationnumberofthemanufacturingenterprise(whichmustbeincludedintheGeneralAdministrationofCustomsofChina’s“ListofOverseasFood-ManufacturingEnterprisesRegisteredforImport”),andastatementofcompliancewithChina’sfood-safetystandardGB7100-2015“NationalFoodSafetyStandard–Biscuits”.
• Commercialinvoiceandpackinglist:Clearlyindicatetheproductdescription(e.g.“Matcha-filledbiscuits”),quantity(kg/carton),unitprice(CIFShanghai),andtotalprice,ensuringtheymatchthecontractandbillofladingexactlytoavoidcustomsrejectionfor“document-goodsdiscrepancy.”
• BillofLading:ImportsusuallyrequireaCleanOnBoardB/L;verifythevesselnameandvoyage,thedestinationport(e.g.YangshanPort,Shanghai),andtheshippingmarks,ensuringtheymatchthemanifest—anydiscrepancywillhindertheexchangeofdocumentsandcargorelease.
• acomponentanalysisreport:Themainrawmaterials(e.g.wheatflour,butter,sugar),foodadditives(e.g.ammoniumbicarbonate,sorbitol),andtheirquantitiesmustbelisted,incompliancewithChina’s“StandardforUseofFoodAdditives”(GB2760-2014).
• Chineselabelsample:AccordingtotheGeneralRulesfortheLabelingofImportedPre-packagedFoods,thefollowingmustbeindicated:productname,countryoforigin(Japan),productiondate(JapaneseeradatesmustbeconvertedtotheGregoriancalendar),shelflife(e.g.“12months”),andtheimporter’snameandaddress(mustberegisteredwithcustoms).Thelabeldesignmustbesubmittedtocustomsforpre-approval.

The Zhongshen International Trade documentation team employs a “three-tier review system” (preparation – initial check – final verification) to ensure that the documents match the actual goods.In 2023,it processed over 500 sets of Japanese food-related documents,achieving a customs-clearance pass rate of 98.6 % and effectively avoiding demurrage (approx.USD 200/day) and amendment costs (approx.RMB 1,500/set) caused by documentation errors.

Logistics Management: End-to-End Coordination from Japanese Factories to Chinese Warehouses

Japanese biscuit import logistics must balance timeliness and cost; the common modes of transport are sea freight (FCL/LCL) and(Suitable for small-batch urgent shipments).Taking sea freight as an example,the voyage from Tokyo Port to Shanghai Yangshan Port takes about 3–5 days.After arrival,the following steps must be completed: - Surrender of the bill of lading (exchange the telex-release guarantee or original B/L for the delivery order) - Inspection (submit the electronic declaration to customs) - Customs declaration (file through the e-Port system) - Duty payment (15 % customs duty + 13 % VAT; RCEP preferences may reduce the duty) - Examination (cooperate with random container opening if selected) - Release

Zhongshen International Trade has established long-term partnerships with first-tier carriers such as Kintetsu World Express (KWE) and Mitsui O.S.K.Lines (MOL),securing priority booking and preferential rates (about USD 800–1,200 for a 20’ GP).Via the WMS system,we track cargo status in real time—e.g.“On Board,” “Arrived Awaiting Pick-up,” “Under Customs Inspection”—and issue a 3-day advance alert for customs-clearance milestones,helping clients plan warehousing and distribution.For fragile goods,we recommend adding “Theft,Pilferage & Non-Delivery (TPND)” and “Breakage” coverage at roughly 0.15 %–0.3 % of cargo value; in 2023 we successfully handled five breakage claims,recovering more than RMB 300,000 for our customers.

Trade Compliance & Certification Tips: Key Areas Customers Must Monitor Independently

It should be specifically noted that Zhongshen International Trade does not directly provide product certification services,but will clearly inform customers of the compliance requirements they must complete on their own:

• Importerregistration:Mustpassthrough“ImportedFoodCompleteenterpriseinformationregistrationinthe“MerchantFilingSystem”toobtaina10-digitfilingnumber(e.g.3100000001);otherwise,importdeclarationwillnotbepossible.
• Registrationofoverseasproductionenterprises:JapanesebiscuitmanufacturersmustappearontheGeneralAdministrationofCustoms’“ListofRegisteredOverseasFoodProductionEnterprisesforImport”(searchableviathe“Internet+Customs”platform);productsfromunregisteredfirmswillbereturned.
• Labelreview:Chineselabelsmustbesubmittedforreviewinadvancethroughthe“ImportedPre-packagedFoodLabelFilingSystem”;theymaybeaffixedonlyafterapproval.Otherwise,rectificationmayberequired(duringtherectificationperiod,thegoodsmustbestoredinacustoms-supervisedwarehouse,incurringadditionalstoragefees).

Expansion of business with Russia: VTBConvenience and Risk Avoidance

If the client is involved in the re-export or related trade of Japanese biscuits to Russia,Zhongshen International Trade can rely on its established presence in RussiaBank (VTB) partnership advantages: delivers highly efficient foreign-exchange settlement.As a systemically important Russian bank,VTB retains partial SWIFT connectivity,enabling USD,EUR and CNY cross-border settlements with arrival 1–2 business days faster than ordinary banks and more competitive FX quotes (spread ≈ 0.5–1 bp).Note: Russia-related trade must comply with Chinese and international sanctions; Zhongshen International Trade will help clients screen counterparties against sanction lists (e.g.OFAC SDN) to mitigate compliance risk.

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

Zhongshen International Trade breaks down the import agency process into nine major stages,each equipped with standardized operational checkpoints:

• CustomerInquiry:Clarifytheservicescopethroughquestionnaire-basedresearch(e.g.productHScodes,annualimportvolume,targetports)andassesscustoms-clearancedifficulty(e.g.whetherendangeredrawmaterialsorspecialsupervisionconditionsareinvolved).
• NegotiationandContractSigning:Focusonreviewingthecontract’stradeterms(CIFrecommended,withthesellercoveringtransportinsurance),paymentmethod(suggest30%deposit+70%againstbillofladingcopytoreducerisk),anddispute-resolutionclause(arbitrationbytheChinaInternationalEconomicandTradeArbitrationCommission).
• Orders&Payment:Assistinopeninga(L/C)orarrangeT/Tpayment,ensuringfundsecuritythroughbankdocumentexchange;in2023,handledoverUSD20millioninpaymentsforJapanesefoodproductswithzerodisputes.
• ProductionSupervision:Ifrequestedbythecustomer,alocalJapanesethirdparty(e.g.SGS)maybecommissionedtoconductanon-sitefactoryaudit(GMPcertificationinspection)andapre-shipmentinspection(PSI)toensuretheproductsmeetthecontractualspecifications(e.g.weightdeviation≤2%).
• LogisticsManagement:Selecttheshippingmethodbasedoncargovolume(airfreightrecommendedforshipmentsunder2,000kg,costapprox.RMB20–25/kg;seafreightrecommendedfor2,000kgandabove),coordinatewithshippinglines/airlinestosecurespace,andprovideend-to-endlogisticstrackingnumbers.
• CustomsCompliance:Pre-classifiedHScode(1905.3100),customsdutycalculation(cargovalue×15%)andVAT((cargovalue+customsduty)×13%),submitthecustomsdeclarationthroughtheSingleWindow;in2023theaveragecustomsclearancetime(fromarrivaltorelease)was2.1workingdays,outperformingtheindustryaverageof3–5days.
• DeliveryandDistribution:Partnerwithdomesticlogisticsproviders(e.g.JDLogistics,SFColdChain)toofferdoor-to-doordelivery(ambientorrefrigeratedoptions),supportingbothB2B(towarehouse)andB2C(directtoconsumer)models.
• QualityAssurance:Uponarrival,assistthecustomerindrawingsamplesforinspection(entrustingatestingagencyrecognizedbytheGeneralAdministrationofCustoms,suchasCTI),andifqualityissuesarefound(e.g.mold,incorrectlabeling),assistinnegotiatingreturnorcompensationwiththeJapaneseparty.
• SummaryandFeedback:Providethe“ImportCustomsClearanceReport”(includingclearancetime,detailedcostbreakdown,andproblem-handlingrecords),settlethefinalpayment,establishacustomerservicefile,andsupplydatareferencesforthenextimport.

Conclusion: A professional agent is the “customs-clearance accelerator” for importing Japanese biscuits.

Importing Japanese biscuits into China involves multi-dimensional challenges—policy and regulatory compliance,documentation handling,and logistics coordination.Relying solely on in-house resources,companies easily fall into traps such as “documentation errors delaying customs clearance,” “l(fā)ogistics disconnects inflating costs,” and “compliance risks disrupting operations.” With 20 years of experience,Zhongshen International Trade,a professional foreign-trade agent,zeroes in on the two critical links—documentation and logistics.Through standardized procedures,integrated resources,and proactive risk assessment,we help clients achieve “fast clearance,controllable costs,and worry-free compliance,” becoming the reliable partner for Japanese biscuit imports.