1.Trends in Sino-Korean food trade and opportunities for Korean biscuit imports

In recent years,the benefits of the China-South Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA) have continued to unfold,with tariffs on food products gradually decreasing.South Korean biscuits,with their unique flavors and exquisite packaging,now account for more than 12% of the market share of imported food products in China,with an annual growth rate steadily at 8%-10%.Against the backdrop of consumption upgrading,young consumers’ demand for low-sugar,health-conscious biscuits has surged,driving an increase in imports.However,it’s worth noting that the international trade environment is undergoing profound adjustments: China’s customs authorities have tightened inspection and quarantine requirements for imported food products.After the implementation of the "Regulations on the Registration Management of Overseas Food Manufacturers in China" in 2023,overseas manufacturers must complete registration in China before exporting to the Chinese market.At the same time,The retail import policy has been tightened,and general trade import has become the mainstream path.The key to seizing opportunities lies in avoiding compliance risks and improving customs clearance efficiency through professional agency services.

II.Korean biscuitsThe core services of the company include two engines: documentation and logistics

In import business,document processing and logistics management are the two core aspects that determine the efficiency and cost of customs clearance,and they also represent the value of professional agency services.

1.Document processing: full-chain audit and compliance filing

The core documents required for the import of Korean biscuits include: a health certificate issued by the Korean government (issued by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety of Korea,MFDS); (FORM E,essential for enjoying FTA tariff preferences),Commercial Invoice (must state transaction terms like CIF/FOB),Packing List (listing specifications,gross/net weight),Ingredient Test Report (including types and content of additives,must comply with GB 2760 standard),Bill of Lading (B/L,/voucher).The professionalism of agency services is reflected in:

• Pre-audit:Beforeshipment,checkwhethertheelementsofthedocumentsmatch(suchastheconsignoronthebilloflading,thesellerontheinvoice,andthecontractualpartiesbeingconsistent),toavoidcustomsrejectionduetodiscrepanciesbetweenthedocumentsandtheactualsituation.
• TranslationandFiling:TranslateKoreandocumentsintoChineseaccuratelyandsimultaneouslycompletethecustomsimportoffoodTheelectronicdeclarationofthefilingsystem(CIQ2000)ensuresthatthedeclarationinformationandtheactualgoodsareconsistentwitheachother.
• Riskavoidance:Forhigh-riskfactors(suchastheneedtoprovideadditionalveterinaryhealthcertificatesiftheingredientscontaindairyproducts),wewillnotifyclientsinadvancetosupplementtherequiredmaterials,soastoavoiddelaysincustomsclearanceduetomissingdocumentsandincurringportstoragefees.

2.Logistics services: multimodal transport and cold chain guarantee

The main transportation methods from South Korea to China are maritime transport (Busan - Qingdao/Shanghai,with a journey time of 2-3 days) and air transport (Incheon - Beijing/Guangzhou,with a journey time of 4-6 hours).The agency services require customized solutions based on the characteristics of the goods:

• FullContainerLoad(FCL):Suitableforlarge-scaleimports(20-foot/40-footcontainers),withlowcostbutalongerdeliverycycle.Itisnecessarytopayattentiontothetemperaturecontrolofthecontainers(therecommendedstoragetemperatureforcookiesis≤25°C,andthehumidityshouldbe≤60%).
• Airfreight:Suitableforsmallbatchordersandurgentorders,itrequirescoordinatingwithairlinesforcargospaceandsimultaneouslyhandlingthe"advancedinspectiondeclaration"toshortenthecustomsclearancetimeattheairport.
• Coldchainmanagement:Forbiscuitscontainingingredientsthateasilymelt,suchasbutterandchocolate,refrigeratedcontainers(withatemperatureof2-8°C)arerequired.Agentscancollaboratewithprofessionalcold-chainlogisticsproviderstomonitorthetemperatureandhumiditydatathroughoutthetransportationprocess(usingGPSandtemperature-sensingdevices),therebyreducingtheriskofproductdamage.

In addition,the agent can provide "pre-processing services before the goods arrive at the port": completing the pre-entry of customs declarations and the pre-classification of tariff codes (HS codes) (the common HS codes for Korean biscuits are 1905.3100/1905.3200) before the goods arrive at the port,ensuring that customs clearance is completed within 24 hours after arrival to avoid incurring demurrage charges (usually USD50-100/day·box).

III.Full-process agency services: Compliance control from order placement to delivery

The professional agency services cover the entire life cycle of imports,with the key stages as follows:

1.Client Consultation & Demand Confirmation

The agent needs to confirm the product information (ingredients,packaging specifications,storage conditions) with the client,the HS code (which affects the tariff rate and regulatory conditions),the import destination port (which determines the logistics cost),and clarify the scope of services (whether it includes paying the tariff on behalf of the client and domestic delivery,etc.).

2.Contract Review and Clause Negotiation

The key points of the review include: 1.Trade terms (e.g.under CIF terms,the seller is responsible for transportation and insurance; under FOB terms,the buyer needs to book shipping).2.Quality clauses (specifying sensory indicators and microbial limits).3.Dispute resolution (it is recommended to stipulate the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission as the arbitration body).For orders involving re-export to Russia,it is necessary to additionally review the "final destination" clause in the contract to avoid triggering sanction risks.

3.Payment arrangements and cooperation with VTB Bank of RussiaAdvantages

The agent can assist clients in choosing a payment method: for small orders,it is recommended to use T/T (30% prepayment + 70% payment upon arrival),while for large orders,other payment methods are recommended.1.(L/C) Reduces credit risk.For business with Russia (such as Korean cookies transited through China to Russia),it can be done through VTB Bank (Russia).Bank-issued foreign exchange settlements offer significant advantages:

• Localcurrencysettlement:Supportdirectruble-yuanexchange,reducingUSdollarexchangeratelosses(usuallysaving1%-2%exchangeratedifference);
• EfficiencyImprovement:VTBisdirectlyconnectedtoChina’sCIPSsystem,enablingcross-borderpaymentstobesettledwithinT+1days(comparedtoT+3daysfortraditionalSWIFTtransactions).
• ComplianceAssurance:VTB,asamajorstate-ownedbankinRussia,isfamiliarwithSino-Russiantradepoliciesandcanhelpavoidtheriskoffundfreezingcausedby"greycustomsclearance".

4.Production Supervision and Third-Party Inspection

The agent can assist clients in entrusting third-party organizations such as SGS and Bureau Veritas to inspect the factory in South Korea,with a focus on verifying the following aspects: raw material traceability (e.g.whether the flour is non-GMO),production environment (GMP certification status),and packaging compliance (whether there are reserved positions for attaching Chinese labels).

5.Customs compliance and tax payment

During the customs clearance stage,the agent needs to complete the following tasks:

• DeclarationofCustomsDeclarationForm:Pleasefillintheinformationsuchas"consumptionunit"and"domesticdestination"accuratelytoavoidaffectingsubsequentsales.
• Tariffcalculation:AccordingtotheFTAtariffrate(15%forSouthKorea’sbiscuitsunderthemost-favored-nationtreatment,andatariffrateof0-5%undertheFTA),andcombiningwiththetransactionprice(CIFprice),wecalculatethecustomsduty-paidprice.
• Co-operatewiththeinspection:Iftheshipmentissubjecttorandominspectionbythecustoms(withaprobabilityofabout5%to10%),theagentneedstobepresenttoassistinopeningtheboxesandprovidingsupplementarydocuments(suchastheoriginalrecordsoftheingredienttesting).

6.Delivery and quality traceability

After the goods are released,the agent can provide domestic distribution solutions (land transport/railway,covering major cities across the country) and simultaneously establish a quality traceability file (including scanned copies of customs declarations,health certificates,inspection reports,etc.) to meet the requirements of the market supervision department for the "One-Stop Documentation for Imported Food".

IV.Certification Tips and Risk Avoidance: Key Matters That Clients Need to Know

It should be clarified that our company does not directly provide product certification services,but we need to inform our clients of the following certification requirements to avoid delays in customs clearance:

• Registrationofoverseasproductionenterprises:KoreanbiscuitmanufacturersneedtocompletetheregistrationwiththeFASFC(NationalMarketSupervisionandAdministrationBureau)inChina(whichcanbecheckedthroughthe"RegistrationManagementSystemforOverseasFoodManufacturers").
• Chineselabelfiling:PrepackagedbiscuitsmustbelabeledwithaChineselabelthatcomplieswithGB7718(GeneralGuidelinesfortheLabelingofPrepackagedFoods)(whichmustindicatetheingredients,countryoforigin,andinformationaboutthedomesticdistributor).Thesamplelabelmustberegisteredwiththecustomsinadvance.
• SpecialIngredientPermit:Ifthebiscuitscontainprobioticsornewfoodingredients(suchaschiaseeds),theyneedtoobtainanadditionalsafetyassessmentreportfromtheNationalHealthCommission.

We recommend that clients initiate the certification process 60 days in advance and entrust professional certification agencies (such as CTC and Huace) to handle it.Our company can assist in reviewing the compatibility of the certification materials with the import requirements.

5.Conclusion: The Value of Professional Agency Services—Reducing Costs,Improving Efficiency,and Controlling Risks

The import of Korean cookies faces multiple challenges in terms of policies,logistics,and documentation.The core value of professional agency services lies in: reducing the rejection rate through accurate document review (the industry average rejection rate is 15%,while professional agencies can reduce it to less than 3%); optimizing logistics solutions to lower overall costs (estimated savings of 10%-15% in transportation and port congestion fees); and avoiding legal risks through compliance control (such as product recalls due to non-compliant labels).Choosing an agent with 20 years of trading experience is a reliable guarantee for your business expansion in the Korean cookie import market.