The Opportunities and Challenges of Importing Dutch Biscuits in the New Situation of International Trade

In recent years,Sino-Dutch trade has continued to deepen.In 2023,China’s imports of food products from the Netherlands increased by 18% year-on-year,with baked goods (including cookies) accounting for over 30% of the total.As the center of the EU food industry,Dutch cookies are renowned for their high-quality raw materials (such as Holstein cow butter),rigorous production processes (meeting HACCP and BRC certification standards),and diverse flavors (ranging from traditional caramel cookies to healthy low-calorie series).These products have seen surging demand in China’s high-end retail and e-commerce channels.However,the EU’s "New Food Regulation" (EU 2015/2283) imposes strict requirements on additive labeling and allergen warnings,while China’s customs has upgraded its supervision of imported foods to "inspection of every batch".This has left non-professional importers facing risks such as non-compliant documents,delayed customs clearance,and even product returns.Against this backdrop,professional service providers with full-process agency capabilities have become the core reliance of importers.

Core Competency: The Dual Engine of Documentation and Logistics

I.Document Processing: A Key Guarantee for Compliance and Efficiency

Output:

The import of Dutch cookies involves 12 core documents.Any missing or incorrect item may lead to customs clearance delays.Based on 20 years of practical experience,our company has established a "three-stage review" mechanism:

• Pre-approval:Beforethesuppliershipsthegoods,weneedtochecktheformatofthecommercialinvoice(whichmustreflectthetax-inclusivepriceandEXWterms),packinglist(whichmustindicatethegrossweight/netweight/volume),andbilloflading(itisrecommendedtochooseanowner’sbillofladingfromMaersk/CMACGM,etc.toavoidtheriskofunloadinggoodswithoutabilloflading)toensurethattheyfullymatchthecontract(whichmustclearlystipulatetheclauseof"refundableifthequalitydoesnotmeettherequirements").
• Officialdocumentverification:ThefocusofthereviewisonthedocumentsissuedbytheDutchMinistryofEconomicAffairs.(InEUR.1format,withthechamberofcommerce’sstamp),ahealthcertificateissuedbytheDutchFoodandConsumerProductSafetyAuthority(NVWA)(withthenote"incompliancewithChina’sGB2760-2014FoodAdditivesStandard"),andacompositionanalysisreport(COA)fromthethird-partytestingagencySGS,whichmustincludekeyindicatorssuchastransfattyacidsandtotalbacterialcount.
• DeclarationAdaptation:AccordingtotheHScodeoftheChineseCustoms(e.g.1905.3100,correspondingto"biscuitsandotherbakedgoods"),thefieldssuchas"ingredientdescription"and"packagingspecifications"inthedocumentsaretranslatedintoChineseandstandardizedtoensure100%consistencywiththecolumnsof"productname"and"specificationsandmodels"inthecustomsdeclarationform.Atypicalcase:AclientoncefacedarequirementfromthecustomstoprovideadditionalexplanationsbecausetheCOAdidnotindicatethe"sugarcontent".Throughpre-audit,ourcompanyidentifiedthisissueandcoordinatedwiththeDutchlaboratorytoresendthedatainadvance,thusavoidinga5-7daydelayincustomsclearance.

II.Logistics Management: Precise Control of Full-Chain Costs & Risks

Output:

Dutch cookies belong to the category of "lightweight goods" (with a density of approximately 0.2 tons per cubic meter),and the logistics solution needs to balance efficiency and cost.Our company offers three mainstream transportation modes:

• FullContainerLoad(FCL):Applicabletosingleimportsof≥15tons(equivalenttoapproximatelyone20GPcontainer),preferablyonthedirectRotterdam-Shanghai/Shenzhenroute(traveltime28-32days).BysigningannualcontractswithMSKandCMA,youcanobtainfreightratesthatare3-5%lowerthanthemarketaverage.
• Less-than-ContainerLoad(LCL):Forsmall-scaleimportsof5-15tons,weadoptthe"Rotterdam-Ningbo"LCLservice(withavoyagedurationof35days),whichreducestheunitcostbyintegratingmultipleclients’cargo.
• :Onlyforurgentorders(suchasholidaypromotions),pleaseselecttheKLMAirlinesroutefromAmsterdamtoZhengzhou(withadeliverytimeof72hours)andpurchasethe"AllRisksInsuranceforAirTransportation"(whichcoversrisksofdamageanddelay).

In addition,during the operations at the destination port,our company has established long-term cooperation with warehousing enterprises at ports such as Shanghai Waigaoqiao and Shenzhen Yantian,which can provide "bonded warehousing + batch customs clearance" services (reducing the pressure of initial capital),and through the TIR Convention (International Road Transport Convention),we can achieve "door-to-door" land transport connections,with GPS monitoring of the cargo status throughout the entire process.

Expansion of business with Russia: VTBUnique advantages

Some importers are involved in the re-export of Dutch cookies through Russia (for example,supplying the Siberian region),or they may need to settle payments in rubles.In response to such demands,our company has cooperated with Russian partners to provide solutions.Bank (VTB) establishes a strategic partnership,offering three major foreign-exchange settlement advantages:

• Settlementefficiency:ThroughVTB’s"Chinese-RussianLocalCurrencySettlementChannel",T/Tpaymentscanbecreditedwithin24hours(whiletraditionalSWIFTchannelsrequire3-5days);
• ExchangeRateHedging:Supportspotforeignexchangesettlementandforwardlock-inforeignexchangesettlementwithinthreemonths(tolockintheriskoffluctuationsintheruble/RMBexchangerate);
• ComplianceAssurance:AsasystemicallyimportantbankinRussia,VTB’scross-borderpaymentprocesscomplieswiththedualregulatoryrequirementsoftheChinaForeignExchangeAdministration(SAFE)andtheCentralBankofRussia(CBR),enablingittoavoidtheriskof"secondarysanctions".Atypicalcase:WhenaclientexportedgoodstotheRussianFarEast,theycompletedthesettlementof2millionrublesthroughVTB’schannel,saving1.2%oftheexchangecostcomparedtotraditionalmethods.

Certification Points Reminder: Compliance Thresholds Clients Need to Know

Please note: Our company does not directly provide product certification services,but based on our experience,we suggest the following key certification requirements.Clients are required to complete these requirements themselves or entrust a third party to do so:

• ChinaCustomsImportedFoodOverseasProductionEnterpriseRegistration(GACCRegistration):DutchcookiemanufacturersneedtopasstheremoteauditoftheGeneralAdministrationofCustomsofChina(GACC)toobtainaregistrationnumberinChina(whichcanbecheckedontheGACCofficialwebsite);
• EUFoodContactMaterialsCertification(EC1935/2004):Cookiepackaging(suchasaluminumfoilandpaperboxes)mustcomplywiththeEU’ssafetystandardsforfoodcontactmaterialsandprovideaDeclarationofConformity(DoC);
• ChinaLabelRegistration:ImportedcookiesmustbelabeledinChinese(includingthelistofingredients,productiondate,andinformationaboutthedomesticagent),andmustbepre-approvedbythe"ImportedFoodRegistrationSystem".Submitthelabelforreviewviathe"LabelRegistrationSystem".OurcompanycanassistinreviewingthelabeldrafttoensureitcomplieswiththeGB7718-2011standard.

Full-process agency services: standardized operations from consultation to delivery

Our company breaks down the import agency process into nine core stages to ensure that each node is traceable and manageable:

• CustomerInquiry:Collectinformationsuchastheproduct’sHScode,annualimportvolume,targetports,andsaleschannels(B2B/B2C)throughthe"ImportDemandSurveyForm",andmatchtheoptimalsolutionaccordingly;
• NegotiationandContractSigning:Reviewthe"QualityObjectionPeriod"(suggestedtobe≥30days)andthe"ShareofDemurrageFees"clauseintheprocurementcontract,andclarifytheagencyservicefee(usually1-3%ofthegoodsvalue).
• Orders&Payment:AssistinopeningaWhenreviewingtheLetterofCredit(L/C),checkforany"softclauses"(suchas"theimportermustsignandconfirmtheshipment"),orarrangeforaT/Tprepayment(recommendedat30%)plusthebalanceuponreceiptofthebillofladingcopy;
• ProductionSupervision:Forfirst-timecooperationwithsuppliers,wecanentrustalocalthird-partycompanyintheNetherlands(suchasBureauVeritasBV)toconducton-sitemonitoringandinstallation,andverifythebatchofrawmaterialsandproductionrecords.
• LogisticsManagement:Afterbookingtheshippingspace,wewillprovideaLogisticsProgressReport,whichincludestheestimatedtimeofarrival(ETD/ETA),thecontainernumber(CTNNO.),andtheinsurancepolicynumber(PolicyNO.);
• CustomsCompliance:Pre-categorizetheHScode(withanerrorrateoflessthan0.5%),calculatethecomprehensivetaxrate(15%tariff+13%value-addedtax),andsubmitthedeclarationmaterialstothesinglewindowthreedaysinadvance;
• DeliveryandDistribution:Accordingtotheclient’sneeds,arrangedomesticlogistics(coldchaintrucks/generaltrucks)orwarehousestorage(e-commercecloudwarehouses/distributorwarehouses),andprovideaPOD(pick-upconfirmationslip);
• QualityAssurance:Within72hoursafterthearrivalofthegoods,completetheappearanceinspection(withadamagerateof≤0.5%)andassisttheclientinclaimingcompensationforqualityissuesfromtheinsurancecompanyorthesupplier.
• SummaryandFeedback:Providean"ImportCostAnalysisReport"(includingtheproportionofshippingfees,tariffs,andagencyservicefees)toassistclientsinoptimizingtheirnextbatchofprocurementplans.

Conclusion: The core competitiveness of Dutch cookie imports lies in the in-depth control of document compliance and the fine-grained management of the logistics chain.With 20 years of experience in foreign trade agency,relying on the dual engines of "professional documentation + efficient logistics",we help clients avoid more than 90% of import risks and assist high-quality Dutch biscuits in efficiently entering the Chinese market.