I.Import Trade Situation and Market Opportunities for Swiss Biscuits

Under the background of the deepening implementation of the China-Switzerland Free Trade Agreement (FTA),the import of Swiss food products has shown a significant growth trend.According to customs data for 2023,China’s imports of baked goods (HS Chapter 19) from Switzerland increased by 21% year-on-year.Among them,biscuits (HS 19053100/19053200) have become a popular category in China’s high-end retail and gift markets due to their excellent craftsmanship and high-quality ingredients.Currently,Swiss biscuits exported to China are subject to zero tariffs under the FTA (provided that a FORM CH certificate is provided).The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant decline in the global demand for food,while the fluctuation of the RMB exchange rate has stabilized,further highlighting the advantage of import costs.However,the strict supervision of food production in the European Union and Switzerland (such as the HACCP system and SQF certification) and the entry requirements for imported food set by Chinese customs (such as the registration of overseas production enterprises and compliance with Chinese labeling requirements) have made professional agency services a key factor for enterprises to reduce risks and improve efficiency.

II.Core competence: Full control of the entire process of document handling

Documents areAs a "lifeline",the single document processing capability of professional agents directly affects the efficiency and compliance of customs clearance.For the import of Swiss biscuits,the following single documents need to be paid special attention to:

• CommercialInvoiceandPackingList:Itisnecessarytospecifytheproductspecifications(suchasweight,flavor),unitprice,totalamount,andpackagingmethod(suchascarton/pallet),whichshouldbestrictlyinaccordancewiththecontracttermstoavoidcustomsvaluationdisputescausedbydiscrepanciesinthedeclaredvalueofthegoods.
• EXPORTCERTIFICATEOFORIGINFORMCH:AsthecoredocumentforenjoyingtariffpreferencesundertheChina-SwitzerlandFreeTradeAgreement(FTA),itmustbeissuedbySwisscustomsoranauthorizedagency.Theagentmustreviewthecertificateformatinadvance(e.g.ensuringthattheHarmonizedSystem(HS)codematchestheactualgoods)andtheissuancedate(whichmustbewithinthetransportationperiod),toensurecompliancewiththe"directtransportationrule".
• SwissOfficialHealthCertificate:IssuedbytheSwissFederalOfficeofPublicHealth(FOPH),itmustspecifytheproductingredients(suchaswhetheritcontainsdairyproductsornuts),theregisterednumberofthemanufacturingcompany,andadeclarationofcompliancewiththeEUFoodHygieneRegulation(EC852/2004).Failuretoprovideanyoftheseitemswillresultintheproductbeingreturnedbycustoms.
• ComponentAnalysisReport(COA)andMicrobialDetectionReport:Itshouldcoverthetypesandcontentsofadditives(suchasfoamingagentsandpreservatives)(whichmustcomplywiththeChineseGB2760standard),totalcolonycount,andotherkeyindicators.TheagentcanassistinverifyingthecompatibilityofthedatawithChinesestandardstoavoidbeingdetainedduringcustomssamplinginspectionsdueto"non-compliancewithnationalfoodsafetystandards".

It’s worth emphasizing that the agent needs to complete the pre-review of the documents before the goods are shipped.For example,a client once encountered a problem because the health certificate provided by the Swiss supplier did not indicate "in compliance with Chinese standards".The agent promptly coordinated with the supplier to modify the certificate,thus avoiding a 3-5 day customs clearance delay after the goods arrived at the port.

III.Logistics Services: End-to-end Collaborative Management from Switzerland to China

The professionalism of the logistics process directly affects costs and delivery times.Agents need to match the best transportation solutions based on customer needs (such as emergency replenishment or regular procurement).

• (FCL/LCL):Suitableforlarge-volume(≥2000kg)imports,Switzerland’smainportofdepartureisBasel(viatheRhineRivertoRotterdam/Antwerpfortransshipment).ThetransittimetoShanghai/ShenzhenportsinChinaisapproximately35-45days,withacostofaround0.8-1.2USD/kg(includingshippingfeesandinsurance).Agentscancoordinatewithshippingcompanies(suchasMaerskandMSC)tosecurecargospaceand,throughthe"advanceddeclaration"model(transmittingcustomsdeclarationstothecustomsbeforethegoodsarrive),shortenthecustomsclearancetimeto1-2days.
• :Applicabletosmallbatchandhigh-urgencydemands(suchasnewproducttesting),withdirectflightsfromZurich/GenevaairportsinSwitzerlandtoShanghai/Beijing,withadeliverytimeof5-7daysandacostofapproximately$6-8perkilogram.Agentsneedtofocusonmanagingtheconnectionbetweenairwaybills(AWBs)andcustomsclearancedocuments,ensuringthat"theinformationontheairwaybillisconsistentwiththecustomsdeclarationform",toavoidbeingsubjecttocustomscontrolsduetodiscrepanciesinthemanifest.

In addition,logistics node management needs to cover the following aspects: ① Pickup from the Swiss warehouse (the agent can coordinate with third-party storage companies to monitor loading and ensure that packaging meets long-distance transportation requirements).② International insurance (purchase marine all risks insurance or air transport insurance according to CIF terms to cover risks such as damage and rain exposure).③ Document exchange at the destination port (exchange the bill of lading for a delivery order (D/O) with an electronic release guarantee or the original bill of lading).④ Domestic distribution (collaborate with logistics companies such as JD Logistics and Sinotrans to achieve door-to-door delivery and support B2B/B2C distribution).

IV.Expansion of Business with Russia: VTBAdvantages and Risk Control

Some companies export Swiss biscuits through Russia (for example,to the Russian Far East market or the Sino-Russian market).),at this time VTB Bank (Russia’sThe foreign exchange settlement advantages of banks are significant.As one of Russia’s largest state-owned banks,VTB has established direct clearing channels with major Chinese banks (such as Bank of China and ICBC),supporting direct RMB-Ruble exchange (without going through the US dollar as a transit currency),which can reduce foreign exchange losses and handling fees by 2-3%.Agents can provide the following services in their business with Russia: ① 1.Document review (such as the PI from the Russian client and the copy of the bill of lading); 2.Exchange rate locking advice (to avoid fluctuation risks through forward foreign exchange settlements); 3.Compliant declaration (submit the "Foreign-related Income Declaration Form" as required by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange,indicating that the funds are for "trade financing").For example,a client who used VTB for foreign exchange settlement saved a total of 15,000 yuan in handling fees for a single transaction of 500,000 yuan,and the settlement time was shortened from T+5 to T+2.

5.Certification Notes: Compliance Requirements and Corporate Responsibilities for Imported Biscuits

Please note: Our company does not provide product certification services,but we must clearly inform our clients of the following certification requirements,which they must complete themselves or entrust a third party to do so:

• SwissmanufacturingcompaniesregisterinChina:AllSwisscompaniesexportingfoodtoChinamustregisterthroughtheGeneralAdministrationofCustoms’"RegistrationManagementSystemforOverseasFoodProductionEnterprises"(theregistrationnumberformatisCH+6digits),andapplicationscanbesubmittedthroughtheSwissFederalCustomsAdministration(SCA).
• Chineselabelfiling:Pre-packagedbiscuitsmustbelabeledwithaChineselabelthatcomplieswithGB7718(GeneralPrinciplesofLabelingforPre-packagedFoods),whichincludesproductname,ingredients,productiondate,shelflife,importerinformation,etc.Thelabelreviewmustbecompletedbeforethegoodsarriveattheport(whichcanbeentrustedtothird-partyinspectionagencies).
• Third-partytestingreport:ItisrecommendedthatatestingreportconformingtoChina’sGB7100(HygieneStandardsforBiscuits)beissuedbyinstitutionssuchasSGSandIntertekbeforeshipment.Thecustomsmayconductrandominspectionsontheimportedgoods,andiftheinspectionresultsareunsatisfactory,thegoodswillbereturnedordestroyed.

VI.Full-Process Agency Service: Detailed Explanation of 9 Major Steps from Consultation to Feedback

• CustomerInquiry:Theagentneedstounderstandtheproduct’sHScode(e.g.19053100:SweetBiscuits),importvolume(e.g.20tons),destination(e.g.Shanghai),paymentmethod(e.g.T/Twitha30%downpayment),etc.andassesswhetheritinvolvesspecialregulatoryrequirements(e.g.anti-dumping).
• NegotiationandContractSigning:Thekeypointsofthereviewincludethe"risktransferclauses"inthecontract(suchasFOBSwissportvsCIFChineseport),the"claimperiodforqualitynon-conformity"(usually30daysafterarrival),andthecleardelineationoftheagent’sresponsibilities(e.g.notassumingresponsibilityforportdetentionfeescausedbytheclientprovidingincorrectHScodes).
• Orders&Payment:TheagentassistsinreviewingthePI(ProformaInvoice)fromtheSwisssupplier,ifitisused.ForL/Cpayments,itisnecessarytoensurethatthe"documentaryterms"areconsistentwiththecontract(suchastherequirementtosubmitFORMCH);forT/Tpayments,theagentcanprovideguidanceonforeignexchangepayments(forexample,whenmakingcross-borderremittancesthroughbanks,itisnecessarytosubmitthecontractandinvoice).
• ProductionSupervision:Attheclient’srequest,theagentmayentrustalocalthird-partycompanyinSwitzerland(suchasSGS)toinspectthegoodsatthefactoryandconfirmthattheproductspecifications(e.g.200gperbox)andpackaging(e.g.moisture-proofaluminumfoil+cardboardbox)meettherequirementsoftheorder.
• LogisticsManagement:Selectthetransportationmethodbasedonthecargovolume(e.g.choosingseafreightforafullcontainerfor20tons),tracktheshippingscheduleafterbookingtheshippingspace(e.g.MSCMediterranean’svoyage123E),andprovidecustomerswithlogisticsinformationsuchastheestimatedtimeofdeparture(ETD)andestimatedtimeofarrival(ETA).
• CustomsCompliance:Pre-enterthecustomsdeclarationform(includingHScodeanddeclarationelementssuchas"compositioncontent"and"brand"),calculatethetariff(15%forthemost-favored-nationtariffrateof19053100,and0%undertheFTA),andvalue-addedtax(13%).Afterpayment,thegoodswillbereleaseduponpresentationofthetaxinvoice.
• DeliveryandDistribution:Aftercustomsclearance,wewillarrangedomestictransportation(e.g.fromShanghaiWaigaoqiaoBondedZonetoawarehouseinBeijing),andsupportpallettransportation(standardpalletswithdimensionsof1200×1000mm)orLTLdeliveryservices.
• QualityAssurance:Aftertheclientreceivesthegoods,theagentwillassistincheckingthequantityofthedeliveredgoods(e.g.1,000boxesvs.1,000boxesstatedinthebilloflading).Ifanydamageisfound(e.g.5boxesbeingdamp),theagentcanassistinmakingaclaimtotheinsurancecompany(evidencemustbeprovidedwithin48hoursthroughphotos).
• SummaryandFeedback:Providethe"ImportServiceReport"(includinglogisticsefficiency,customsclearancecosts,andasummaryofdocumentissues),andassistclientsinoptimizingtheirnextimportplans(suchasadjustingtheportofdeparturetoreduceshippingcosts).

Conclusion: The import of Swiss cookies involves professional operations in multiple aspects,including documentation,logistics,and compliance.Choosing an agent with extensive experience can help enterprises avoid risks such as customs clearance delays and cost overruns,allowing them to focus on developing their core businesses.As a professional foreign trade agent,we always adhere to the service standard of "zero errors in documents and zero delays in logistics",helping enterprises efficiently expand into the Swiss biscuit import market.