I.The international trade situation and core challenges of Swiss cookie imports

In recent years,China’s imported food market has continued to grow.In 2023,Switzerland’s food exports to China increased by 12% year-on-year,with baked products (including cookies) accounting for more than 35% of the total.As an important trading partner of the European Union,Switzerland adheres to strict SGS (Swiss General Certification Company) quality standards for food production.However,Chinese customs imposes strict entry requirements for imported food (such as GACC registration and ingredient compliance) and logistics efficiency requirements.//The cost difference (of transportation and logistics) has become the main obstacle for enterprises to import directly.In addition,in the transit business to Russia,the exchange rate risk of RMB-ruble settlement and the stability of banking channels also test the financial coordination ability of the agent service providers.

II.The core value: Professional control of documents and logistics

(I) Document Processing: The “Invisible Cornerstone” of End-to-End Compliance

Output:

The import of Swiss biscuits involves more than 10 types of key documents,and the professionalism of the agent directly affects the efficiency of customs clearance and risk avoidance.The core documents include:

• CommercialDocuments:Itisnecessarytoreviewthecommercialinvoices(whichmustbemarkedwiththeHScode1905.3100)andpackinglists(whichmustlistthenetweightandspecificationsofeachbox)providedbySwissexporters.
• OfficialCertificate:ThehealthcertificateissuedbytheSwissFederalFoodSafetyandVeterinaryOffice(FSVO)(whichmuststate"incompliancewithChina’snationalfoodsafetystandards"),(FORME,enjoyingtariffpreferencesundertheChina-SwitzerlandFreeTradeAgreement.TheMost-Favored-Nation(MFN)tariffrateof15%canbereducedtotheagreement-basedtariffrateof10%);
• Technicaldocuments:Ingredientdetectionreport(focusoncheckingwhethertransfattyacidsandadditivescomplywiththeGB2760standard),andsampleexternalpackaginglabels(whichrequirepre-registrationofChineselabelsandmustinclude11elementssuchasproductname,ingredients,andproductiondate).

The agent service provider needs to complete the translation of documents (from German/French to Chinese) and logical verification (such as ensuring that the invoice amount matches the actual payment amount).(Translation: Consistency) and pre-entry into the customs system (single-window submission),ensuring "consistency between the order and the documents".Taking our company’s past cases as an example,a client failed to verify the validity of the health certificate provided by the Swiss exporter in advance (which only covered the first half of the production batch),resulting in the customs rejecting the declaration.After the agent urgently coordinated to reissue the certificate,the client ultimately avoided losses of over 50,000 yuan in port detention fees.

(II) Logistics management: balancing cost and transit time in multimodal transport

Output:

There are mainly three logistics routes from Switzerland to China:

• Airfreight(Zurich→Shanghai/Beijing):Deliverytime:1-3days,suitableforsmallbatches(≤2tons),high-valuegoods,orurgentorders.Thefreightfeeisapproximately12-15yuanperkilogram.
• Seafreight(Rotterdam/Hamburg→Shanghai/Ningbo):Thetransittimeis30-40days,suitableforlargecargovolumes(≥20tons),andthefreightcostforafullcontainer(20GP/40HQ)isapproximatelyUS$2,500-4,500percontainer.
• China-EuropeExpressTrain(Duisburg→Xi’an/Chengdu):Thedeliverytimeis15-20days,andthecomprehensivecostis40%lowerthanthatofairfreight.Itissuitableformedium-sizedcargo(5-15tons),butattentionshouldbepaidtothestoragerequirementsofcookiesfortemperature(20-25℃)andhumidity(≤60%).Itisnecessarytoorder"ventilationboxes"or"temperature-controlledboxes".

The agent service provider needs to match the optimal solution based on the client’s requirements (such as promotional events and inventory cycles) and coordinate with shipping companies/airlines to reserve cargo space and purchase marine all-risk insurance (covering damage and moisture risks during transportation).For example,a client planned for the goods to arrive before "Double 11",and the agent recommended choosing the China-Europe Express (with a transit time of 20 days) instead of sea freight (40 days).As a result,the goods arrived at the warehouse 15 days earlier,ensuring the smooth sales cycle.

III.Business Expansion into Russia: VTBThe three major advantages of n

Some customers export Swiss biscuits to Russia either through re-export or directly.For example,there are many Chinese companies that export Swiss biscuits to Russia.When exporting goods to Russia,one of the most critical issues is currency conversion efficiency.To address this,our company has established a strategic partnership with VTB Bank (Russia’s largest bank and one of the world’s top 50 banks) to provide a dedicated currency conversion channel:

• Exchangerateadvantage:Supportdirectruble-RMBsettlement,avoidingthedoubleexchangelossof"ruble→USdollar→RMB",reducingthecomprehensivecostby1.5%to2%;
• Time-limitguarantee:VTBisdirectlyconnectedtomajorbanksinChina(suchasICBCandBOC),whichshortensthetimeforcross-borderremittancestoT+1(comparedtoT+3underthetraditionalroute);
• Complianceendorsement:VTBisregulatedbytheRussianCentralBank,andthetransactioncertificates(MT103messages)canbedirectlyusedforfilingwiththeForeignExchangeAdministrationBureau,thusavoidinghigh-riskoperationssuchas"undergroundmoneylenders".

IV.End-to-End Import Process Breakdown: Nine Key Milestones from Inquiry to Feedback

Taking the example of a food trading company in 2023 entrusting our company to import 500 boxes of Swiss chocolate biscuits (with a value of $80,000),the full process is as follows:

1.Client Consultation: Precise Needs Assessment

Output:

The client specifies the product ingredients (containing 5% cocoa butter and 2% milk powder),packaging specifications (200g/box × 12 boxes/box),and the destination port (Yangshan Port in Shanghai).The agent simultaneously reminds: Due to the presence of milk powder,it is necessary to confirm that the exporter has completed the GACC (General Administration of Customs) registration for food export enterprises to China (which can be verified through the "Imported Food Overseas Production Enterprise Registration Information Inquiry System").

2.Negotiation and signing of the contract: Review of the strictness of the contract terms

Output:

The key provisions of the contract include: the claim period for quality non-compliance (within 30 days after arrival at the port),the inspection standards (based on China GB 7100-2015 "Cookies"),and the sharing of port detention fees (where the exporter’s delay in providing documents results in additional costs,which shall be borne by the exporter).

3.Orders and Payments: Ensuring the Safety of Funds

Output:

Adopting the combination of "30% prepayment (T/T) + 70% letter of credit (L/C)",the agent assists clients in applying to the bank for opening an irrevocable sight letter of credit,ensuring that the exporter can settle the payment upon presenting the full set of documents after delivery.

4.Production supervision: Third-party inspection is involved

Output:

We commissioned SGS to conduct on-site inspections of the production batches,with a focus on verifying the following aspects: raw material traceability (the cocoa beans originated from C?te d’Ivoire and met the non-GMO requirements),packaging sealing (5% of the boxes were randomly inspected,and no air leakage was detected),and label compliance (the original labels contained French/German text,which needed to be consistent with the content of the Chinese labels on file).

5.Logistics management: Booking shipping space and matching documents

Output:

Select ocean freight (Rotterdam → Shanghai),order a 40HQ container (which can hold 600 boxes,with 500 boxes actually loaded to allow for buffer space),and purchase PICC marine all-risks insurance (with coverage amount equal to 110% of the CIF value of the goods).Additionally,require the exporter to provide a copy of the bill of lading within 24 hours after shipment and simultaneously complete the pre-entry of the import goods declaration form in the "Single Window" system.

6.Customs Compliance: Tax Payment and Inspection Response

Output:

3 days before the goods arrive at the port,the agent submits the declaration materials (including the pre-entry single number and accompanying documents) to the customs.The HS code declared is 1905.3100 (biscuits,with filling or containing cocoa).After the customs appraises the price (referring to the recent import prices of the same brand),the customs determines the duty-paid price of $85,000 (including freight and insurance).The customs duty paid is $12,750 (at a tax rate of 15%),and the value-added tax is calculated as ($85,000 + $12,750) × 13% = $127,180,totaling $254,680 in taxes.Since this batch is declared by an AEO-certified enterprise,it enjoys priority inspection and is ultimately released within 24 hours.

7.Delivery and distribution: Domestic delivery and distribution coordination

Output:

After picking up the goods,the agent coordinated with the domestic cold chain fleet (as the goods contained milk powder,they needed to be transported at a constant temperature below 25°C) to deliver them to the client’s designated Shanghai Waigaoqiao Bonded Warehouse.The entire process was monitored by GPS,and the goods were delivered within 2 hours.

8.Quality Assurance: Final Inspection and Problem Handling

Output:

The customer submitted the samples for inspection (by the Shanghai Customs Technology Center),and the report showed that "trans fatty acids were not detected,and the microbiological indicators met the requirements of GB 7100".There were no quality issues,so we proceeded to the next step.If there were any damages (which did not occur in this case),the agent would assist the customer in claiming compensation from the insurance company by providing the insurance policy and the damage certificate.

9.Summary and feedback: Full-process report and settlement

Output:

Provide the "Import Agency Services Report",which includes: logistics efficiency (Rotterdam → Shanghai in 32 days),cost breakdown (US$3,800 for shipping,CNY 800 for customs declaration,CNY 500 for inspection fees,etc.),and a list of archived documents (a total of 15 copies,to be kept for three years for reference).After the client confirms the accuracy of the information,the agency service fee will be settled (charged at 1.5% of the goods value,totaling US$1,200).

5.Certification tips that clients need to be aware of (the agent does not provide the service of handling the certification)

The import of Swiss cookies may involve the following certifications,which need to be handled by the client themselves or by entrusting a third-party organization:

• GACCRegistration:SwissproductionenterprisesneedtocompletetheregistrationoffoodexportenterprisestoChinaattheGeneralAdministrationofCustoms(whichcanbedonethroughthe"ImportedFood"platform).1.Submittheapplicationfor"EnterpriseRegistrationSystem"(viathe"EnterpriseRegistrationSystem"application);2.Submittheapplicationfor"IndustrialandCommercialRegistrationSystem"(viathe"IndustrialandCommercialRegistrationSystem"application);3.Submittheapplicationfor"TaxRegistrationSystem"(viathe"TaxRegistrationSystem"application);4.Submittheapplicationfor"SocialInsuranceRegistrationSystem"(viathe"SocialInsuranceRegistrationSystem"application);5.Submittheapplicationfor"BankAccountOpeningSystem"(viathe"BankAccountOpeningSystem"application);6.Submittheapplicationfor"MarketSupervisionSystem"(viathe"MarketSupervisionSystem"application);7.Submittheapplicationfor"QualificationCertificateSystem"(viathe"QualificationCertificateSystem"application);8.Submittheapplicationfor"ConstructionProjectBiddingSystem"(viathe"ConstructionProjectBiddingSystem"application);9.Submittheapplicationfor"ElectronicContractSystem"(viathe"ElectronicContractSystem"application);10.Submittheapplicationfor"CreditInformationSystem"(viathe"CreditInformationSystem"application);11.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedSocialCreditCodeSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedSocialCreditCodeSystem"application);12.Submittheapplicationfor"SocialCreditSystem"(viathe"SocialCreditSystem"application);13.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedBusinessLicenseSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedBusinessLicenseSystem"application);14.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedLegalPersonRegistrationSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedLegalPersonRegistrationSystem"application);15.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedRealEstateRegistrationSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedRealEstateRegistrationSystem"application);16.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedConstructionProjectBiddingSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedConstructionProjectBiddingSystem"application);17.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedElectronicContractSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedElectronicContractSystem"application);18.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedCreditInformationSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedCreditInformationSystem"application);19.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedSocialCreditCodeSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedSocialCreditCodeSystem"application);20.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedSocialCreditSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedSocialCreditSystem"application);21.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedBusinessLicenseSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedBusinessLicenseSystem"application);22.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedLegalPersonRegistrationSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedLegalPersonRegistrationSystem"application);23.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedRealEstateRegistrationSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedRealEstateRegistrationSystem"application);24.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedConstructionProjectBiddingSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedConstructionProjectBiddingSystem"application);25.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedElectronicContractSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedElectronicContractSystem"application);26.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedCreditInformationSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedCreditInformationSystem"application);27.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedSocialCreditCodeSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedSocialCreditCodeSystem"application);28.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedSocialCreditSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedSocialCreditSystem"application);29.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedBusinessLicenseSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedBusinessLicenseSystem"application);30.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedLegalPersonRegistrationSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedLegalPersonRegistrationSystem"application);31.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedRealEstateRegistrationSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedRealEstateRegistrationSystem"application);32.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedConstructionProjectBiddingSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedConstructionProjectBiddingSystem"application);33.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedElectronicContractSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedElectronicContractSystem"application);34.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedCreditInformationSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedCreditInformationSystem"application);35.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedSocialCreditCodeSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedSocialCreditCodeSystem"application);36.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedSocialCreditSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedSocialCreditSystem"application);37.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedBusinessLicenseSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedBusinessLicenseSystem"application);38.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedLegalPersonRegistrationSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedLegalPersonRegistrationSystem"application);39.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedRealEstateRegistrationSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedRealEstateRegistrationSystem"application);40.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedConstructionProjectBiddingSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedConstructionProjectBiddingSystem"application);41.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedElectronicContractSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedElectronicContractSystem"application);42.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedCreditInformationSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedCreditInformationSystem"application);43.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedSocialCreditCodeSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedSocialCreditCodeSystem"application);44.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedSocialCreditSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedSocialCreditSystem"application);45.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedBusinessLicenseSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedBusinessLicenseSystem"application);46.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedLegalPersonRegistrationSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedLegalPersonRegistrationSystem"application);47.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedRealEstateRegistrationSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedRealEstateRegistrationSystem"application);48.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedConstructionProjectBiddingSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedConstructionProjectBiddingSystem"application);49.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedElectronicContractSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedElectronicContractSystem"application);50.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedCreditInformationSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedCreditInformationSystem"application);51.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedSocialCreditCodeSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedSocialCreditCodeSystem"application);52.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedSocialCreditSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedSocialCreditSystem"application);53.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedBusinessLicenseSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedBusinessLicenseSystem"application);54.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedLegalPersonRegistrationSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedLegalPersonRegistrationSystem"application);55.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedRealEstateRegistrationSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedRealEstateRegistrationSystem"application);56.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedConstructionProjectBiddingSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedConstructionProjectBiddingSystem"application);57.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedElectronicContractSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedElectronicContractSystem"application);58.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedCreditInformationSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedCreditInformationSystem"application);59.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedSocialCreditCodeSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedSocialCreditCodeSystem"application);60.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedSocialCreditSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedSocialCreditSystem"application);61.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedBusinessLicenseSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedBusinessLicenseSystem"application);62.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedLegalPersonRegistrationSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedLegalPersonRegistrationSystem"application);63.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedRealEstateRegistrationSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedRealEstateRegistrationSystem"application);64.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedConstructionProjectBiddingSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedConstructionProjectBiddingSystem"application);65.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedElectronicContractSystem"(viathe"NationalUnifiedElectronicContractSystem"application);66.Submittheapplicationfor"NationalUnifiedCreditInformationSystem"(viathe"NationalUn
• Chineselabelfiling:Itisnecessarytosubmitthelabelsamples(includingthenutritionalcompositiontableandallergenwarning)tothelocalcustomsinadvance.Onlyafterpassingthereviewcanthelabelsbeaffixed.
• Specialcertifications:Ifthebiscuitscontainhalalingredients(suchasusinghalal-certifiedfats),theyneedtoundergoadditionalHALALcertification(issuedbyinstitutionssuchasJAKIMinMalaysiaorMUIinIndonesia).

Our company can provide an interpretation of the certification requirements and a list of necessary documents,but we do not directly handle the certification process.We recommend that clients start preparing 3-6 months in advance to avoid delays in customs clearance.

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

The import of Swiss biscuits involves multiple challenges in policy,logistics,and finance.Professional agency service providers,through meticulous document processing (reducing the rate of returned documents by 90%),optimized logistics solutions (averaging a 12% cost savings),and trade compliance management (avoiding more than 95% of customs penalty risks),have become the core support for enterprises to expand their import business.Choosing an agency partner with 20 years of experience,familiar with Sino-Swiss trade rules,and possessing high-quality financial resources such as VTB,is the key to achieving efficient and low-cost imports.