When Imported Beer Meets the Chinese Palate: The Customs Clearance Code for Agents

In 2018, I handled an import case involving Belgian craft beer, where the client failed to understand...Differences in Customs Classification between Fermented Wine and Blended Wine, resulting in the entire container of goods being detained at the port for 28 days. This lesson reminds us: importing beer as an agent is by no means a simple buying and selling business, but requires breaking throughQualification barrier, logistics barrier, market barrier.

Three soul-searching questions before product selection

• Is there room for negotiation on the origin?
  • German breweries generally require a minimum order of 1,000 cases.
  • Czech small-scale winery negotiable for 500-case trial order.
• Can the alcohol content labeling pass the national standard inspection?
  • Field tests revealed that a certain Mexican beer was rejected due to a label error of 0.3%.
• Is the packaging material suitable for long-distance transportation?
  • It is recommended to choose heavy-duty corrugated cartons + EPE cushioning corners.

The devil is in the details of customs clearance practice.

Last year, I assisted a client with a typical case: a certain New Zealand IPA due to...Maltose content test exceeds standard.Detained by customs. Later, it was discovered that it was adopted by a foreign laboratory.Plato degree and domestic testing methodsThere is a conversion error. Special note here:

• Prepare in advance.Bilingual Quality Commitment Letter
• PrepareOriginal factory test report + third-party notarization
• To cope with regulatory reviewA 3%-5% loss budget

The Golden Triangle Model of Market Positioning

Four Firewalls for Capital Chain Protection

• L/CThe recommended payment method is 30% deposit + balance payment upon presentation of documents.
• in the containerTransportation Insurance + Product Quality Liability InsuranceCombination solutions
• Suggestions for the first importChoose LCL shipping: Enterprises do not need to participate in the complex international market operation themselves, reducing market risks.
• EstablishDynamic exchange rate hedging mechanism

The pitfalls we stepped on in those years have become the stepping stones of today.

I remember when representing a certain Eastern European beer brand in the 2020s, I didn't pay attention...Kosher Certification Mark, resulting in the product being unable to enter specific supermarket channels. Now we will require suppliers to provide:

• HACCP or IFS International Food Certification
• Halal/Kosher and other religious certifications (depending on the target market)
• Registration and Filing Number of the General Administration of Customs of China

Having worked in this industry for twenty years, the most important advice I want to give newcomers is: Instead of chasing after viral trends, it's better to focus on mastering the fundamentals.Regionalization, scenario-based, service-orientedThree-dimensional operation. Only when you hold the three certificates (Food Business License, Alcohol Distribution License, and Importer Record of Imported Food) and are backed by a professional customs clearance team can you truly savor the rich flavor of being an imported beer agent.