由 caicai8478 When clearing customs for imported tea in Southeast Asia, the following measures can be taken to deal with inspection and quarantine and document requirements:
Dealing with inspection and quarantine requirements
Understand relevant standards: Importers need to be familiar with China’s inspection and quarantine standards and regulations on tea, such as the Food Safety Law and relevant national standards for tea. At the same time, pay attention to the tea production and inspection and quarantine standards of Southeast Asian exporting countries to ensure that imported tea meets the requirements of both parties. For example, China has strict regulations on pesticide residues, heavy metal content, microbial indicators, etc. in tea. Importers must clarify these specific limit standards so that they can make corresponding requirements on suppliers when purchasing tea.
Choose qualified suppliers: cooperate with reputable and qualified Southeast Asian tea suppliers. Require suppliers to provide relevant quality control documents and records during tea planting and processing, such as management records of tea gardens, pesticide use records, and health certificates of processing workshops, etc., to prove the quality and safety of tea. You can also conduct on-site inspections of suppliers’ production bases and processing facilities, or entrust professional third-party inspection agencies to conduct factory inspections to ensure that their production processes meet China’s inspection and quarantine requirements.
Be prepared for cargo inspection: After the cargo arrives at the port, actively cooperate with the customs’ on-site inspection and supervision sampling. Sort out the relevant information of the cargo in advance, such as the variety, grade, quantity, packaging method, etc. of the tea, so that the customs staff can conduct inspection quickly and accurately. For tea that needs to be sampled, provide samples according to the customs requirements and ensure the representativeness and authenticity of the samples. If it is found that there are inspection and quarantine problems with the tea, communicate with the customs in a timely manner and take corresponding measures according to the specific circumstances, such as technical processing, return or destruction.
Attach qualified labels: The inner and outer packaging of imported tea should be marked with the registration number in China or the registration number approved by the competent authorities of the country (region) where it is located3. At the same time, in accordance with relevant Chinese regulations, Chinese labels should be correctly affixed to the tea packaging. The label content should include the name of the tea, ingredient list, net content, production date, shelf life, storage conditions, country of origin, importer information, etc. Ensure that the label information is accurate, clear and complete, and comply with China’s labeling standards and regulatory requirements to avoid customs clearance obstructions due to labeling problems.
Respond to document requirements
Prepare complete documents in advance: According to the regulations of the Chinese Customs, prepare complete import documents, mainly including commercial invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin, plant quarantine certificates, trade contracts, bills of lading, etc. In addition, some teas may also require quality inspection reports, import licenses and other documents. Importers should clarify the list of required documents with suppliers before importing, and promptly urge suppliers to provide them. At the same time, carefully review the received documents to ensure the authenticity, accuracy and completeness of the documents.
Ensure that the documents are compliant and valid: The information in the documents should be consistent with the actual goods. For example, the description, quantity, value and other information of the goods on the invoice and packing list should be consistent with the bill of lading and the actual goods. The certificate of origin and plant quarantine certificate should be issued by the relevant official agencies of the exporting country and meet the scope of recognition of the Chinese Customs. Pay attention to the validity period and issuance date of the documents, and avoid using expired or invalid documents. For documents that need to be certified or notarized, the relevant procedures should be handled in accordance with regulations to ensure that the documents are legally valid.
Update document information in a timely manner: Pay attention to changes in policies and regulations. If the customs adjusts the document requirements for imported tea, notify the supplier to update the documents in a timely manner. If there are any changes in the goods during transportation, such as damaged packaging, changes in the quantity of goods, etc., the documents must be modified and supplemented accordingly to provide accurate information to the customs.
Seek help from a professional customs clearance agent: If you are not familiar with the preparation and processing of customs clearance documents, you can entrust an experienced customs clearance agent or customs broker to handle the relevant procedures. They have professional knowledge and rich experience, can accurately grasp the requirements of the customs, help importers prepare and review documents, improve customs clearance efficiency, and reduce delays and risks caused by document problems.