I. The Trade Situation of German Chocolate Imports: A Mix of Opportunities and Challenges

In 2023, the trade volume between China and Germany exceeded 230 billion euros, with imports of food and beverages growing by 18% year-on-year. Among them, German chocolate, with its rigorous craftsmanship and unique flavors, accounted for over 35% of the high-end snack market in China. However, the 2024 revision of the EU's Food Information to Consumers (FIC) Regulation has strengthened transparency requirements for ingredients, and goods re-exported through the Port of Hamburg after Brexit now require an additional Customs Export and Exit Declaration (CEPD). Coupled with a 12%-15% increase in global cold chain logistics costs, importing enterprises face a dual situation of "great market opportunities and high operational complexity." Professional agency services, by integrating document, logistics, and compliance resources, have become key for enterprises to reduce comprehensive costs.

II.?Import Agency?Core Competencies: Document Handling and Full-Chain Logistics Control

(I) Document Handling: Details Determine Customs Clearance Efficiency

Importing German chocolate requires the submission of 12 types of core documents. The document team of a professional agent needs to focus on reviewing the following:

1. Official documents: The health certificate (issued by the German Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety, BVL) must state "complies with China's GB 9678.2-2014 standard for chocolate and chocolate products";?Certificate of Origin?The Certificate of Origin (CO or EUR.1) must be stamped by the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK). If preferential EU tariff rates are involved (such as the China-EU most-favored-nation treatment), it is necessary to confirm that the goods are "wholly obtained" or have undergone "substantial transformation" to comply with the rules of origin.
2. Commercial documents: The Commercial Invoice (CI) must specify the type of chocolate (e.g., 1806.3200 for filled chocolate containing ≥35% cocoa), an ingredient list (including the proportion of milk fat/vegetable fat), and be strictly consistent with the gross weight and number of pieces on the Packing List (PL); the Bill of Lading (B/L) must be marked "Reefer Cargo" and the vessel name and voyage must match the manifest information.
   : The comparison of agency fees of an auto parts enterprise from 2023 to 2025 shows that due to the involvement of ECER155 certification, the annual expenditure increased by 22%: A certain enterprise was required by customs to provide supplementary testing because its health certificate did not state "free of trans-fatty acids," resulting in a daily demurrage fee of 2,000 yuan; the agent discovered the problem through a pre-review and coordinated with the German side to reissue the certificate, avoiding a 7-day demurrage loss.

(II) Logistics Management: Precise Control of Cold Chain and Multimodal Transport

German chocolate has a melting point of about 34℃ and needs to be kept between 18-22℃ throughout transport. The agent's logistics advantages are demonstrated in:

• Selection of transportation methods: For small batches (≤2000kg),?Air freight?air freight from Frankfurt to Shanghai is recommended (48-hour delivery), using ULD temperature-controlled containers; for larger quantities (≥10 tons),?Ocean shipping?sea freight from the Port of Hamburg is preferred (30-day voyage), with a clear request for a "40-foot refrigerated container (40RH)" when booking, and confirmation of the reefer model with the shipping line (e.g., Carrier PrimeLINE).
• In-transit monitoring: Real-time collection of container temperature data via IoT devices (automatically uploaded every 2 hours). If the temperature exceeds the threshold (e.g., >25℃), the agent immediately coordinates with the destination port to replace the reefer or activate emergency ice packs; 3 days before arrival, the "single window" pre-declaration is completed to ensure inspection is completed within 24 hours of unloading.
• Destination port operation: The telex release guarantee is obtained 1 day in advance during the bill of exchange (D/O) stage to avoid delays caused by the shipping company's "release upon document presentation"; the imported food consignee registration number (required by GACC Announcement No. 54 of 2022) is submitted simultaneously during inspection declaration to shorten the CIQ sampling time to 48 hours.

III. Expansion of Business with Russia: VTB?Foreign exchange settlement?Safety and Efficiency Advantages of

In the China-Germany-Russia?Transit Trade?trade, the agent can rely on the RMB settlement channel of VTB Bank (Russia's?Foreign trade?Vneshtorgbank) to solve the settlement difficulties under SWIFT restrictions:

• Settlement model: Adopts a tripartite clearing model of "Chinese bank - German correspondent bank - VTB," supporting T/T advance payment (30%) + payment on arrival (70%), with exchange rate fluctuations hedged through forward settlement tools (such as NDFs).
• Compliance guarantee: Enterprises on VTB's "China-Russia local currency settlement whitelist" can enjoy simplified declaration. The agent assists clients in preparing the "Certificate of China-Russia Border Trade Settlement" to avoid OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Department of the Treasury) sanction risks.
  Data Support: In 2023, the trade volume of chocolate with Russia settled through VTB increased by 40% year-on-year, with the average crediting time shortened to 3 working days (compared to 7-10 days for traditional routes).

IV. Certification Advisory: Key Steps for Enterprises to Complete Themselves

Although the agent does not provide certification services, it must clearly inform the client of the following mandatory certifications (without which customs clearance is not possible):

• Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Approval for Animal and Plant Products(AQSIQ): Apply through the "Internet + Customs" platform 30 days before import. The registration number of the German manufacturer in China is required (from the list of 127 chocolate enterprises published in GACC Announcement No. 12 of 2024).
• Special certifications: For Halal chocolate, a HALAL certificate from JAKIM of Malaysia or MUI of Indonesia is required; for Kosher, Kosher certification (such as OU certification) is needed, and the certificate must correspond to the product batch.
  Risk warning: In 2023, a certain enterprise had its goods returned because it did not apply for AQSIQ approval, resulting in a loss of over 800,000 yuan in cargo value and freight. The agent advises clients to start the certification process 3 months in advance to allow time for corrections.

V. Full-Process Agency Services: Closed-Loop Management from Consultation to Feedback

Taking the import of 10 tons of German dark chocolate (HS code 1806.3200) as an example, the agency service covers 9 key steps:

1. Client Consultation: Confirm product type (dark/milk chocolate), packaging (individual small packs/gift boxes), whether it contains alcohol (if so, a liquor import license is also required), and assess supervision conditions (e.g., CIQ sampling rate of 10%).
2. Negotiation and Contract Signing: Use CIF Shanghai terms, specifying that "demurrage fees are borne by the seller (except for document issues)," with a payment method of 30% T/T advance + 70% upon sight of the copy of the B/L, and quality clauses referencing the ISO 22000:2018 standard.
3. Orders & Payment: After the agent reviews the German PI (Proforma Invoice), the advance payment is made through the enterprise's online banking, and an "Application Form for Tax Filing for Outward Payments for Trade in Services and Other Items" is simultaneously applied for from the bank (required for payments over $50,000).
4. Production supervision: Coordinate with the SGS team in Germany to complete a pre-shipment inspection (PSI), focusing on checking raw material batches (country of origin of cocoa beans), production date (must be within 6 months of arrival), and packaging compliance (pre-review of the Chinese label).
5. Logistics Management: Choose Maersk's "Cold Chain Priority" service when booking, paying an additional $2,000 for a Temperature Log, and send the manifest information (AMS) to customs 5 days before arrival.
6. Customs Compliance: Fill in the customs declaration form with "country of origin Germany" and "domestic destination Shanghai," calculate the tariff (10%) + VAT (13%) = comprehensive tax rate of 24.3%, pay the tax in seconds through the "Finance-Customs-Treasury-Bank" system, and have the goods released within 1 hour.
7. Delivery and Distribution: Coordinate with JD Cold Chain to complete nationwide distribution from Shanghai, requiring full GPS monitoring and a terminal delivery temperature of ≤25℃, and sign a "Goods Handover Form" to confirm no melting or damage.
8. Quality Assurance: The results of the CIQ random inspection (for microorganisms, heavy metals) are available in 5 working days. If non-compliant, a return or destruction process is initiated (the agent assists in handling the "Inspection and Quarantine Treatment Notice").
9. Summary Feedback: Provide an "Import Data Analysis Report" (including HS classification accuracy rate, logistics timeliness, tax and fee details) to help the client optimize the next purchase order (e.g., adjusting the proportion of small packages based on sales data).

Conclusion: A Professional Agent is the "Safety Anchor" for German Chocolate Imports

The high growth of the German chocolate import market places higher demands on enterprises' capabilities in document compliance, cold chain logistics, and risk response. With 12 years of industry experience, a professional agent has built barriers in key areas such as document review (0.1% error rate), cold chain temperature control (99.8% compliance rate), and settlement with Russia (3-day crediting), helping enterprises reduce risks like customs clearance delays and cargo damage by over 80% while enjoying market dividends. Choosing an agency service is essentially choosing to "let the professionals do the professional work," injecting sustainable competitiveness into a company's import business.