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Three Hidden Barriers to Beer Imports

Last year, we handled 37 craft beer customs clearance cases and found that 81% of the delays were concentrated in three areas:

The Fog of Qualification Certification: Manufacturers must possess official certification from the exporting country, with new additions starting from 2025.Malt Saccharification Degree Test Reportrequirements
Black hole in tariff calculation: The tariff for beer below 10°P is 11%, but differences in packaging specifications may lead to classification discrepancies.
Chinese Label Trap: The alcohol content must be accurate to 0.1% vol, and the ingredient list must include yeast components.

Customs Clearance Flowchart: 9 Key Steps from Shipment to Clearance

A typical customs clearance process exemplified by the import of German craft beer:

Week 1: Confirm that the manufacturer holds BRC certification.
Week 2: Preliminary review of Chinese labels (special attention requiredThe correlation between original wort concentration and alcohol contentTrade dispute settlement mechanisms
Week 3: Simultaneous Preparation of Shipping Bill of Lading and CIQ Certificate
Week 4: Submit within 48 hours after arrival.Application Form for Import of Wines and Spirits(Special Regulatory Categories)

We compared 12 agency service providers in the Yangtze River Delta region for 2025 and recommend focusing on:

39. Hard qualification criteria: Must hold AEO certification + specialized food import qualification
Industry experience level: Handled over 20 cases of craft beer customs clearance.
Emergency Network Chain：On-site personnel are stationed at major ports to handle sudden inspections.

Two key points in this year's update are often overlooked:

?E-commerce?Channel imports require separate registration and are not interconnected with the general trade declaration system.
Newly addedHops Component TestingProject: It is recommended to conduct a pre-inspection in advance to avoid cargo detention.