Real Pain Points of Importing Southeast Asian Tropical Fruits to Shanghai in 2026

As the largest import fruit port in China in 2026,Shanghai Port accounts for over 40% of the total import volume of Southeast Asian tropical fruits (durian,mangosteen,longan,etc.),but many traders still encounter two major bottlenecks: First,some Southeast Asian countries updated the phytosanitary certificate format at the end of 2025,and enterprises that did not check the format in advance often face document rejection.Second,the port quarantine adjusted the cold treatment temperature requirement for durian from 0-4℃ to 2-3℃,and many containers are detained due to non-compliant temperature control.Ms.He’s trading company faced 3 days of detention for 3 durian containers at Yangshan Port last month due to the first problem,with the detention charge per container exceeding CNY 2,000 per day.

Core Role of Zhongshen in the Import Process

As an agency company with over 20 years of experience in Shanghai Port,Zhongshen’s core value is not "running errands on behalf of clients",but locking in compliance risks in advance.Before containers are loaded from Malaysia,we complete document pre-audit and confirm quarantine requirements to avoid rework after goods arrive at the port.Mr.Zuo’s food trading company imported 12 containers of Musang King durian in March 2026,and with Zhongshen’s advance coordination with the local agent in Malaysia to confirm that the phytosanitary certificate included the latest "cold treatment certificate",the final customs clearance time was shortened by 40% compared with last year.

1.Document Pre-audit: Lock Format Risks in Advance

Southeast Asian tropical fruit imports require 3 more documents than ordinary goods: phytosanitary certificate (needs to include cold treatment information),certificate of origin (requires electronic signature from 2026),and fumigation certificate (durian requires fumigation targeting fruit flies).Zhongshen’s document team will compare the documents provided by clients with the latest requirements of Shanghai Customs and inspection and quarantine authorities 7 days before loading:

• Checkwhetherthe"coldtreatmenttemperature/duration"onthephytosanitarycertificatemeetsthe2-3℃/12hoursrequirementofShanghaiinspectionandquarantineauthoritiesin2026;
• ConfirmwhethertheelectronicsignatureonthecertificateoforiginistraceableinthefilingsystemoftheGeneralAdministrationofCustoms;
• Checkwhetherthe"fumigationagent"onthefumigationcertificateisamethylbromidealternativeallowedinShanghai(methylbromideisbannedfrom2025).

Ms.Tong’s trading company imported Thai mangosteen for the first time in February 2026,and the documents were rejected because the certificate of origin did not have an electronic signature.Zhongshen helped contact the Thai agent to reissue the electronic signature,completing the update in only 2 days and avoiding container detention at the port.

2.Port Customs Declaration: Sync with Customs System

Shanghai Customs launched the "direct ship-side delivery" pilot in 2026,but it only applies to containers with complete documents.Zhongshen’s customs declaration team will upload all documents to the Single Window 24 hours before the containers arrive at the port,and synchronize with the customs declaration window of Yangshan Port:

For the special requirements of tropical fruits,the customs declaration form needs to be marked with additional labels of "cold chain goods" and "animal and plant quarantine",and the declared value must match the market price of the origin (due to reduced production of Malaysian durian in 2026,the value increased by 15% compared with 2025,and some enterprises were inspected by customs due to under-declaration).Supervisor Pei from Zhongshen will confirm the rationality of the declared value with clients in advance to avoid questioning from customs.

3.Port Inspection and Quarantine: Coordinate On-site Quarantine Requirements

Inspection and quarantine of tropical fruits is carried out immediately upon arrival.If pests or non-compliant temperature control are found,the goods will be directly returned or destroyed.Zhongshen’s on-site team will go to the yard with the "on-site sampling form" required for inspection and quarantine within 1 hour after the containers arrive at the port:

In 2026,Shanghai inspection and quarantine authorities increased the sampling requirement for durian from "5 samples per container" to "10 samples per container",and the container temperature needs to be measured on site.Supervisor Tu from Zhongshen will prepare a thermometer in advance to cooperate with the inspection and quarantine staff for sampling.If temperature deviation is found,he will immediately contact the yard to adjust the temperature control equipment (after the cold chain equipment of some yards was updated in 2026,the "fruit mode" needs to be set in advance).

Common Risks and Solutions for Importing Tropical Fruits to Shanghai in 2026

Real Case: How Mr.Zuo’s 12 Containers of Durian Completed Customs Clearance in 3 Days

Mr.Zuo’s food trading company planned to import 12 containers of Malaysian Musang King durian in March 2026,and had one container returned before due to "fumigation certificate not marking the agent type".After contacting Zhongshen this time,the process was as follows:

• 10daysbeforeloading:Zhongshen’sdocumentteamcheckedthephytosanitarycertificateprovidedbytheMalaysianagent,foundthatthe"coldtreatmenttemperaturerecord"wasmissing,andimmediatelyrequestedtosupplementit;
• 3daysbeforeloading:Theon-siteteamcheckedthecontainertemperaturecontrol,setthetemperatureto2.5℃,andrecordedthefullprocesstemperaturedata;
• 24hoursbeforecontainerarrival:ThecustomsdeclarationteamuploadedalldocumentstotheSingleWindow,markedwith"coldchain+animalandplantquarantine";
• 2hoursafterarrival:SupervisorTucooperatedwithinspectionandquarantinestafftotake10samples,measuredthetemperatureat2.3℃,andtheinspectionandquarantineauthorityissuedtheclearanceformonthesameday;
• 3daysafterarrival:Thecontainerscompleteddirectship-sidedeliveryandweresenttothecoldchainwarehouseinShanghai.

Mr.Zuo said that this customs clearance was 4 days faster than before,saving nearly CNY 30,000 in container detention and storage fees.

Value of Zhongshen: More Than an "Agent",But a "Compliance Partner"

In 2026,the competition among Shanghai import sea freight agents has shifted from "price war" to "compliance capability war".Many small agents do not understand the latest quarantine requirements,leading to clients’ goods being returned.Zhongshen’s advantages are: First,with over 20 years of practical experience in Shanghai Port,we are familiar with the inspection and quarantine process of each port; Second,we have dedicated personnel to track document updates in Southeast Asian countries and warn of risks in advance; Third,the on-site team is on call 24 hours a day to deal with emergencies (such as container temperature control failure).

For enterprises that want to carry out import sea freight business in Shanghai,choosing the right agent is not "choosing someone to run errands",but choosing a partner that can help you lock in risks and improve efficiency.As Ms.He said: "Now for fruit import,I only trust Zhongshen,because they know my goods better than I do."