When Craft Beer Meets the Customs Code: The Tuition Fees We Paid Over the Years

Last summer, 2000 cases of Vedett beer purchased by an e - commerce platform were detained at Tianjin Port for a full 37 days. The problem was that the HS code differences between 330ml glass - bottled and 500ml canned products were confused during declaration, and the port demurrage alone cost 86,000 yuan. This real - life case reveals that importing beer is far more complicated than just signing a contract - paying the payment - waiting for the goods.

Three Minefields in the Import of Vedett Beer

• Minefield 1: The Time Trap of Certification Documents
  • The validity period of the health certificate provided by the Belgian original factory is only 60 days
  • It is necessary to coordinate the triangular relationship among the production date, shipping date and the validity period of the certificate
• Minefield 2: The Number Game of Tariff Classification
  • Malt concentration exceeding 11% shall be taxed according to distilled liquor
  • The tariff difference between gift - boxed and single - product - packed can reach 14%
• Minefield 3: The Temperature - Control Blind Spot of Cold - Chain Transportation
  • The requirement of 2 - 8℃ constant - temperature transportation shall be written in the remarks column of the bill of lading
  • The standby refrigeration unit must be activated if the transit port exceeds 4 hours

Six Value - Creating Points of Professional Agents

When operating the regular route from Port of Antwerp to Port of Qingdao, we saved 17% of the comprehensive cost for the client through three key actions:

• UtilizeChina-Europe Railway ExpressReturn - trip shipping space to reduce 40% of the land transportation cost
• Consolidate the declaration of three batches of goods to reduce the commodity inspection process by 2 times
• Apply for the RCEP cumulative rules of origin to obtain a 5% tariff reduction

Complete Process Disassembly from Booking Space to Shelving

• Week 1: Document Pre - review Stage
  • Check the matching degree between the filling date and the validity period of the certificate
  • Pre - declare the HS code to obtain classification guidance opinions
• Weeks 2 - 4: Logistics Execution Stage
  • Arrange the pre - cooling of the constant - temperature container hot box for 48 hours
  • Coordinate with the port of destinationTrailerArrange the vehicle waiting for the goods to prioritize container pickup
• Week 5: Customs Clearance and Delivery Phase
  • Adopt the Two - step Declaration to shorten the customs clearance time to 3 hours
  • Utilize the Tariff Guarantee Insurance to release 7 million in cash flow

Three Little - Known Industry Knowledge Points

• Belgian exported beer needs to pay an additional 0.5% cultural tax
• The Chinese back label printing must include the warning Excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to health,
• Canned packaging saves 22% of the unit transportation cost compared to glass bottles

When you see the iconic polar bear icon of Vedett beer next time, please remember that behind it there is a professional operation system that needs to coordinate 12 links, interface with 23 types of documents, and comply with 57 regulations. Choosing a partner who truly understands beer import can allow you to enjoy the deliciousness of craft beer without paying for the bitterness of the process.