Realogistics Successfully Cleared 35 Containers of Russian Sunflower Oil in 3 Days

Recently, Realogistics successfully executed a large-scale ocean freight import customs clearance project for food products. Faced with the demands of high-volume and strictly regulated food imports, the Realogistics team successfully fulfilled the client's requirements by leveraging our extensive operational expertise and proactive risk management system.

1. Project Period

December 2025

2. Project Scope

Providing end-to-end customs clearance services for the general trade import of food products. The client's core requirements: rapid customs clearance, zero rectification, zero delay, and strictly compliant declaration, ensuring the cargo could be warehoused and put on shelves as quickly as possible.

3. Cargo Information

• Commodity: Refined sunflower oil from Russia (Food Grade)

• Volume: 35 × 20GP (Large-volume FCL ocean freight)

4. Transportation Mode

Ocean Freight FCL (Full Container Load) Import

5. Shipping Route

Major ports in Russia —— Domestic ports in China

6. Operational Characteristics & Key Challenges

This project involved a substantial volume (35 FCLs) and was subject to stringent customs supervision for food imports. Even a minor error could result in exorbitant demurrage charges. The operation primarily faced the following four major challenges:

• High qualification thresholds: It was imperative to ensure that both the domestic consignee's food record-filing and the overseas manufacturer's registration in China were complete and valid. No link in the qualification chain could be missing.

• Low tolerance for documentation errors: Over a dozen documents were involved, including contracts, packing lists, certificates of origin, sanitary/health certificates, and comprehensive test reports. Strict consistency and accuracy across all documents ("single-to-single conformity") were mandatory.

• Strict national standard compliance: The Chinese labels (ingredients, nutritional facts, etc.) had to fully comply with the National Food Safety Standard - General Standard for the Labeling of Prepackaged Foods (GB 7718). Furthermore, core physicochemical indicators in the test reports, such as acid value and peroxide value, had to match national standards item by item; failure to comply would risk rejection and return of the shipment.

• Complex HS classification: The precise HS code classification of sunflower oil directly impacts the tariff rate and inspection probability, requiring an extremely high level of professional expertise from the operation team.

7. Realogistics' Solutions & Achievements

In response to these difficulties, the Realogistics team abandoned the traditional "process upon arrival" approach, adopting a core strategy of "Proactive Risk Management + Full-Process Collaboration" :

• Pre-arrival: Comprehensive Pre-review and Risk Elimination One to two weeks before the cargo arrived, Realogistics' professional food clearance team intervened. We completed two-way verification of both the importer's and exporter's qualifications and conducted a word-by-word review of the complex document set. Simultaneously, we pre-audited the layout of the Chinese labels, compared the test reports against national standards, and precisely locked down the product's HS code. Through this preliminary review, over 90% of potential clearance risks were eliminated at the source.

• Post-arrival: Dual-track Processing for Rapid Clearance Upon arrival, leveraging the solid preparatory work, inspection application and customs declaration proceeded highly efficiently on parallel tracks. Faced with customs system reviews and routine physical inspections, our operation team responded rapidly with seamless coordination, minimizing pending review and port stay times to the greatest extent.

Final Achievements: The entire batch of 35 containers completed customs clearance and release within just 3 working days after arrival (significantly faster than the food industry average of 5-7 days). The entire process achieved zero label rectification, zero failed test reports, and zero classification disputes, truly realizing "Zero Rectification, Zero Delay." This saved the client substantial logistics costs and won them precious time for market sales.

Leave professional matters to professional teams. Realogistics continues to provide you with secure, efficient, and compliant one-stop supply chain services.

Contact Realogistics today for a quick quote!

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Email: tony.wu_hkg@realogistics.net

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Realogistics International Group Co., Ltd. Established in 2012 in Hong Kong.