In mid-2026, the field of foreign trade will usher in a period of intensive adjustment of regulatory policies. A number of new regulations covering the entire import and export link will be officially implemented on June 1, involving multiple dimensions such as random inspection of general commodities, customs clearance of bilateral trade between China and Mongolia, and management of overseas entities of imported food. It is directly related to the compliance costs, customs clearance efficiency and market competitiveness of the majority of import and export enterprises.
1. Customs will conduct random checks and inspections on new imported and exported commodities, and the scope of supervision will be further expanded
According to the requirements of Announcement No. 57 of 2026 of the General Administration of Customs, starting from June 1, the customs will conduct random inspections of imported and exported commodities other than statutory inspections. Some ordinary imported and exported commodities that were previously relatively loosely supervised have now been included in the scope of random inspections.
The expansion of the scope of spot inspections is not to increase customs clearance barriers, but to further standardize the import and export market order, prevent the entry and exit of substandard goods, and maintain the overall reputation of China’s foreign trade commodities.
Foreign trade companies need to conduct self-inspections as soon as possible against the scope of goods specified in the new plan, comprehensively standardize product quality, packaging labels and customs clearance documents, and prepare random inspection response plans in advance to avoid random inspections affecting normal customs clearance schedules.
2. China and Mongolia AEO customs mutual recognition has been officially implemented, and the efficiency of bilateral trade customs clearance has been greatly improved
The mutual recognition arrangement for AEO enterprises between China and Mongolia has officially come into effect on June 1, bringing real customs clearance dividends to high-quality enterprises carrying out bilateral trade between China and Mongolia.
In recent years, the scale of bilateral trade between China and Mongolia has continued to increase, and the import and export volumes of energy, agricultural products, light industrial products and other categories have increased year by year. After the implementation of AEO mutual recognition, companies that have obtained AEO qualifications can shorten customs clearance time by up to 40% and cargo inspection rates by 60%, which can significantly reduce cross-border logistics costs for companies and improve supply chain turnover efficiency.
It is recommended that companies that carry out trade between China and Mongolia all year round should improve their internal management according to the AEO certification requirements as soon as possible, and obtain the qualifications as soon as possible to enjoy the policy dividends.
3. New regulations for the registration of overseas manufacturers of imported food have been implemented, and the compliance process has been greatly simplified
The new version of the “Customs Regulations on the Registration and Management of Overseas Production Enterprises of Imported Food” was also officially implemented in June. The core of the new regulations includes three optimizations: First, implement risk classification differentiated management, and the registration review process for low-risk food categories is greatly shortened; second, list-based batch registration is implemented, and production companies of the same category in the same country or region can submit registration applications in batches without the need to review them one by one; third, an automatic extension mechanism for registration validity period is added, and enterprises that meet the requirements can automatically extend the registration validity period without repeatedly submitting extension applications.
The new regulations have significantly reduced the compliance costs of imported food companies and will further enrich the supply of imported food in the domestic consumer market. Relevant companies need to adapt to the new registration and review rules in a timely manner and sort out the qualifications of overseas suppliers in advance to avoid affecting the development of subsequent import business.
Recommendations for foreign trade companies
In response to this intensive implementation of new regulations, the majority of import and export companies can respond in four aspects: First, comprehensively carry out product quality self-inspections to ensure that the goods themselves, packaging, and labels comply with the regulatory requirements of China and the destination country, especially the recently added environmentally friendly packaging and ingredient labeling requirements in some countries. The second is to improve the management of customs clearance documents, and classify and organize customs declarations, certificates of origin, inspection and quarantine of goods that may be randomly inspected in advance.
Certificates and other relevant documents should be readily available; third, qualified companies should apply for AEO certification as soon as possible. At present, China has signed AEO mutual recognition agreements with dozens of countries and regions around the world. Certificate-holding companies can enjoy multiple benefits such as priority customs clearance and reduced inspection rates in the entire link; fourth, continue to pay attention to subsequent official announcements. Foreign trade policies in multiple sub-sectors will be released in June, and make plans in advance to avoid policy changes that affect normal operations.
