How Deep is the Water When Declaring Imported Mineral Water?

Mr. Duan, working overtime late at night, received mineral water samples from a French client. The clear and refreshing taste made him decide to import it immediately. However, when he saw the dense quarantine requirements on the customs declaration form, he realized that the depth of imported mineral water could drown people—from source certificates to Chinese labels, from tariff calculations to cold chain transportation, every step could make your import plan "go down the drain."

Three Hidden Thresholds for Mineral Water Import

Unlike ordinary food imports, mineral water customs declaration has a special "triple filtration" mechanism:

• Source Qualification Filtration: A sanitary certificate issued by the official authority of the water source is required. For some countries, it also needs to be filed with the General Administration of Customs of China.
• Ingredient Standard Filtration: Fluoride content must not exceed 1.0mg/L. If strontium content exceeds 5mg/L, it must be labeled "not suitable for infants and young children."
• Packaging Label Filtration: The Chinese label must include the words "Drinking Natural Mineral Water" and the range of total dissolved solids content.

Five Key Steps in the Customs Clearance Process

Mr. Duan, a senior customs declarer at Zhongmaoda, revealed that successful customs clearance requires layer-by-layer purification, much like mineral water filtration:

• Step 1: Confirm whether the water source is within the list of countries that meet the assessment and review requirements of the General Administration of Customs.
• Step 2: Take samples for inspection to obtain the import food hygiene certificate.
• Step 3: Pre-audit of Chinese labels (common errors: pH value or sodium content not declared).
• Step 4: Differentiate between carbonated/non-carbonated types during declaration (tariff difference of 5%).
• Step 5: Maintain a temperature of 4-25℃ throughout the cold chain transportation and keep records.

These "Minerals" May Cost You Dearly

In 2023, a batch of Italian mineral water was returned entirely due to exceeding the bromate limit, resulting in losses of over 200,000 yuan for freight and testing fees for the owner. More hidden risks include:

• Natural mineral water is subject to a 13% VAT (distilled water is only 9%).
• Vibrations during transportation may cause carbonated mineral water bottle caps to leak.
• Improperly affixed Chinese labels can directly lead to rectification at the port (daily warehousing fees starting from 500 yuan).

Your Import Plan Needs "Customized Filtration"

When you receive a source certificate from a German supplier, ask yourself three questions:

• Is the water source in the whitelist updated by the General Administration of Customs to 2024?
• Is the product's TDS value (total dissolved solids) within the mandatory labeling range for Chinese labels?
• Have you reserved at least 15 working days to cope with possible ingredient re-inspections?

Leave your most pressing customs declaration questions in the comments section now, and Zhongmaoda experts will select 3 typical questions to create an e-book guide for avoiding pitfalls in mineral water import.