Paths and Methods for Foreign Enterprises' Sugar to Enter China

​​​​​​​China is the world's largest consumer and importer of sugar. In 2024, the scale of China's sugar market reached 158 billion yuan, of which the imported sugar market was 48 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 3.2%. Imported sugar mainly covers four categories: raw sugar (mainly used for domestic refining and processing), white granulated sugar (directly consumed and used as raw material for food processing), soft sugar (focusing on catering and household consumption), and specialty sugars (such as maple syrup, coconut sugar, erythritol, etc., suitable for high-end food processing and niche consumption scenarios). The 2024 import data of sub-categories shows: raw sugar import value of 32 billion yuan (accounting for 66.7%), white granulated sugar 12 billion yuan (25%), specialty sugars 3.5 billion yuan (7.3%), and soft sugar 500 million yuan (1%); the core importing countries are Brazil, Thailand, India (for raw sugar and white granulated sugar), Canada, the United States (for maple syrup), Indonesia, and the Philippines (for coconut sugar).

 

Foreign enterprises importing sugar into China must strictly comply with regulations such as the Food Safety Law, the Measures for the Administration of Food Safety for Import and Export, the National Food Safety Standard General Rules for the Labeling of Prepackaged Foods (GB 7718), and the National Food Safety Standard for Sugar (GB 13104-2014). At the same time, they need to adapt to differentiated regulatory requirements for different types of sugar (such as restrictions on the processing purpose of raw sugar and specifications for ingredient labeling of specialty sugars) and break through multiple barriers including import quotas, inspection and quarantine, tariff collection and administration, and warehousing and transportation. This report focuses on dissecting the core paths, differentiated requirements and details for different types of sugar to enter China, clarifying official policy inquiry channels, elaborating on public and private domain market operation strategies, and illustrating the key value of cooperating with chinaentryhub.com China Market Access Service Center in solving compliance challenges and improving the efficiency of entering China.

 

I. Core Characteristics of Different Types of Sugar and Core Differentiated Requirements for Entry into China

Due to differences in production processes, physical and chemical properties, and uses, different types of sugar have significant differences in compliance priorities, inspection standards, transportation and warehousing requirements, and labeling specifications for entering China, which are the basic prerequisites that foreign enterprises must first clarify.

 

Category	Core Characteristics	Core Differentiated Requirements for Entry into China	Key Attention to Details
Raw Sugar (Crude Sugar)	Low purity (usually 96%-99%), high impurity content, needs refining before consumption, easy to store, and low transportation requirements	1. Subject to import quota management (China implements tariff quota management on sugar; the 2024 import quota is 1.945 million tons), with a tariff rate of 15% within the quota and 50% outside the quota; 2. Overseas production enterprises must complete registration with the General Administration of Customs; 3. Inspection focuses on indicators such as sucrose content, reducing sugar content, impurities, and color value	Must be clearly marked as "For Processing Only" and prohibited from directly flowing into the consumer market; the quota acquisition status must be confirmed before import, and imports without a quota will face high tariffs or return
White Granulated Sugar	High purity (≥99.5%), uniform particles, wide range of uses (food processing, catering, household consumption), easy to absorb moisture and agglomerate	1. Also subject to import quota management; 2. Inspection must comply with GB 13104-2014 standard, focusing on the detection of sulfur dioxide residue (≤0.1g/kg) and heavy metals (lead ≤0.5mg/kg); 3. Transportation and warehousing must be moisture-proof, well-ventilated, and light-proof	Labels must indicate the grade (superior grade, first grade); if used for food processing and export, relevant tax rebate filing procedures must be completed in advance
Soft Sugar	Soft texture, higher sweetness than white granulated sugar, easy to absorb moisture and agglomerate, short shelf life (usually 6-12 months)	1. Subject to import quota management; 2. Inspection focuses on moisture content (≤0.8%) and electrical conductivity ash; 3. Sealed and moisture-proof packaging must be used, and the humidity during transportation and warehousing must be controlled (≤60%)	Labels must clearly indicate the shelf life and storage conditions; after import, it needs to be quickly circulated to avoid deterioration due to long-term storage
Specialty Sugars (Maple Syrup, Coconut Sugar, Erythritol, etc.)	Diverse categories with significant differences in characteristics (maple syrup is viscous, coconut sugar is easy to agglomerate, erythritol is low-calorie), mostly for high-end or functional purposes, and some require cold chain preservation	1. Some specialty sugars (such as erythritol) are not subject to quota management, and tariffs are levied as general food (10%-15%); 2. Product ingredient testing reports must be provided to clarify the basis for functional claims; 3. Viscous products such as maple syrup need to control the transportation temperature (5-25℃) to avoid freezing or deterioration	Claims for functional specialty sugars (such as low glycemic index, zero calorie) must comply with China's National Food Safety Standard General Rules for Nutrition Labeling of Prepackaged Foods (GB 28050), and false claims are prohibited; the product classification must be confirmed before import to avoid misjudgment of quota attributes

 

II. Core Paths and Differentiated Practical Specifications for Different Types of Sugar to Enter China

The core paths for foreign enterprises to import sugar into China include general trade import (mainstream path, suitable for all categories), joint venture/wholly-owned construction of refining/production bases (suitable for in-depth localization of raw sugar and white granulated sugar), and cross-border e-commerce direct supply (suitable for high-end specialty sugars). The adaptability and practical details of different paths need to be accurately selected based on the characteristics of sugar types and enterprise strategies.

 

(I) General Trade Import: Mainstream Bulk Path, Suitable for Large-Scale Entry of All Types of Sugar

General trade import is the mainstream way for foreign enterprises to import sugar into China, especially suitable for standardized bulk products such as raw sugar (domestic refining and processing needs) and white granulated sugar (mass consumption and food processing raw materials), and can also be used for the import of soft sugar and specialty sugars. The advantages of this path are mature trade processes, wide market coverage, and nationwide distribution. However, it is necessary to strictly complete processes such as quota application, compliance inspection, and customs clearance declaration. Raw sugar and white granulated sugar are also subject to quota quantity restrictions.

 

1. General Practical Process

• Preliminary Preparation: Confirm that the overseas production enterprise has completed registration with the General Administration of Customs; raw sugar and white granulated sugar need to apply for import quotas in advance (apply to the Ministry of Commerce or its authorized institutions); domestic importers complete filing and obtain food business licenses; verify that the products meet the national standard requirements of the corresponding categories.

• Document and Label Preparation: Prepare complete documents such as the official health certificate of the exporting country/region, certificate of origin, trade contract, bill of lading, packing list, and product testing report (sucrose content, sulfur dioxide residue, heavy metals, etc.); labels must comply with GB 7718 and GB 13104-2014 requirements, clearly indicating the product name, country of origin, importer information, net content, grade (for white granulated sugar), shelf life (for soft sugar and specialty sugars), storage conditions, and raw sugar must be marked as "For Processing Only".

• Transportation and Warehousing: Raw sugar and white granulated sugar are transported by containers with moisture-proof protection; soft sugar and specialty sugars need to use sealed and moisture-proof packaging, the storage humidity of soft sugar is controlled at ≤60%, and the transportation temperature of maple syrup and other products needs to be controlled; after arrival at the port, the goods are stored in compliant warehousing facilities, and batch management is done well.

• Customs Clearance and Inspection: After the goods arrive, the customs conducts document review (focusing on verifying the quota certificate), label verification, on-site inspection, and sampling testing; completes the declaration of tariffs (difference between within and outside the quota) and value-added tax (13%); issues the Inspection and Quarantine Certificate for Inbound Goods after qualification assessment before the goods can circulate.

 

2. Category-Specific Practical Details

• Raw Sugar: The quota certificate must be submitted during customs clearance, the processing purpose must be clarified, and the customs will track the processing flow; the inspection focuses on sucrose content (≥96%) and impurities (≤0.5%), and unqualified raw sugar must be refined to meet the standards before use.

• White Granulated Sugar: The inspection needs to additionally verify the sulfur dioxide residue. If used for infant food processing, it must comply with stricter limits (≤0.05g/kg); the grade marking on the label must be consistent with the test results, and false grade marking is prohibited.

• Soft Sugar: A moisture content testing report must be provided. After customs clearance, it needs to be quickly delivered to the terminal to avoid exceeding the shelf life during storage; the packaging must be marked with "Consume as Soon as Possible After Opening".

• Specialty Sugars: For non-quota categories, the classification and tariff rate must be confirmed with the customs in advance; functional claims must provide corresponding testing reports or certification materials, and the label must indicate the nutrition facts table; viscous products such as maple syrup must provide temperature control records.

 

3. Case and Data Support

Case 1 (Raw Sugar): Cosan, Brazil's largest sugar group, exports raw sugar to China through general trade import. In 2024, it successfully obtained a Chinese import quota of 80,000 tons, with a tariff rate of 15% applied. It exported a total of 120,000 tons of raw sugar to China throughout the year (including some imports outside the quota), with sales reaching 480 million yuan. The imported raw sugar is mainly supplied to large domestic refineries. Case 2 (Specialty Sugars): Canadian maple syrup brand Maple Treat entered China through general trade import, with labels clearly marked "100% Pure Maple Syrup" and the nutrition facts table. Its sales in China reached 120 million yuan in 2024, mainly supplying high-end catering and baking enterprises. Data shows that in 2024, the sugar imported by China through general trade accounted for 92% of the total imports, of which raw sugar accounted for 75%, white granulated sugar 20%, specialty sugars 4%, and soft sugar 1%; sugar imports within the quota accounted for 68% of the total imports, and imports outside the quota accounted for a relatively low proportion due to high tariffs.

 

4. Cooperative Empowerment Value

chinaentryhub.com can provide full-process differentiated compliance counseling: assist raw sugar and white granulated sugar enterprises in conducting import quota application counseling, clarify the application process, material list and approval nodes, and improve the success rate of quota acquisition; review the compliance of product testing reports and labels according to the characteristics of different types of sugar, focusing on verifying the "processing purpose" marking of raw sugar, the grade marking of white granulated sugar, and the functional claims of specialty sugars; assist in sorting out the document list, connect with the "Smart Customs" fast inspection channel, and shorten the average customs clearance cycle by more than 35%; counsel on tariff declaration (distinguishing between in-quota and out-of-quota tax rates) and value-added tax deduction processes, and reduce tax risks.

 

(II) Joint Venture/Wholly-Owned Construction of Production Bases: In-Depth Rooting Path, Suitable for Localized Processing of Raw Sugar and White Granulated Sugar

This path is suitable for foreign enterprises with strong financial strength and plans to deeply cultivate the Chinese market for a long time, especially for raw sugar (avoiding quota restrictions and realizing localized refining) and white granulated sugar (reducing import tariffs and transportation costs, and adapting to domestic food processing needs). It can realize the whole-chain localization from raw sugar import and refining to finished product sales, and accurately match the needs of downstream food processing enterprises. However, the initial investment is large, the approval cycle is long, and it is necessary to break through barriers such as land, environmental protection, and food production licenses.

 

1. Core Practical Points

• Policy Compliance Thresholds: The base site selection must avoid ecological protection areas and water source protection areas, supporting construction of wastewater treatment and dust recovery facilities (dust is generated during the refining process) that meet standards, and pass the environmental impact assessment and acceptance by environmental protection departments; the production base must apply for a food production license (SC certification) from the market supervision department and comply with the GB 13104-2014 production hygiene standards; raw sugar refining must comply with the Discharge Standard of Water Pollutants for Sugar Industry (GB 21909-2008).

• Cooperation Model Selection: Joint venture construction can rely on the channel resources, quota resources and market experience of local enterprises (such as COFCO Sugar, Nanning Sugar Industry) to quickly penetrate; wholly-owned construction has complete control rights, but it is necessary to independently build the supply chain and sales network, and quota applications must be handled in the enterprise's own name.

• Raw Material and Process Supervision: Imported raw sugar must meet the requirements of general trade import; the addition of sulfur dioxide during the refining process must be controlled to ensure that the finished white granulated sugar meets the standards; a quality traceability system must be established during the production process, covering the entire link of raw sugar import, refining, and finished product packaging.

 

2. Case Analysis

Mitr Phol, Thailand's largest sugar group, joint-ventured with a Chinese local enterprise to build a raw sugar refining base in Nanning, Guangxi, with an annual refining capacity of 300,000 tons. It imports Brazilian raw sugar for refining and processing, producing superior-grade white granulated sugar to supply domestic food processing enterprises (such as Wahaha and Daliyuan). Relying on the quota resources of local partners, the joint venture obtained a Chinese import quota of 120,000 tons in 2024, with sales of refined white granulated sugar reaching 960 million yuan, accounting for 8% of the market share in Guangxi. Through localized production, the transportation cost after raw sugar import is greatly reduced, and the risk of high tariffs outside the quota is avoided, enabling the products to quickly cover the food processing market in South China and Southwest China.

 

3. Cooperative Empowerment Value

chinaentryhub.com can provide full-cycle consulting services for base construction: assist in conducting policy feasibility analysis, clarify the tax incentives, land policies and industrial subsidies in different regions (such as Guangxi and Yunnan sugar industry parks); connect with high-quality local partner resources to reduce information asymmetry risks in joint venture negotiations; guide the completion of approval processes such as environmental impact assessment and food production license (SC certification), assist in establishing a quality traceability system and production hygiene standards that meet Chinese standards, and shorten the average project preparation cycle by 10-14 months.

 

(III) Cross-Border E-Commerce Direct Supply: Rapid Reach Path, Suitable for High-End Specialty Sugars

This path is suitable for high-end specialty sugars (such as Canadian pure maple syrup, French lavender honey sugar, Japanese erythritol). Relying on bonded warehouse or direct mail mode, it can quickly reach young high-end consumer groups, baking enthusiasts and healthy diet demand groups, without the need to apply for domestic food production licenses. Moreover, most specialty sugars are not subject to quota management, and the process is relatively simple. However, it is limited by factors such as single-order limits (the single limit for personal cross-border e-commerce imports is 5,000 yuan), high transportation costs, and the need for cold chain preservation for some products, making it difficult to achieve large-scale distribution.

 

1. Core Practical Specifications

• Platform Access: Must settle in compliant cross-border e-commerce platforms such as Tmall Global, JD Worldwide, and Kaola Haigou, complete platform qualification review, and submit materials such as overseas production enterprise registration certificates and product testing reports.

• Labels and Documents: Chinese labels can adopt the form of "electronic labels + paper attachments", and the marked content must comply with GB 7718 and GB 13104-2014 requirements, clearly indicating the product name, country of origin, importer information, net content, shelf life, storage conditions. Functional specialty sugars must indicate the nutrition facts table and the basis for claims; prepare complete documents required for bonded warehouse warehousing (certificate of origin, health certificate, testing report, etc.).

• Transportation and Warehousing: Viscous products such as maple syrup need to use cold chain transportation (5-25℃) to control temperature fluctuations during transportation; bonded warehouses need to be stored in separate areas with moisture-proof and light-proof protection. Specialty sugars must be stored separately to avoid mixed contamination with other products.

• Tax Declaration: Declare in accordance with cross-border e-commerce tax policies, with tariffs and value-added tax levied at 70% of the statutory taxable amount, and no need to pay high tariffs outside the quota.

 

2. Case and Data

Canadian maple syrup brand Maple Farmer entered China through JD Worldwide's bonded warehouse mode, directly transporting pure maple syrup from Canada to China's Ningbo Bonded Warehouse. Relying on JD Logistics' temperature-controlled distribution service, it achieves delivery within 48 hours in core cities across the country. In 2024, the brand's cross-border e-commerce channel sales reached 80 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 65%, with a repurchase rate of 42%. The main customer groups are high-end baking enthusiasts and healthy diet groups. Data shows that in 2024, the scale of China's cross-border e-commerce imported specialty sugars reached 680 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 58%, of which maple syrup, erythritol and other categories accounted for more than 70%, becoming an important channel for foreign enterprises to develop the high-end specialty sugar market.

 

3. Cooperative Empowerment Value

chinaentryhub.com can provide full-chain support for cross-border e-commerce: assist in completing platform access qualification review, clarify the classification of specialty sugars and cross-border e-commerce tax policies; optimize the design of electronic labels to ensure compliance with GB 7718 and functional claim specifications; connect with cross-border logistics enterprises with temperature-controlled qualifications to establish a full-chain temperature traceability system of "overseas warehouse - bonded warehouse - consumer"; guide the preparation of documents for bonded warehouse warehousing to avoid warehousing delays caused by incomplete documents.

 

III. Core Policy Inquiry Channels for Foreign Enterprises' Sugar to Enter China (Websites of Relevant Chinese Departments)

Foreign enterprises need to complete preliminary work such as policy inquiry, standard verification, and quota application information understanding related to sugar import through Chinese official websites to avoid compliance risks caused by information asymmetry. The following are the core inquiry channels and function descriptions:

 

1. Relevant Inquiry Platforms of the General Administration of Customs

• Inquiry of Registration Information of Overseas Food Production Enterprises for Imported Food: https://ciferquery.singlewindow.cn/, query the registration status of overseas sugar production enterprises and confirm export qualifications.

• "Food Safety Information Inquiry" on Internet + Customs: https://online.customs.gov.cn/ociswebserver/pages/spaqxxcx/index.html, query the progress of sugar quarantine approval, inspection standards (such as GB 13104-2014), and unqualified notification information.

• Official Website of the Import and Export Food Safety Bureau of the General Administration of Customs: http://www.customs.gov.cn/customs/302249/302266/302267/index.html, query the regulatory policies for imported sugar, label review details, and tariff collection and administration specifications.

 

2. Relevant Inquiry Channels of the State Administration for Market Regulation

• Official Website of the State Administration for Market Regulation (http://www.samr.gov.cn/), query the text of core standards such as the National Food Safety Standard for Sugar (GB 13104-2014), the National Food Safety Standard General Rules for the Labeling of Prepackaged Foods (GB 7718), and the National Food Safety Standard General Rules for Nutrition Labeling of Prepackaged Foods (GB 28050) to ensure product quality and label compliance.

• Official Website of the Department of Food Production and Operation Supervision: http://www.samr.gov.cn/spscjgj/, query the requirements for applying for a food production license (SC certification) and sugar production hygiene standards, providing reference for joint venture/wholly-owned factory construction.

 

3. Relevant Inquiry Channels of the Ministry of Commerce

• Official Website of the Quota License Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Commerce: http://www.qgs.mofcom.gov.cn/, query the sugar import quota management measures, application process, quota quantity announcement and other information, which raw sugar and white granulated sugar import enterprises need to focus on.

• Official Website of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation of the Ministry of Commerce: http://www.caitec.org.cn/, query sugar import tariff policies, cross-border e-commerce policies, and China's sugar market consumption trend data.

 

4. Relevant Inquiry Channels of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs

• Official Website of the Department of Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs: http://nongye.moa.gov.cn/nyb/zt/scpzlaq/index.shtml, query the quality standards and pesticide residue limit requirements of sugar raw materials (sugarcane, sugar beet).

• Data Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs: http://data.moa.gov.cn/, query macro data such as China's sugar output, import volume, and consumption demand to help foreign enterprises grasp market trends.

 

5. Cooperative Empowerment Value

chinaentryhub.com can provide full-process counseling for official inquiries: sort out the core inquiry functions and operation nodes of various department websites, assist foreign enterprises in quickly locating the required information (such as quota application process, sugar inspection standards, label specifications); interpret professional clauses in policy documents (such as quota management rules, cross-border e-commerce tax policies) to avoid access delays caused by deviations in policy understanding; regularly update policy dynamics (such as quota quantity adjustments, standard revisions, tariff changes) and provide targeted response suggestions to ensure that enterprises accurately meet regulatory requirements.

 

IV. Operation Strategies for China's Sugar Public and Private Domain Markets (Scale, Differences and Operation Methods)

Due to differences in target consumer groups and uses, different types of sugar have different adaptability in public and private domain markets. It is necessary to accurately match channel strategies to achieve efficient penetration. In 2024, the scale of China's sugar public domain market reached 145 billion yuan (accounting for 91.8%), which is the core circulation channel; the private domain market scale reached 13 billion yuan (accounting for 8.2%), a year-on-year increase of 45%, becoming the core engine for the growth of high-end specialty sugars.

 

1. Market Scale and Core Differences

 

(1) Scale Data

In 2024, in China's sugar public domain market, direct procurement by food processing enterprises accounted for 65% (main flow direction of raw sugar and white granulated sugar), supermarkets and convenience store chains accounted for 20% (white granulated sugar and soft sugar), and comprehensive e-commerce platforms accounted for 6% (all categories); in the private domain market, high-end catering and baking customization accounted for 45% (specialty sugars and high-end white granulated sugar), community and member channels accounted for 35% (specialty sugars), and direct supply to enterprise customers accounted for 20% (customized specialty sugars). In 2024, the private domain sales of Canadian maple syrup in China accounted for 68%, significantly higher than the public domain share; the private domain sales of white granulated sugar accounted for only 3%, mainly for high-end food processing customization.

 

(2) Core Differences

Comparison Dimension	Public Domain Market	Private Domain Market
Traffic Attribute	Public traffic, fierce competition, requiring payment to obtain (such as platform advertising, channel commissions)	Private traffic, accurate users, repeatable reach, no need for continuous payment
Customer Acquisition Cost	High, with e-commerce platform commissions of 5%-15% and supermarket entry fees accounting for 10%-12%	Low, the core cost is early drainage and content operation, and almost no cost in the repurchase stage
Suitable Categories	Raw sugar (direct procurement by food processing), white granulated sugar (mass consumption, ordinary food processing), soft sugar (household, catering)	Specialty sugars (high-end catering, baking customization, healthy diet), high-end white granulated sugar (customized food processing)
Operation Core	Large-scale distribution, brand exposure, compliance control, strictly following channel/platform rules	User relationship maintenance, precise marketing, personalized customization, independently controlling the operation rhythm
Operation Difficulties	Fierce channel competition, squeezed profit margins, and supply stability affected by quota restrictions	Difficult early drainage, requiring continuous output of professional content, and high user management costs

 

2. Practical Operation Methods (Including Cases)

 

(1) Public Domain Market Operation

• Raw Sugar and White Granulated Sugar: Connect with large domestic food processing enterprises (such as beverage and candy enterprises) to carry out direct procurement cooperation, sign long-term supply agreements, and ensure supply through general trade import; settle in e-commerce platforms such as Tmall and JD.com, open brand flagship stores, and launch small-packaged products for household consumers; cooperate with supermarkets such as Walmart and China Resources Vanguard to realize offline distribution of white granulated sugar and soft sugar. Case: Brazil's Cosan Group signed an annual raw sugar supply agreement with Wahaha, directly supplying 80,000 tons of raw sugar in 2024 with sales reaching 320 million yuan.

• Specialty Sugars: Settle in cross-border e-commerce platforms such as Tmall Global and JD Worldwide, and carry out "live streaming with goods" (such as baking tutorials with maple syrup sales); cooperate with high-end supermarkets (Ole', BLT) to set up specialty sugar zones to attract high-end consumer groups. Case: A French lavender honey sugar brand achieved public domain sales of 30 million yuan in 2024 through live streaming with goods on Tmall Global.

 

(2) Private Domain Market Operation

• High-End Specialty Sugars: Output professional content (such as maple syrup baking tutorials, erythritol healthy diet guides) through Xiaohongshu and Douyin, use "exclusive discount coupons" and "new product tasting" as hooks to guide users to add corporate WeChat or enter communities; establish a user label system (such as consumption capacity, usage preferences), push customized content (such as holiday specialty sugar gift box schemes), and carry out old-user-refer-new-user rebate activities. Case: Canadian Maple Farmer launched "customized maple syrup gift boxes" through private domain communities, achieving private domain sales of 45 million yuan in 2024 with a repurchase rate of 48%.

• High-End White Granulated Sugar Customization: Carry out private domain direct supply for high-end food processing enterprises (such as high-end chocolate and baking brands), provide personalized packaging and customized purity white granulated sugar products, and sign long-term cooperation agreements. Case: The joint venture of Thailand's Mitr Phol Group customized superior-grade white granulated sugar for a high-end chocolate brand, achieving private domain direct supply sales of 12 million yuan in 2024.

 

3. Cooperative Empowerment Value

chinaentryhub.com can provide full-link public and private domain operation support: on the public domain side, assist raw sugar and white granulated sugar enterprises in connecting with large domestic food processing enterprises and supermarket channels, and interpret channel access rules and compliance requirements; assist specialty sugar enterprises in completing cross-border e-commerce platform access and live streaming operation compliance counseling. On the private domain side, design user drainage strategies for specialty sugar enterprises, assist in building corporate WeChat communities and member systems, and formulate personalized customization service schemes; combine the characteristics of different categories to match enterprises with the optimal public-private domain ratio strategy (such as suggesting "public domain drainage + private domain deep cultivation" for specialty sugars, and "public domain direct procurement as the main focus" for raw sugar), helping foreign enterprises quickly open the Chinese market.

 

V. Core Compliance Risks and Cooperative Avoidance Strategies for Sugar to Enter China

The core risks for foreign enterprises to import sugar into China include: quota violations (import of raw sugar and white granulated sugar without quotas), irregular labels (false grade marking, false functional claims, raw sugar not marked for processing purposes), substandard quality (excessive sulfur dioxide residue, excessive heavy metals, excessive moisture), and customs clearance delays caused by incomplete documents. From January to June 2025, customs nationwide intercepted 32 batches of unqualified imported sugar, of which irregular labels accounted for 43%, substandard quality accounted for 38%, and quota violations accounted for 19%.

 

1. Differentiated Risk Avoidance

• Raw Sugar and White Granulated Sugar: chinaentryhub.com assists in conducting quota application counseling, verifies quota qualifications in advance to avoid imports without quotas; guides enterprises to establish quota usage accounts, tracks the processing flow of raw sugar, and avoids quota violation risks.

• Soft Sugar: Assists in conducting pre-testing of indicators such as moisture content and electrical conductivity ash to ensure compliance with national standard requirements; guides enterprises to control storage humidity and formulate rapid circulation plans to avoid expiration and deterioration.

• Specialty Sugars: Comprehensively reviews the compliance of functional claims, assists in providing corresponding testing reports and certification materials; reviews label content to ensure accurate marking of the nutrition facts table and avoid false claims.

 

VI. Summary and Outlook: Differentiated Cooperation Empowers Efficient Entry into China

China's sugar market has stable demand. Under the trend of consumption upgrading, the demand for high-end specialty sugars and functional sugars continues to grow, providing broad opportunities for foreign enterprises to enter China. However, the quota management of raw sugar and white granulated sugar, the strict inspection standards for all categories, and the complex channel layout put forward high requirements for enterprises' compliance capabilities and operational capabilities. The three major paths of general trade, joint venture/wholly-owned, and cross-border e-commerce each have suitable scenarios, which need to be accurately selected based on the characteristics of sugar categories and enterprise strategies; the public and private domain markets need to be coordinated to achieve differentiated penetration.

 

Relying on in-depth interpretation of differentiated regulatory policies for sugar import and full-process practical experience, chinaentryhub.com China Market Access Service Center can provide "category-customized" services: from early quota application and policy inquiry, to mid-term compliance inspection and customs clearance counseling, and then to late-stage channel expansion and public-private domain operation, comprehensively solving the core barriers for sugar to enter China, reducing the average preparation cycle for foreign enterprises to enter China by more than 50%, and significantly reducing compliance risks and market expansion costs.

 

In the future, with the deepening of China's market opening-up, the supervision of sugar import will become more intelligent and refined, and the high-end specialty sugar market will usher in faster growth. Cooperating with chinaentryhub.com can not only achieve "rapid access", but also rely on continuous policy update counseling and market adaptation adjustments to help foreign enterprises realize the transformation from "product entry into China" to "brand rooting", and gain advantages in the highly competitive Chinese sugar market.