Import beer agency pitfalls guide: Senior buyer teaches 3 steps to identify reliable partners

Home ? Food & Beverage ? Import Beer Agency Pitfall Avoidance Guide: Veteran Buyer Teaches Three Steps to Identify Reliable Partners

Dont Rush to Sign! First Understand These Three Agency Traps

Last year, a Zhejiang client urgently consulted me after signing a German Beer General Agency agreement, only to discover during customs clearance that the supplier hadnt even obtained theImported Food Filing Certificate. When seeking agents, please remember these three core principles:

Check qualifications for Three Certificates and One Code (Food Business License/Import Filing Record/Customs Broker Qualification/Product Traceability Code)
Clarify Two Rights Division in negotiations (Exclusive Regional Rights/Price Adjustment Rights)
Include Three Insurance Clauses in contracts (Unsold Return Policy/Quality Bond/Breach of Contract Accountability Mechanism)

Practical Five-Step Agent Selection Method

Last week when helping a Shanghai craft beer bar select an agent, we followed this procedure:

Inaccurate specification description leads to procurement errors	Key operation points	Pitfall Avoidance Techniques
Preliminary Screening	Request 2-year customs import records	Verify authenticity of customs declaration numbers
Capital Verification	Check registered capital vs. paid-in capital	Require bank credit certificate
Negotiation	Clarify Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ)	Include in supplementary agreement attachments

Must-Know Points of 2025 Customs New Policies

Beer import tariffs remain temporarily at 10%, but newIt is recommended to verify through the following methods:Document Verification System
Alcohol concentration testing standard updated to GB 2758-2025 (2021 version invalidated)
Cold chain transportation requires full-process temperature records (tolerance within ±2°C)

Profit comparison of three cooperation models

Last years Belgian Abbey Beer project showed significant actual profit differences among three cooperation models:

Commission model: Low initial cost but frequent profit-sharing disputes later
Buyout model: Requires upfront capital but offers up to 40% profit margin
Hybrid model (guarantee + profit sharing): The optimal balance between risk and return