When Blue Sister Beer meets Chinese dining tables

As a veteran driver with twenty years of experience in beer imports, Ive witnessed too many pitfalls agents encounter when importing European craft beers. Today, well use Spanish Lambic beer as an example to discuss those invisible risk control points not shown on customs declarations.

Import qualifications ≠ market pass

Many agents assume obtaining(Apply 30 days in advance)andalcohol distribution recordmeans everything is settled, when in fact this is just the basic requirement:

• SpainIt is recommended to verify through the following methods:certificate must include grape cultivation region codes
• Alcohol content labeling must comply with both EU and GB standards
• Chinese back labels require 6-week advance submission for customs pre-classification

Last year a client suffered over ￥200,000 direct losses due to unlabeledpotassium metabisulfite contentresulting in entire container detention at port.

Devil in the transportation details

Seemingly simpleMaritime Transportationplans actually conceal complexities:

Special reminder: Unique to Lambic beerSecondary fermentation processRequires maintaining a constant temperature of 12-15°C throughout transportation. Ordinary container shipping may cause pressure changes in bottles leading to explosions.

The precision scalpel of market positioning

Based on data from 37 beer importers weve served, successful cases share these common factors:

• Channel selection:
  • Distribution coverage in premium catering channels >60%
  • E-commerce platforms primarily promote limited-edition combo packs
• Pricing strategy:
  • Retain original Spanish pricing (e.g. €9.99≈￥79)
  • Introduce recyclable bottle deposit system during festive seasons

A real customs clearance case study

In early 2025, an East China distributor encountered difficulties importing Lambics spring limited edition:

• Customs required submission ofMalt variety traceability certificate
• Bottle embossment involved geographical indication protection

We resolved this by retrieving the brewerys archived1920 original recipe, coordinated with Spains Ministry of Agriculture to issueTraditional craftsmanship certification, ultimately achieving penalty-free fast clearance. This case proves professional matters require professional handling.

Beer importing is never simple trading, but requires establishingEnd-to-end control systemWhen you hold the agency rights for Lambic beer, remember to find a partner who understands HS codes better than you, is clearer about transportation risks, and knows more about consumer markets—this is the most reliable yeast for business success.