Mooncakes International Shipping: The Simplified Complete Guide

The tradition of exchanging mooncakes has deep roots in celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival. Individuals and companies alike send mooncake packages as a gesture of goodwill to friends, family, and business associates.

Whether you're an individual shipper or an eCommerce seller, sending mooncakes across borders can be challenging due to the nature of this product. Aside from the stringent foodstuff regulations imposed by customs, packaging and temperature control measures are 2 other factors you need to take into account.

To simplify matters for you, we've compiled a checklist of five essential tasks to assist you in preparing your mooncake shipment for a seamless journey.

Check The Regulations Of The Country You Are Shipping Your Mooncakes

First, identify the restriction rules and overall import requirements for foodstuffs in the importing country. Then, review the ingredients listed on your mooncake's commercial food label to ensure they comply with the regulations of the importing country.

Foodstuff shipment regulations vary from country to country. Refer to the list below to identify items that are universally prohibited when shipping mooncakes from Malaysia to these common import destinations.

Mooncake Ingredient Restrictions by Country

Country/ Region	Restriction Details
Australia	Mooncakes cannot contain meat, poultry or egg
New Zealand	Mooncakes made with egg or honey are banned
US	Mooncakes cannot contain meat, poultry or egg Food items imported into the US must require prior approval from the Food Drug Administration
Canada	Mooncakes cannot contain meat, poultry or egg
United Kingdom	The sell-by-dates of the mooncakes cannot exceed a month
Japan	Packages must be labelled with a detailed list of ingredients The sell-by-dates of the mooncakes cannot exceed a month and must be listed clearly Relevant documents such as hygiene to accompany the shipment
Europe	Mooncakes cannot contain any type of nuts
China	Mooncakes cannot contain eggs Mooncakes intended for reselling need to register for a Chinese label at the customs. The paperwork needed includes: A sanitary certificate from the origin country A certificate of origin A sales contract The original label and its Chinese translation
Taiwan	Mooncakes made in China cannot be imported into Taiwan. However, the mooncakes can be imported if they fulfil the following conditions: Mooncakes cannot contain any meat FDA approved Weigh less than 6kg
Hong Kong	An import licence is needed for mooncakes containing eggs or egg products
Singapore	An import licence is required from the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) for the resale of mooncakes in Singapore. No import licence is required for personal consumption. The weight limit for each mooncake shipment is less than 5kg.

Check The Shelf Life Of Your Mooncakes

While mooncakes are not as highly perishable as fresh food, they are still considered a perishable item. Therefore, it's crucial for you to check their shelf life to ensure your gift arrives in the best possible condition.

In this regard, it's advisable to choose mooncakes with an expiry date of at least one month from your shipping date, considering the shipping duration and potential delays in customs clearance.

Check The Packaging Of Your Mooncakes

A damaged package is the last thing you want for shipment, especially when it’s a gift.

To ensure your mooncake shipments stay intact, there are 3 criteria you should fulfilled:

Select the appropriate size for your shipping package. The ideal shipping box should still have about 6 cm of extra space available after you've placed the mooncake package inside.
Ensure your shipment is packed correctly. If you adhere to the first rule, you'll have some extra room in your shipping box. Fill this space with cushioning materials such as air pillows, bubble wrap, biodegradable packing peanuts, or custom corrugated inserts.

Attach handling labels to the shipment box. Labels like 'Keep Dry' and 'Fragile' indicate the fragile nature of the item and will help ensure that the courier handles your shipment with extra care.

Check You Have All The Documents For Shipment

Customs clearance is particularly strict for foodstuff shipment. To guarantee a swift processing and prompt clearance for your mooncake shipment, ensure you have these requisite customs clearance documents ready:

Customs Declaration Form
Commercial Invoice
Bill of Lading
Packing List
Certificate of Origin

Additionally, verify whether the destination country of your shipment requires supplementary approvals. For instance, United States customs mandates FDA approval documentation for all mooncake shipments.

Failure to furnish the required documents to customs officials may result in your mooncakes being held or disposed of by customs.

Check The Delivery Options For Your Mooncakes

Lastly, always choose an experienced and reliable courier when shipping temperature-sensitive foodstuff, especially during a time crunch. This not only spares you from stress and hassle but, most importantly, ensures that your recipients and customers receive the package with delight.

Here are a few important criteria to keep in mind as you choose your courier:

Delivery time
Customs clearance proficiency
Track record for foodstuff shipment
Facility infrastructure

You should now have the confidence to properly prepare your mooncake package for international shipping. However, if you still have doubts, we can help.

Day in, day out, we assist small businesses from the food and beverage sector with customs clearance, document preparation, and shipment packaging. Our track record of over 50 years, combined with our robust infrastructure, enables us to expedite clearance and shipping processes for our customers.

Open an account with DHL and let us take this burden off your shoulders.

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