Waytron has a long-term and stable relationship with many carriers. With our strong strength, professional team, scientific system and sound network, Waytron can provide our customers with one-stop global logistics services, which are now can be involved in many countries such as USA, Canada, Europe, Australia and southeast Asia, and so on. Waytron can handle FCL, LCL, and special shipments, also providing reliable SOC service and competitive rates for TP trades, especially to USA and Canada inland locations, such as Dallas, El Paso, Portland, Houston, Calgary and Winnipeg.
Waytron Overseas Department is in charge of working with the overseas agents, including D/O, Customs Clearance, Door Delivery and Transshipment to ensure the high-quality services.
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As a business specializing in cross-border sales of dietary supplements—including herbal extracts, vitamin blends, probiotics, and nutritional powders—we face stringent challenges in shipping from China to the U.S. These products, valued for their health benefits, require precise handling to maintain potency: temperature fluctuations degrade active ingredients, moisture compromises powder integrity, and improper storage shortens shelf life. Compounding these challenges are evolving U.S. regulatory restrictions on Chinese dietary supplements, making shipping partner selection critical for compliance and product efficacy. Below is our framework for choosing shipping companies, with specific attention to recent policy changes.
Recent regulatory updates impose strict compliance measures, with violations resulting in shipment seizures, fines, or import bans. These policies directly impact logistics planning:
FDA Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) Requirements: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now mandates that all dietary supplements imported from China meet U.S. cGMP standards (21 CFR Part 111). As of 2024, shipments must include documentation proving the manufacturing facility is registered with the FDA and has passed a compliance inspection within the last 24 months. Facilities on the FDA’s "Import Alert" list face automatic detention.
New Dietary Ingredient (NDI) Notifications: For supplements containing ingredients not marketed in the U.S. before 1994, the FDA requires pre-market NDI notifications with safety data. Chinese manufacturers must submit these 75 days prior to import, with incomplete submissions resulting in shipment holds.
Labeling and Claims Enforcement: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and FDA have intensified scrutiny of supplement labeling, prohibiting "structure/function claims" (e.g., "supports immune health") without proper disclaimers. Labels must include English translations, ingredient quantities, and a FDA-mandated statement: "This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease." Non-compliant labeling triggers immediate detention.
Tariff and Trade Restrictions: The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) maintains tariffs of 10–25% on certain Chinese dietary supplements, particularly those containing herbal extracts. Additionally, products from specific provinces face heightened scrutiny under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), requiring importers to prove no forced labor was used in production.
Our operations focus on two primary scenarios, each demanding shipping partners with specialized capabilities shaped by regulatory compliance needs:
Speed and compliance precision are critical. These shipments involve small to medium batches (typically 500–5,000 units) of consumer-focused supplements, requiring delivery to U.S. FBA or 3PL warehouses within 12–18 days. Key concerns include:
Maintaining ingredient potency through temperature-controlled transit (20–25℃ for most supplements).
Ensuring labels meet FDA and FTC requirements to pass platform inspections.
Avoiding detention by including complete cGMP and NDI documentation.
Shipping partners must balance rapid transit with meticulous documentation and climate-controlled handling.
Cost efficiency and large-scale compliance dominate. Quarterly bulk orders (5,000–50,000 units) for health food chains, pharmacies, and specialty distributors require distribution to regional hubs. Key priorities include:
Minimizing per-unit shipping costs while adhering to UFLPA traceability requirements.
Managing separate inventory streams for products with NDIs vs. standard ingredients.
Coordinating with FDA-registered labs for optional pre-arrival testing to expedite clearance.
Partners must demonstrate expertise in bulk pharmaceutical logistics and navigating multi-layered regulatory frameworks.
Regulatory Expertise: Proven ability to verify FDA facility registrations, review NDI documentation, and ensure labeling compliance—with a dedicated team to flag potential issues before shipment.
Transit Reliability: Direct routes (e.g., Shanghai to Los Angeles) with 10–16-day transit times and 90%+ on-time delivery, using climate-controlled containers with humidity monitoring (30–50%) to protect powders and capsules.
Product Protection: Specialized packaging including moisture-absorbing packets, tamper-evident seals, and secondary containment for liquid supplements—all labeled to meet FDA traceability requirements.
Platform Compatibility: Experience with FBA and e-commerce platform rules, including proper labeling of expiration dates, batch codes, and compliance statements to avoid rejection at warehouses.
FCL Optimization: 40-foot container capacity for 8,000–40,000 units with 20%+ lower per-unit costs than LCL, including tariff calculation expertise to minimize duties on herbal extracts.
UFLPA Compliance: Systems to track raw material origins and provide documentation proving no forced labor in the supply chain, including access to third-party audits for high-risk ingredients.
Bulk Handling Protocols: Training for personnel in supplement logistics, including loading procedures that prevent container shifting, temperature mapping to identify hot spots, and protocols for FDA inspection readiness.
Documentation Management: Digital systems to store and submit cGMP certificates, NDI notifications, and ingredient traceability records—with real-time access for customs officials.
Beyond standard logistics capabilities, verify these policy-specific competencies:
FDA Compliance Track Record: Request evidence of successfully shipping Chinese dietary supplements post-2024, including metrics on detention rates (target: below 2%) and examples of resolving FDA holds.
Temperature Monitoring Certifications: Confirm the company uses FDA-recognized temperature tracking systems with unalterable logs, critical for demonstrating product stability during transit.
Regulatory Intelligence: Ensure they maintain updates on FDA import alerts, NDI requirements, and UFLPA enforcement priorities—with protocols to adjust shipping plans for high-risk products.
Contingency Planning: Ask about procedures for FDA detentions, including access to FDA-accredited labs for expedited testing and relationships with customs attorneys specializing in supplement imports.
Waytron has a long-term and stable relationship with many carriers. With our strong strength, professional team, scientific system and sound network, Waytron can provide our customers with one-stop global logistics services, which are now can be involved in many countries such as USA, Canada, Europe, Australia and southeast Asia, and so on. Waytron can handle FCL, LCL, and special shipments, also providing reliable SOC service and competitive rates for TP trades, especially to USA and Canada inland locations, such as Dallas, El Paso, Portland, Houston, Calgary and Winnipeg.