1. Cultivation Medium: The "Nutritious Meal" and "Comfortable Bed" for Plants

As a seasoned customs professional with 20 years of experience in foreign trade, I often liken growing media to a plant's "nutritious meal" and "comfortable bed." These specialized products must not only provide essential nutrients for plant growth but also create an optimal root environment. Based on their composition, growing media are primarily categorized into two main types:

• Inorganic media: Such as mineral materials like perlite and vermiculite
• Organic media: Including naturally formed peat and processed coco peat

In actual import operations, we most frequently handle organic cultivation media. These products require special customs attention due to higher quarantine risks from plant components.

II. Five Major Imported Cultivation Media "Star Products"

Based on years of customs experience, Ive summarized the top five imported cultivation media and their characteristics:

1. Peat soil: The "black gold" of high-end gardening.

This organic matter formed from ancient plant residues is like the "black gold" of the horticultural world. I remember in 2018 when we imported a batch of German white peat, and customer feedback indicated its pH value remained stable between 5.5 and 6.5, making it particularly suitable for acid-loving crops like blueberries. However, it's important to note that high-quality peat soil can cost 3-5 times more than ordinary growing media.

Coco coir: The new favorite for eco-friendly planting

In recent years, Southeast Asian imported coco peat has gained popularity. I handled an Indonesian batch with fiber length maintained at 0.2-2cm and water retention rate up to 800%, but must remind clients to perform 3-5 desalination treatments before use.

3. Vermiculite: The "Standard Equipment" in Tissue Culture Laboratories.

American imported vermiculite is highly favored by tissue culture enterprises for its sterile properties. Last year, a batch we cleared showed expansion ratio of 8-10 times with porosity over 95%, making it ideal cutting propagation medium.

Leaf mold: Natures nutrient bank

European imported leaf mold typically contains 30%-50% humus. I recall a batch of French leaf mold test results showing N-P-K content reached 2-1-1, with abundant trace elements.

5. Perlite: The "Perfect Partner" for Succulents

Greek perlite is the preferred choice for succulent cultivation due to its stable physical properties. However, note its pH typically ranges between 7.0-7.5, requiring pH adjustment before use.

Three-step approach: Mastering quarantine access

According to the regulations of the General Administration of Customs, imported cultivation media must complete the quarantine access procedures. I have summarized a "three-step" strategy:

1. Query whitelistFirst, check on the General Administration of Customs website whether the supplier is on the approved list
2. Prepare registration materialsIncludes 4 core documents: enterprise registration certificate, production process description, etc.
3. Submit risk assessmentSubmit applications to the General Administration via direct customs

Last year, we assisted a Dutch peat moss company with registration, which took 45 working days from document preparation to approval. We recommend companies allow sufficient time.

Quarantine approval: Risk classification management

Customs implements three-level risk management for cultivation media:

• Low riskLow-risk: Such as vermiculite and perlite treated with high temperature, usually exempt from approval
• Medium riskMedium-risk: Decayed leaf soil, etc. require quarantine approval
• High riskHigh-risk: Peat moss, coco peat, etc. must obtain approval

Special reminder: Since 2020, customs has eliminated the requirement for sample testing for first-time imports, significantly reducing approval time. Our recent batch of Malaysian coco peat quarantine approval took only 10 working days.

Customs clearance practice: Four key points

When clearing customs at ports, pay special attention to the following matters:

• Quarantine approval numbers must match declaration information
• Phytosanitary certificates must include key information such as media composition and processing technology
• The interval between production date and import date must not exceed 4 months
• Packaging must be intact and free from soil contamination

Last year, a batch of Vietnamese coco peat was temporarily detained due to damaged packaging and was only released after fumigation treatment, resulting in additional costs for the client. Packaging quality must never be overlooked.

VI. Post-clearance supervision: Special management for high-risk products

For high-risk products such as peat soil, customs implements dual supervision of "port + jurisdiction":

1. After passing port inspection, transport to designated processing plants
2. Processing must be fully documented and records retained for 2 years for inspection
3. Usage process subject to supervision by local customs

We recommend clients establish a comprehensive traceability system to record the usage flow of each batch of media. The case of a flower base being fined due to incomplete records last year serves as a warning.

In summary, the import of cultivation media requires both understanding product characteristics and mastering regulatory requirements. As professional agents, we always advise our clients:Plan ahead, operate in compliance, and maintain recordsOnly in this way can these "plant nutrients" smoothly pass through customs, supporting the development of the green industry.