Complete Guide to Consolidating and Shipping Food to Taiwan
Can food be shipped from mainland China to Taiwan? Yes. Ordinary packaged snacks, biscuits, sweets and canned goods with a daily total value under US$1,000 and a total weight within 6 kg are exempt from applying to the Taiwan FDA (TFDA) for import inspection. However, meat, eggs and fresh produce are banned outright, and tea (only pu-erh is open) and liquid dairy (fresh milk, UHT milk, ambient yoghurt) are not opened to imports from mainland China, while milk powder and cheese are opened items.
- Personal-use exemption for general food: biscuits, snacks, seasonings, dried goods and the like are exempt from applying to the TFDA for import inspection when the daily total value is ≤ US$1,000 (about NT$32,000; the rate fluctuates) and the total weight is ≤ 6 kg (excluding meat, fresh produce and eggs).
- Absolutely banned: meat and foods containing meat chunks, meat paste or ham sausage; fresh eggs and undercooked egg products (century eggs, raw salted eggs); live or fresh seafood; fresh and raw milk; fresh fruit and vegetables; CBD and cannabis foods. Pure powdered instant-noodle seasoning sachets are not quarantine items, but the authorities still advise avoiding them.
- Health supplements (tablets/capsules): ≤ 12 bottles per type and ≤ 36 bottles in total per day (not “36 bottles per item”).
- Infant formula (under 1 year old): an import approval letter must be obtained first; ≤ 30 kg of powder and ≤ 200 kg of liquid per person per year. Milk powder for children over 1 year old follows the general food limit of ≤ 6 kg.
- Alcohol and tobacco (personal-use limit for postal/consolidated parcels): up to 5 litres of alcohol and 5 cartons of cigarettes (1,000 sticks) without an import licence; both are always taxed and do not qualify for the NT$2,000 duty-free allowance. Recipients of alcohol must be at least 18, and tobacco may not be supplied to anyone under 20.
- Tax: a customs value ≤ NT$2,000 is duty-free (except alcohol and tobacco); once the same recipient has more than 6 duty-free releases in a half-year period, the 7th onwards is no longer duty-free.
- Mainland-China controls: among teas only pu-erh is open; most liquid and fermented dairy is not opened, while milk powder and cheese are. Mailing items that are not opened (import regulation code MW0) requires a project import permit from the International Trade Administration (MOEA), and the small-quantity licence exemption does not apply.
- Items requiring inspection must go through formal customs clearance: if the tariff line requires animal or plant quarantine (B01) or TFDA import inspection (F01), the simplified clearance used by air express and sea express does not apply — formal clearance is required, and goods already held in an express warehouse must first be transferred to a general warehouse.
Sources: Taiwan FDA (TFDA), Taiwan's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency (APHIA), and Taiwan Customs Administration (see “Legal Basis and Official Sources” at the end of this article).
📅 Last updated: 2026-08-15 (limits and prohibitions rechecked line by line against official sources on 2026-08-15; alcohol and tobacco postal limits corrected on 2026-07-24) · ✍️ Lucky Freight consolidation editorial team · 🛡️ Reviewed by our AEO-certified partner broker
Taiwan Customs conducts relatively strict food inspections. This guide explains what can and cannot be shipped and how allowances are calculated to prevent products from being destroyed. Please read the entire guide before placing an order, and do not rely on word-of-mouth information.
Why Are Food Imports Strictly Regulated?
Sending food from mainland China back to Taiwan counts as “importing food”, and is jointly regulated by the Taiwan FDA (TFDA), the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency (APHIA) and the Taiwan Customs Administration. Why the rules are strict:
- Food safety regulations: Food adulteration and fraud, expired products, and prohibited additives may endanger consumer health.
- Quarantine risks: Meat may carry African swine fever or foot-and-mouth disease; fresh eggs may carry avian influenza; and plant products may introduce invasive pests.
- Fair commercial practices: Food that enters the market without customs duties being paid or without TFDA registration creates unfair competition.
Legal Food Items That Can Be Shipped to Taiwan
✅ Packaged biscuits and snacks (original imported goods)
Shiroi Koibito, Tokyo Banana, Pocky and other originally imported (not produced in mainland China) packaged snacks count towards the daily US$1,000／6 kg exemption. Note: sweet biscuits, rice crackers, potato chips, chewing gum, peanut brittle and filled chocolate produced in mainland China are not opened to imports (MW0) and cannot be shipped — see the “MW0” section below.
✅ Coffee and tea (from mainland China, pu-erh only)
Matcha powder, pu-erh tea, coffee beans, instant coffee and gift tea tins. Note: among mainland Chinese teas only pu-erh is open to import; green, black and oolong teas may not be imported (see the MW0 section). Dried tea of 1 kg or less does not require an application for food import inspection.
✅ Canned Goods, Seasonings, and Sauces
Miso, chili sauce, curry cubes, and ready-to-eat canned goods (processed vegetables and seafood). Kewpie mayonnaise, Kikkoman soy sauce, Maggi soy sauce, and similar products (must not contain meat).
✅ Dried Goods, Nuts, and Grains
Nuts (almonds, cashews, pistachios, macadamias), seaweed sheets, shredded kelp, pasta and oatmeal. Note: dried shiitake mushrooms, peanuts, vermicelli and rice are not opened to mainland Chinese imports (MW0) and cannot be shipped; for similar rice or starch products, ask our customer service to check before you order (see the MW0 section).
✅ Chocolate, Candy, and Cake (Fully Packaged)
Godiva, Lindt, Meiji chocolate, Shiroi Koibito (白色戀人), and ROYCE chocolate. Cakes must be suitable for room-temperature storage (such as Baumkuchen and Swiss rolls, with no fresh cream or egg-yolk filling).
✅ Powdered Beverages, Instant Soups, and Cereal
Milk tea powder, instant coffee, instant soup packets (vegetable flavors), oatmeal, and cocoa powder (must not contain meat-powder seasoning).
Strictly Prohibited Food Items
❌ Fresh or Processed Meat (Including Pork, Beef, Chicken, Duck, and Lamb)
Pork floss, ham, sausages, dried chicken, ready-to-eat chicken breast, meatballs and air-dried beef. Because of African swine fever, foot-and-mouth disease and avian influenza controls, all are banned, including vacuum-packed and canned products. For pork products mailed from a country affected by African swine fever (including mainland China), the recipient is fined NT$200,000 for a first offence and NT$1,000,000 for a second or subsequent offence (Article 43 of the Statute for Prevention and Control of Animal Infectious Diseases; APHIA announcement).
❌ Prepared Food Packs or Instant Noodles Containing Meat
Instant noodles and ready meals from mainland China containing ham sausage／meat chunks／meat paste are strictly prohibited. Purely powdered meat-flavoured seasoning sachets have been assessed by APHIA as highly processed dried powder with extremely low risk and are not quarantine items, yet the authorities still advise avoiding them; the safest choice is a meat-free or vegetarian flavour.
❌ Fresh eggs and undercooked egg products
Because of avian influenza controls, fresh chicken eggs and undercooked egg (processed) products such as century eggs and raw salted eggs are banned. Fully cooked egg products in which both yolk and white are completely set are not prohibited (APHIA reference table), but they may be held for inspection when the ingredients are unclear.
❌ Live or Fresh Seafood
Live shrimp, fish, crabs, and clams. Sashimi (including ready-to-eat salmon and tuna) is also prohibited. Some frozen, fully cooked seafood, such as canned and processed products, may be permitted.
❌ Fresh Milk and Raw Milk Products
Fresh milk and fresh yoghurt are banned (raw and fresh milk are prohibited animal products). Fresh milk, UHT milk, yoghurt, ambient yoghurt, curdled milk and evaporated milk are not opened to imports from mainland China (import regulation MW0). Milk powder (including goat milk powder and formulated milk powder), cheese and butter are not listed under MW0 and are opened items, though they still require import inspection by the Taiwan FDA (TFDA) (F01).
❌ Fresh Fruit and Vegetables
Fresh fruit and vegetables such as apples, grapes, mangoes and water spinach are banned (risk of quarantine pests). Commercially packaged dried fruit (raisins, dried apple, dried mango, dried longan and other processed dried products) requires no quarantine and can be shipped.
❌ Food Containing CBD or Cannabis Ingredients
CBD gummies, energy bars containing cannabis, THC-infused hemp oil and the like. Even where they are legal in the country of origin, they are illegal in Taiwan: importing them without a TFDA licence is treated as unauthorised import of a prohibited drug (Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, up to 10 years’ imprisonment), and THC above 10 ppm is treated as a Schedule II narcotic (Taichung Customs, Taiwan Customs Administration).
For the full list, see the Taiwan import prohibition and restriction list; for quarantine rules on animal products such as meat, eggs and dairy, see the animal and plant quarantine guide.
Food Requiring Quarantine or Subject to Restrictions
⚠️ Health Supplements and Nutritional Supplements
Fish oil, glucosamine, vitamins and collagen (protein powder counts as general food within the 6 kg limit). Tablet and capsule foods are exempt from inspection for personal use at ≤ 12 bottles per type and ≤ 36 bottles in total per day; excess quantities are returned or treated as commercial imports. For detailed limits and examples, see the supplement consolidation guide.
⚠️ Infant and Young Child Food
Milk powder, rice cereal, fruit purée and baby biscuits. Infant formula for children under 1 year requires an import approval letter from the TFDA in advance (also for personal use): ≤ 30 kg of powder and ≤ 200 kg of liquid per person per year, and the daily US$1,000／6 kg limit still applies. For children over 1 year the general food limit of ≤ 6 kg applies; milk powder is not listed under MW0 and is an opened item for imports from mainland China, unlike UHT milk and other liquid dairy, though TFDA import inspection (F01) still applies. Purées containing meat (chicken or beef purée) are banned.
⚠️ Tea (from mainland China, only pu-erh is open)
Among mainland Chinese teas only pu-erh is currently open to import; green, black, oolong and other teas may not be imported (import regulation MW0). For opened items, dried tea of 1 kg or less is exempt from applying for food import inspection, while more than that requires an application to the TFDA; roasted and dried tea leaves require no plant quarantine.
⚠️ Honey and Royal Jelly
Honey from mainland China is not an opened item (tariff heading 0409 is marked MW0) and may not be shipped from mainland China; imported honey not produced in mainland China counts as general food: exempt within a daily total value ≤ US$1,000 and within the 6 kg limit; beyond that, an application for import inspection (F01) to the TFDA is required. Imports for commercial sale do not qualify for the personal-use exemption and must undergo import inspection.
⚠️ Alcohol and Tobacco Products
Personal-use limit for consolidated／postal parcels: up to 5 litres of alcohol and 5 cartons of cigarettes (1,000 sticks) without an alcohol or tobacco import business licence (Article 14 of the Regulations Governing Customs Clearance for Postal Parcels); alcohol and tobacco are always taxed and do not qualify for the NT$2,000 duty-free allowance. Recipients of alcohol must be at least 18 years old, and tobacco may not be supplied to anyone under 20. Note for air transport: alcohol up to 24% ABV is unrestricted, 24–70% is limited to 5 litres and must be in original retail packaging, and above 70% air transport is prohibited (dangerous goods rules); large volumes or high-strength spirits usually have to go by sea.
⚠️ Traditional Chinese Medicinal Ingredients
Angelica root, astragalus, ginseng, goji berries, red dates, dried longan and similar items. Inbound travellers are limited to ≤ 1 kg per type and ≤ 12 types in total (self-use medicine quantity table). For postal or consolidated shipments of Chinese medicinal preparations without an import licence, customs releases only 2 bottles (boxes) per type; excess must be returned or abandoned. Medicinal materials containing animal ingredients (bezoar, musk, deer antler velvet, bear bile, etc.) are banned, and items must be on the Ministry of Health and Welfare list of “Chinese medicinal materials permitted for use in food”.
Check before you ship: is this food opened to imports from mainland China? (MW0)
Taiwan applies a positive list to goods from mainland China: the import regulation code MW0 means goods from mainland China are not permitted for import, while MP1 means conditionally permitted. To mail food from mainland China that is not opened, you must attach a project import permit from the International Trade Administration (MOEA), and the small-quantity licence exemption does not apply (Kaohsiung Customs news release, 2025-06-04). The following common foods fall at this hurdle:
- Tea: among mainland Chinese teas only pu-erh is open to import; green, black, oolong and others may not be imported. For opened items, dried tea of 1 kg or less does not require an application for food import inspection.
- Dairy products split two ways: UHT milk and ambient yoghurt (such as Ambpomial) are not opened to imports from mainland China (MW0), so we advise against shipping them; milk powder, cheese and butter are not listed under MW0 and are opened items, though F01 import inspection still applies.
- Shiitake mushrooms, peanuts, vermicelli and rice: import regulation MW0, not permitted for import.
- Most snacks, baked goods and noodle products are not opened: our own check against the official tariff database of the Trade Single Window (2026-08-15) shows that common items such as sweet biscuits (1905.31), rice crackers (1905.90.50), potato chips (2005.20.20), chewing gum (1704.10), peanut brittle, filled chocolate (1806.31), soy sauce (2103.10), ketchup (2103.20) and honey (0409) are all marked MW0; noodles, rice vermicelli and pasta under heading 1902 are entirely closed. Unfilled solid chocolate (1806.32), white chocolate and other sugar confectionery, coffee, nuts and raisins are opened items.
- MW0 restricts only goods “originating in mainland China”: originally packaged foods from Japan, Korea and elsewhere (with a country of origin other than China) bought on platforms such as Taobao are not subject to MW0 and still qualify for the general food exemption. Customs determines this by country of origin, so keep the original packaging and origin labelling.
- How to check: before ordering, you can give the product name to our customer service to check whether it is an opened item, refer to the official sources at the end of this article, or use our tariff lookup tool to check the import regulations (MW0 marking) for that tariff number.
Detailed Inspection-Exemption Rules
| Category | Inspection-Exemption or Permit-Free Allowance | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Food (general processed) | Daily total value ≤ US$1,000 and total weight ≤ 6 kg | Excludes meat, fresh produce and eggs (multiple parcels on the same day are combined) |
| Supplements (tablets／capsules) | 12 bottles per type and 36 in total per day | Original packaging, not for sale |
| Infant formula (under 1 year) | Import approval letter required | Powder ≤ 30 kg／year, liquid ≤ 200 kg／year |
| Milk powder for over 1 year | ≤ 6 kg | Not listed under MW0 — an opened item for imports from mainland China; F01 inspection still applies |
| Honey | Not of mainland Chinese origin: counts towards the general food limit | Daily total ≤ US$1,000 and ≤ 6 kg; honey from mainland China is not opened (MW0) |
| Tea (mainland China) | Only pu-erh is open | Dried tea of 1 kg or less is exempt from applying for import inspection |
| Alcohol | 5 litres | Always taxed; recipient must be at least 18 |
| Tobacco (cigarettes) | 5 cartons (1,000 sticks) | Always taxed; must not be supplied to anyone under 20; excess requires an import permit |
| Chinese medicinal materials | Travellers: 1 kg per type, 12 types in total | By post, medicines without a licence are released at 2 bottles (boxes) per type; animal ingredients prohibited |
How Is the “6-Kilogram” Limit Calculated?
All “general food” items (biscuits, snacks, seasonings, dried goods and so on) are exempt from applying to the TFDA for import inspection only when the daily total weight is ≤ 6 kg and the value is ≤ US$1,000 (about NT$32,000; the rate fluctuates) — both conditions must be met; several parcels arriving on the same day are counted together. Legal basis: the Ministry of Health and Welfare announcement “Conditions for exemption from applying for import inspection of imported food and related products and the applicable customs clearance codes” (under Article 30 of the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation).
Inspection and monitoring figures: the general batch sampling rate for food import inspection is 2–10%, and enhanced sampling is 20–50% (Article 8 of the Regulations of Inspection of Imported Food and Related Products, amended 2025-08-21); duty-free counts are calculated per half-year, and from the 7th release onwards after exceeding 6, the duty-free treatment no longer applies (Article 12 of the Regulations Governing Customs Clearance for Postal Parcels). The personal-use exemption is currently under review: in 2024 one importer declared 3,002 exempt food consignments in a single year under a personal-use claim (with declarations on 294 days of the year), and the Ministry of Health and Welfare has undertaken to consider amending the rules (CNA, 2025-10-30) — so please do not use the personal-use allowance excessively or repeatedly.
4 Steps for Consolidating Food Shipments
Confirm Whether the Item Can Be Shipped Before Ordering
Check against the list in this article, or contact Lucky Freight customer service for help confirming. Anything containing meat, fresh produce or eggs is never shipped; for tea, dairy and similar items, first confirm whether they are opened to mainland Chinese imports (see the MW0 section). If in doubt, skip it.
Enter the Consolidation Warehouse Address When Ordering
For food from mainland China, enter the Shenzhen warehouse delivery address (we currently provide consolidation only from mainland China to Taiwan).
Notify Customer Service That the Shipment Contains “Food” Before It Reaches the Warehouse
Ask HowBridge customer service to label the shipment as “food.” The warehouse will: ① perform an additional expiration-date check ② use moisture-resistant packaging ③ recommend a suitable shipping method.
Customs Clearance + Delivery
Food falls under import regulation F01: import inspection is handled with the TFDA under the Regulations of Inspection of Imported Food and Related Products (not required within the personal-use exemption). The recipient completes real-name verification in the EZ Way app (built and operated by Trade-Van Information Services) and declares the goods truthfully. Border inspection uses batch sampling: 2–10% for general sampling and 20–50% for enhanced sampling (Article 8 of the inspection regulations). If you are not in a hurry, sea freight is recommended (less impact on shelf life and lower shipping cost).
Tips for Safely Consolidating Food Shipments
1. Ensure at Least 6 Months of Shelf Life Remain
Sea freight to Taiwan usually takes 14–21 days (our own operational experience) plus the time you need to consume the food. If the seller offers products with only 1–2 months of shelf life left, we suggest refusing them.
2. Ship Chocolate by Air During Summer
Temperatures inside sea-freight containers can become very high during summer, causing chocolate and butter-based products to melt or deform. Air freight is recommended during summer (6-9), while sea freight can save money during winter.
3. Take Photos for Documentation
Ask the warehouse to take photos before dispatch (including the packaging and expiration date), and take photos after receiving the shipment. Preserve this evidence in case of damage or spoilage.
4. Split Different Types of Food into Separate Shipments
Customs decides whether a shipment exceeds a “reasonable personal-use range” by looking at quantity, value and how often parcels arrive; once duty-free releases exceed 6 in a half-year, the duty-free treatment no longer applies (Article 12 of the Regulations Governing Customs Clearance for Postal Parcels), and cases of abuse of the personal-use exemption have already prompted the Ministry of Health and Welfare to consider amending the rules (CNA, 2025-10-30). We suggest focusing each shipment on 1–2 themes, keeping the total volume moderate, and shipping different themes separately.
Legal Basis and Official Sources
The limits and prohibitions on this page are compiled from the current regulations and official government materials listed below, and were rechecked line by line against official sources on 2026-08-15 (the general food and supplement limits were originally verified on 2026-05-31; the alcohol and tobacco postal limits were corrected on 2026-07-24). Should the rules be amended, the latest announcements of the competent authorities prevail:
- Personal-use inspection exemption for general food (daily total value ≤ US$1,000 and ≤ 6 kg) — Ministry of Health and Welfare announcement “Conditions for exemption from applying for import inspection of imported food and related products and the applicable customs clearance codes” (under Article 30 of the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation; issued 2015-11-05, amended in 2020 to “daily total”). Original text: “Other food: a daily total value of one thousand US dollars or less and a weight within six kilograms.” TFDA explanation
- Meat, undercooked egg products, fresh produce and other animal products are prohibited (African swine fever, foot-and-mouth disease and avian influenza controls) — Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency; for pork products mailed from a country affected by African swine fever, the recipient is fined NT$200,000 for a first offence and NT$1,000,000 for a second or subsequent offence under Article 43, subparagraph 8 of the Statute for Prevention and Control of Animal Infectious Diseases. APHIA announcement
- Tablet and capsule foods: ≤ 12 bottles per type and ≤ 36 bottles in total per day — same Ministry of Health and Welfare exemption announcement as above. Original text: “no more than twelve bottles of each type per day … not exceeding thirty-six bottles in total.”
- Infant formula for children under 1 year requires an import approval letter; powder ≤ 30 kg and liquid ≤ 200 kg per year — Ministry of Health and Welfare pre-announced amendment No. 1091300955 of 2020-07-15. Original announcement
- Alcohol and tobacco postal limits: up to 5 litres of alcohol and 5 cartons of cigarettes (1,000 sticks) without an import business licence; the NT$2,000 duty-free allowance does not apply — Articles 14 and 7 of the Regulations Governing Customs Clearance for Postal Parcels (amended 2020-04-01). Original text: “Imported alcohol and tobacco for personal use … alcohol: five litres; tobacco: five cartons of cigarettes (one thousand sticks).” Laws & Regulations Database
- Foods containing CBD or cannabis are prohibited — Taichung Customs, Taiwan Customs Administration (2023-05-17): no CBD-containing medicine has been approved domestically, so importing without a licence is treated as unauthorised import of a prohibited drug; THC above 10 ppm is treated as a Schedule II narcotic. Taichung Customs explanation
- NT$2,000 duty-free; once releases exceed 6 in a half-year, the 7th onwards is no longer duty-free — Articles 7 and 12 of the Regulations Governing Customs Clearance for Postal Parcels (enabling act: Article 49 of the Customs Act); the same applies to express consignments (Taiwan Customs Administration “Express Consignments” page, updated 2026-08-14).
- Mailing goods from mainland China that are not opened (MW0) requires a project permit — Kaohsiung Customs news release of 2025-06-04 (Ministry of Finance): “among mainland Chinese teas only pu-erh is currently open to import”, “mailing food that is not open to import requires a project import permit from the International Trade Administration (MOEA)”, and the small-quantity licence exemption does not apply. Full news release
- Limits on Chinese medicinal materials — inbound travellers: ≤ 1 kg per type and ≤ 12 types in total (Kaohsiung Customs, Taiwan Customs Administration, “Quantity limits for self-use medicines carried by inbound travellers” page, updated 2026-08-13); for medicines sent by post without an import licence, 2 bottles (boxes) per type are released (Kaohsiung Customs news release, 2024-08-28). Kaohsiung Customs explanation
- Air transport restrictions for alcohol above 24% ABV — Aviation Police Bureau, National Police Agency, Ministry of the Interior FAQ (2020-11-18): up to 24% is unrestricted; 24–70% is limited to 5 litres and must be in retail packaging; above 70% air transport is not permitted. Aviation Police Bureau FAQ
Official resources: Taiwan FDA (TFDA), Taiwan's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency (APHIA), and Taiwan Customs Administration; use the HowBridge 12,000+ Tariff Lookup Tool to check product tariffs.
Frequently Asked Questions About Consolidating Food Shipments
Related Articles
- List of Prohibited and Restricted Imports in Taiwan
- Complete Guide to Consolidated Shipping from Japan to Taiwan
- Complete Guide to Consolidated Shipping from Korea to Taiwan
- Complete Guide to Taobao Consolidated Shipping to Taiwan
- Complete Guide to Taiwan Tariff Lookup
- Guide to Consolidating Health Supplement Shipments
- Coffee and Tea Import Duty and Quarantine Rules
Choose HowBridge for Consolidated Food Shipping
Automatic labeling of legal items, advance warnings for products likely to raise customs concerns, free reinforcement for glass bottles, and 24/7 multilingual customer service.
Register for Free and Get a Warehouse Address