Which perishables can be imported through Yantai Airport?
The airport holds designated inspection sites for imported chilled and frozen aquatic products (site code CNYAT420003) and for live aquatic animals (CNYAT420299), both inside the cargo terminal. Chilled fish, crab and live seafood are the usual cargo. Fruit does not have a site here: the Yantai fruit site is at the Zhifu port area. Meat has no site at all. Confirm the commodity and the approved origin list before you book space.
How late can an export entry be filed?
The legal deadline is after the cargo reaches the supervised area and at least 24 hours before loading. Advance filing is allowed within three days before arrival, but the cargo must arrive within the stated period or the entry is canceled. In practice, terminal acceptance closes hours before departure, so a released entry filed after cut-off still misses the aircraft.
Is Yantai faster to Korea than Qingdao or Shanghai?
For Incheon, usually yes. Up to 41 freighter departures a week leave Yantai at peak, with SF's own B757, Zhongzhou Airlines, Air Incheon and Zeal Air on the lane, and cargo accepted locally can leave the same night. For Europe and North America it depends on whether your routing connects through Incheon. Compare total transit, not the first-leg rate.
Can lithium batteries be exported from Yantai?
Yes, as dangerous goods. You need a UN38.3 test summary, a safety data sheet, an air transport conditions appraisal, a packing certificate and a shipper's declaration. Cells shipped alone usually need a freighter; cells contained in equipment can sometimes move as general cargo with conditions. The carton must be protected against short circuit, carry the class 9 label and show the UN number. Incomplete files are refused at acceptance.
How quickly can imported chilled seafood be collected?
Same shift, if the file is ready. Yantai is the only airport in Shandong offering round-the-clock customs clearance and inspection, with 7/24 appointment clearance. Cargo subject to laboratory testing can use two-stage admission and conditional release, collecting first and completing the result later. Actual timing depends on the inspection instruction, the test items and when the reefer truck arrives.
What is the difference between transit and clearing at Yantai?
Under transit, you declare at the airport, seal the cargo and complete inspection and release at a local customs house near the factory. Clearing at Yantai means all formalities finish at the airport before collection. Transit adds one supervised road leg and a second handover; direct clearing demands a tighter document and pickup schedule. Perishables are rarely worth routing under transit.
Which e-commerce model should I file under?
Match the model to the business, not the other way round. Retail direct mail is 9610, business-to-business export is 9710, overseas warehouse stock is 9810 and bonded import stocking is 1210. Yantai is the largest air express gateway in Shandong, with the express supervision site in Block B. Filing under the wrong model means withdrawal and refiling, and order, payment and logistics data must agree in value and timestamp.
If my cargo connects at Incheon, is it still one shipment?
It depends on how you booked. If the master bill runs through and only the flight changes at Incheon, it is one shipment: the China export entry and manifest close once, and the transit leg is a rebooking. If the legs are booked separately with a new bill issued at Incheon, it is two shipments, and the destination clearance risk sits with the second leg. Write the bill relationship into the booking, not into an email afterwards.
What happens if my cargo is selected for inspection?
It depends on timing and on what the officer finds. Inspection instructions usually arrive before the cargo reaches the terminal, and the common issues are piece count, description mismatch and undeclared items. Minor points are explained and amended on the spot; anything that needs processing means the flight is gone. The real defense is document reconciliation before filing and a physical check before delivery to the terminal.
When are the refund documents released?
After the cargo has actually departed and the manifest is closed, normally one to three working days after departure. Amendments, inspections or a late manifest closure push that back. We give your finance team the expected date in advance, because a refund application that misses its window costs more than a late shipment.
