Jinan Zhuocheng Bio-Tech Co., Ltd.

For companies involved in the international trade of veterinary APIs, one practical question comes up frequently: Where should the shipment be exported from?

Choosing the wrong port can increase inland transportation costs and erode margins. More importantly, misunderstanding customs and regulatory requirements can result in delays or even compliance issues.

Following the implementation of Announcement No. 65 of 2025 issued by the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC), the supervision framework for certain veterinary-related goods entering and leaving China has also changed. For exporters, understanding the current regulatory requirements is just as important as choosing an efficient logistics route.

Qingdao, Shanghai and Tianjin Remain Major Export Hubs

Qingdao, Shanghai and Tianjin remain important ports for China's veterinary API exports, with each port serving different industrial and geographic advantages.

Qingdao Port benefits from its proximity to Shandong, one of China's major pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturing regions. The surrounding area has a strong concentration of veterinary API manufacturers, providing a significant supply-chain advantage for products such as antimicrobial and antiparasitic APIs.

Shanghai Port has extensive international shipping connections and strong customs-handling capabilities. It is particularly suitable for shipments where transit time is important. The well-developed fine chemical and pharmaceutical industries in the Yangtze River Delta also support exports of higher-value pharmaceutical materials.

Tianjin Port primarily serves manufacturers in North and Northwest China and provides extensive international shipping connections, including routes serving European and North American markets.

For most exporters, however, the first consideration should be the location of the production facility.

Veterinary APIs are often shipped in relatively large quantities, meaning inland transportation can represent a meaningful part of total logistics costs. Exporting through a port close to the manufacturing site is therefore often the most practical starting point.

China-Europe Railway Express: An Alternative for Central Asia and Russia

In addition to conventional ocean freight, China-Europe Railway Express services are becoming an increasingly relevant option for veterinary API exports, particularly for customers in Central Asia and Russia.

For these markets, rail transportation can provide shorter transit times than conventional sea routes. Depending on the origin and destination, rail services can significantly reduce transportation time compared with ocean freight combined with inland transshipment.

Veterinary APIs are generally less time-sensitive than finished pharmaceutical formulations. However, faster delivery can still be valuable for products associated with seasonal livestock demand or specific production cycles.

The main limitation is cost. Rail transportation is generally more expensive than conventional ocean freight and is therefore more suitable for higher-value shipments or orders where delivery time is a key customer requirement.

For manufacturers located in inland provinces such as Xinjiang, Gansu and Inner Mongolia, direct rail services from nearby terminals may also offer logistical advantages compared with transporting goods first to an eastern coastal port.

Regulatory Changes: Export Declaration Requirements Have Evolved

One of the important regulatory developments for veterinary product exporters came in April 2025, when the General Administration of Customs of China issued Announcement No. 65.

The announcement clarified that goods falling under veterinary drug administration are no longer supervised as "special articles" for entry and exit purposes.

For exporters, this represents a meaningful change.

Previously, certain veterinary-related exports could involve approval procedures associated with the health quarantine supervision of special articles. Under the new framework, where the exporter has obtained relevant supporting documentation approved by the competent veterinary authority in China or the destination country, the goods are no longer subject to the special-article approval procedure at the time of exit and are instead subject to customs inspection and quarantine requirements applicable to ordinary goods.

However, removal from special-article supervision does not mean that veterinary API exports are free from regulatory requirements.

Exporters still need to ensure that commodity classification, customs declarations and other applicable regulatory conditions are accurate. Depending on the specific product and HS code, additional requirements may apply, including controls related to pesticide exports or controlled chemicals.

One practical case illustrates the importance of accurate classification.

In one export case involving lufenuron, the exporter declared an incorrect commodity code. The correct code was associated with a regulatory requirement concerning a pesticide import/export registration release document. Although the authorities ultimately determined that the product fell within the veterinary drug management framework and that the exporter did not require the relevant administrative approval because it held the appropriate veterinary GMP qualification, the inaccurate customs declaration itself constituted a compliance violation and resulted in a penalty.

Another case involved a product containing a controlled precursor chemical. The exporter failed to provide the required export license for dual-use items and technologies and was subsequently penalized.

These cases demonstrate an important principle:

Veterinary API export compliance cannot be determined solely by asking whether a product is classified as a veterinary drug.

Exporters must also examine the product's composition, HS classification and the regulatory conditions associated with that classification.

Matching Export Routes With Target Markets

The choice of export location should ultimately be aligned with the destination market.

Based on the market data cited in the industry, Asian neighboring markets accounted for approximately 52% of China's veterinary API export volume in 2025, while Europe and North America accounted for approximately 19% and 14%, respectively. Exports to countries along the Belt and Road also represented a significant and growing share of China's veterinary pharmaceutical trade.

For Southeast and South Asian markets, Shanghai and Qingdao are practical options due to their extensive shipping networks and relatively efficient ocean connections. They are suitable for regular shipments of antimicrobial and other veterinary APIs.

For European markets, ocean freight remains the mainstream option, while China-Europe Railway Express can provide an additional logistics route for selected destinations.

Market access requirements, however, should be considered separately from logistics. European customers may require extensive registration and quality documentation, and CEP-related requirements can be important for certain pharmaceutical substances.

For products requiring specialized handling, exporters should also consider whether the selected port has appropriate facilities and qualifications for temperature-controlled cargo, hazardous materials or other special handling requirements.

For North American markets, Shanghai and Tianjin provide extensive international shipping connections and can accommodate larger-volume shipments. Regulatory compliance in the destination market is equally important, including applicable U.S. FDA requirements.

For Central Asian and Russian markets, railway transportation can be particularly competitive. For manufacturers located in inland regions, shipping directly through an appropriate rail terminal may also reduce inland transportation costs.

Three Practical Considerations for Exporters

First, confirm the regulatory conditions before choosing the export route.

Different veterinary APIs can have very different customs requirements. Some may only require standard customs declaration procedures, while others may be subject to pesticide-related documentation, controlled-chemical requirements or other regulatory conditions.

The HS code and corresponding supervision conditions should therefore be verified before the export route is finalized.

Second, coordinate logistics planning with overseas registration.

The expansion of overseas veterinary pharmaceutical markets can create attractive opportunities for Chinese manufacturers, but regulatory registration and market access remain prerequisites.

Accordingly, logistics planning should not be considered separately from the company's international market development strategy. The selected port, transportation mode and shipping frequency should be aligned with the registration status, customer requirements and expected sales volume in each target market.

Third, avoid relying on a single export gateway.

During the first quarter of 2026, several major veterinary API products, including doxycycline, florfenicol, tylosin, tilmicosin and tiamulin, recorded increases in export volume. However, for some products, export value grew more slowly than export volume because of lower market prices.

When export volumes increase while pricing remains under pressure, logistics cost control becomes increasingly important.

Rather than fixing all shipments to a single port, exporters can compare Qingdao, Shanghai, Tianjin and railway routes according to destination, shipment size, inland transportation cost, transit time and customer requirements.

Export Location Is Ultimately a Compliance and Cost Decision

The question of where to export veterinary APIs is not simply a choice between Qingdao, Shanghai, Tianjin or a railway terminal.

It is a combined decision involving regulatory classification, inland logistics, ocean or rail freight, destination-market requirements, delivery time and total landed cost.

Ports themselves do not change frequently, but the logic for selecting them does.

As China's veterinary pharmaceutical industry becomes increasingly integrated into global supply chains, exporters need to evaluate logistics routes together with customs requirements and overseas market access.

For veterinary API manufacturers, an efficient export strategy is therefore not about choosing one "best" port. It is about selecting the most appropriate route for each product, destination and order while maintaining accurate customs classification and regulatory compliance.