After National Day, there’s another celebration that most Singaporeans look forward to: The Mid-Autumn Festival (aka Mooncake Festival).

Mooncakes are not merely treats but significant symbols of connection and celebration shared between loved ones, regardless of the distance.

For those with friends and family living abroad, sending mooncakes has become a special way to maintain traditions and share the festive spirit.

However, this process can get complicated as shipping food overseas generally has many restrictions, and mooncakes are not a standard food item.

We’ve compiled a checklist to help you navigate the intricacies of shipping mooncakes internationally.

1. Check if your mooncake shipment flouts any regulations

Mooncakes are typically made from flour, egg yolk and sugar, with common fillings like red bean or lotus seed paste. Due to the perishable nature of these ingredients, many countries have strict regulations concerning their import to ensure food safety.

Key Rules for International Mooncake Shipping

Strictly no traces of meat or egg yolk are allowed in mooncakes intended for international shipments. This restriction is due to the high risk of spoilage and the stringent food safety standards enforced by most countries.

Country-Specific Import Rules

Before preparing your mooncakes for shipment, it’s crucial to familiarise yourself with the specific import laws of the destination country.

Since 2016, countries such as Indonesia and Mexico have disallowed mooncakes for domestic import. Although these restrictions are officially in place, anecdotal evidence suggests that enforcement is often lax for shipments sent as consumer gifts rather than for commercial purposes.

In addition to outright bans, the primary factors most countries consider include the weight, quantity, and intended purpose of the shipment.

Countries such as the USA, Australia, and Canada do not allow commercial shipments of mooncakes intended for resale but do permit them to be sent to friends and family. Large shipments (>10kg) of mooncakes will also come under similar scrutiny.

We've put together a list of ingredient restrictions for 9 common countries that our customers ship to.

In particular, we want to highlight from real-life data:

• Mooncakes containing egg yolk or meat always get rejected and returned.
• Generally, sending mooncakes to Malaysia can still be unpredictable.
• Any type of food being sent to Spain and Belgium always gets rejected.

2. Check the mooncakes’ shelf life

If you’re thinking of choosing the most cost-effective option, shipping internationally can take weeks. This duration might be extended if there are shipping delays.

Always ensure that your mooncakes have a shelf-life of more than a month, and cross check with your shipping provider how long it takes to ship to your recipient’s country.

You wouldn’t want your loved ones to feel pressured by the expiry date, but rather enjoy the treats sent to them.

JustShip can send your mooncake to any location in the world in 2-5 working days*. With JustShip’s affordable rates, you’ll get premium air shipping at cheap rates.

*excluding delays – e.g. weather, travel bans and country lockdowns.

3. Check if your mooncakes are properly packed

First, check to see if the mooncakes are well-fit in the mooncake box. If the mooncakes move around a lot when you shake the mooncake box, you can consider stuffing some tissue or paper to stabilise the mooncakes and prevent damage during transit.

Second, make sure the exterior is strong. Singaporeans spare no expense when it comes to mooncakes. Not only do our mooncakes taste good, it should also look good.

While the boxes mooncakes come in are beautiful, they fall short in terms of keeping your mooncakes securely protected. Most decorative boxes only hold the mooncakes in place for presentation.

So if you’re considering shipping mooncakes overseas, it’ll be wise to invest in a good double-corrugated box that your mooncake box can fit snugly into. This extra step ensures that not only will your mooncakes arrive intact, but they will also present well upon opening.

Conclusion

This year, the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on Tuesday, 17 September 2024. If you’re looking to ship mooncakes internationally, the earlier the better.

JustShip offers cheap international shipping including picking and packing.

Got questions, Whatsapp us at +65 9118 7971 / hello@justship.sg to speak to a customer service representative. Got a package? JustShip with us today.