Regulatory Measures:

1. China implements access permission for imported aquatic products. Only those products whose varieties (subject to Latin), countries or regions of origin, storage forms and other contents are consistent with the "Catalogue of Foods Exported to China from Countries or Regions that Meet the Requirements of Assessment and Examination and Have Traditional Trade" can be exported to China;

2. Overseas manufacturing enterprises shall register with China Customs and obtain registration number in China;

3. Chinese importers shall apply for the Quarantine Permit for Imported Animals and Plants;

4. Inspection and quarantine of imported meat shall be carried out at designated supervision sites;

5. Overseas exporters/agents shall be put on record and obtain the record number;

6. Chinese importers shall record the consignees and obtain the record number;

Solutions for meeting the requirements of Regulatory Measures:

1. China implements access permission for imported aquatic products;

Solution: Firstly, accept the application. The intended exporting country (region) shall submit a formal application to the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) in writing for exporting aquatic products to China. The GACC shall, in accordance with the general principles stipulated in the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures of the World Trade Organization (WTO), decide whether to initiate the access procedures according to the epidemic situation of aquatic animals and the status of food safety in the exporting country (region). If activated, a risk assessment questionnaire for relevant aquatic products will be submitted to the intended exporting country (region). Secondly, organize an assessment. The GACC shall organize an expert team to conduct risk assessment on the answer sheets and related technical data provided by the official government of the intendeded exporting country (region) and form an assessment report. In the process of assessment, if necessary, with the consent of the intended exporting country (region), experts can be assigned there to conduct field visits or verification visits to confirm the authenticity and consistency of relevant information and operations. Thirdly, consultation on inspection and quarantine requirements. Based on the assessment results, the two sides shall negotiate on the inspection, quarantine and health requirements for aquatic products exported to China, determine the inspection and quarantine requirements after reaching an agreement (including the inspection and quarantine protocol, memorandum or announcement of the inspection and quarantine requirements), and confirm the content and format of veterinary health certificates for products exported to China.

2. Overseas manufacturing enterprises shall register with China Customs and obtain registration number for exporting to China;

Solution: Only after confirming the varieties (in Latin), country or region, storage form and other contents of the aquatic products are consistent with the stipulations in the "Catalogue of Foods Exported to China from Countries or Regions that Meet the Requirements of Assessment and Examination and Have Traditional Trade", can an overseas production enterprise apply through the CIFER registration system of the GACC, and the applicant enterprise shall meet the standards and requirements stipulated in the Compliance Checklist for Registration of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Aquatic Products; After the GACC receives the application, the expert panel shall evaluate and examine the applicant through written inspection, video inspection, on-site inspection and other forms of inspection or any combination of the above, and register the overseas manufacturers of imported food that meet the requirements and give them the registration number in China.

3. Chinese importers shall apply for the Quarantine Permit for Imported Animals and Plants;

Solution: Importers can log in the "Internet + Customs" integrated online service platform (platform address: http://online.customs.gov.cn) to handle the formalities.

4. Inspection and quarantine of imported meat shall be carried out at designated supervision sites;

Solution: Check the List of Designated Supervision Sites for Imported Chilled Aquatic Products through the official website of the GACC.

5. Overseas exporters/agents shall be put on record and obtain the record number;

Solution: Submit the application through "Internet + Customs" - "Record System for Importers and Exporters of Imported Food".

6. Chinese importers shall record the consignees and obtain the record number;

Solution: Submit the application through "Internet + Customs" - "Record System for Importers and Exporters of Imported Food".

Information required for Customs declaration:

1. Certificate of Origin

2. Inspection and quarantine certificate (Veterinary health certificate) issued by the competent authority of the exporting country

3. Quarantine Permit for Imported Animals and Plants

4. Contract

5. Invoice

6. Packing List

7. Bill of Lading

8. Chinese label or label in both Chinese and English

9. Quality assurance certificate (only need to state the holding of relevant materials for declaration)

10. Certificate of qualified detection of radioactive substances (only applicable to aquatic products from Japan)

11. Other supporting information or test reports

(Note: It is possible that different ports have different requirements on declaration data, which is regarded as normal)

Solutions for attaining the information required for Customs declaration (part of information):

1. Inspection and quarantine certificate (Veterinary health certificate) issued by the competent authority of the exporting country

Solution: The inspection and quarantine veterinary (health) certificate shall be signed and issued by a signatory officer registered with China authority according to the bilateral agreement entered into by and between the exporting country and China, the inspection and quarantine protocol, the sample certificate of inspection and quarantine as specified in the memorandum or the announcement, the official seal of the issuing authority. After the goods are loaded into the container, they shall be sealed under the supervision of the official veterinarian of the exporting country before transport, and the seal number shall be indicated in the veterinary health certificate. Do not open and change the package during transportation.

2. Chinese label or label in both Chinese and English

Solution: For imported aquatic products, the internal and external packaging shall have firm, clear, easily recognizable labels in Chinese and English or in Chinese and the language of the exporting country (region), indicating the following: Commodity name and scientific name, specifications, production date, batch number, warranty period and storage conditions, production method (seawater fishing, freshwater fishing, aquaculture), production area (Marine fishing waters, freshwater fishing country or region, the country or region where the aquaculture product is located), the names of all production and processing companies involved (including fishing vessels, processing vessels, transport vessels, independent cold storage), and registration number and address (down to the state/province/city), and it must be indicated that the destination is the People's Republic of China. For prepackaged aquatic products exported to China, the Chinese labels of the prepackages shall conform to the label requirements for prepackaged food exported to China. Labels do not meet the requirements can be rectified and printed quickly, and can be affixed at the designated supervision place of the port of receipt before Customs clearance.

Conformity Assessment by Customs

Imported aquatic products pass the inspection and quarantine in accordance with the conformity assessment procedures can be sold and consumed only after the issuance of Inspection and Quarantine Certificate for Entry Goods by the Customs.

1. What are the common mistakes in registration?

(1) The product was classified incorrectly, and the wrong access method and procedure were applied.
(2) Failure to strictly follow the "Conditions and Compliance Checklist of Imported Aquatic" to inspect the elements of the enterprise and conduct feasibility assessments.

(4) Registration application materials or attachments submitted are not in English or Chinese.

(5) The file format is incorrect and cannot be opened.

(6) There is a vacancy in the application materials where the signature and seal of the competent authority is required.

(7) The necessary parts of the application form are incomplete.

(8) The attachments of the application form are incomplete or do not correspond to the description of the content of the application form, which cannot prove the validity of the content of the application form.

(9) There are descriptions in the application form and attached materials that are obviously inconsistent with Chinese regulations.

(10) The information of the exported products cannot be accurately listed in the application, so that the customs clearance failure and needs to be urgently added. (Overseas manufacturers generally register according to the actual product strictly corresponding to the HS CODE, but Chinese brokers or freight agencies generally classify HS CODE according to the most preferential tax rate or the lowest supervision conditions or the simplest operation methods. There are cases that different ports and different freight agencies use different HS CODE for the same foods. There is a possibility of different classification, and our agency have to deal with many emergencies caused by the reasonable but misplaced demands of different market entities.)

(11) The application materials provided are contradictory.

(12) The country/origin where the overseas producers is located export firstly some foods has not yet conducted conformity equivalent assessment of the GACC official regulatory system.

2. An example of GACC does not approve review feedback?

3. How to renew the GACC registration after the previous CNCA access of the overseas manufacturer of imported aquatic products expires? 

Answer: GACC has carried out data transfer, and the original data remains unchanged; after the expiration, enterprises must follow the regulations of the General Administration of Customs No. 248 and 249, follow the prescribed materials, prescribed procedures, and submit the extension by overseas CA institutions and conduct technical review and/or Or on-site assessment, according to the new checkpoints, the registration will be renewed, and the original registration number will remain unchanged.

4. Which exporting countries(regions) that have confirmed with the General Administration of Customs the certificate for the inspection and quarantine of aquatic products exported to China?

Asia (23): Pakistan, North Korea, Philippines, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Malaysia, Maldives, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, Singapore, Hong Kong SAR, Iran, India, Indonesia, Brunei, Vietnam, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Mongolia;

Europe (26): Ireland, Estonia, Bulgaria, Belgium, Iceland, Denmark, Russia, France, Faroe Islands, Finland, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Croatia, Lithuania, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Greece, Italy, United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Latvia, Slovenia;

Americas (17): Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Cuba, Guyana, Canada, the United States, Mexico, Suriname, Uruguay, Chile, Panama, Greenland, Venezuela, Jamaica;

Africa (14): Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Uganda, Mauritania, Senegal, Seychelles, Tanzania, Egypt, Somalia;

Oceania (8): Australia, Fiji, Cook Islands, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, New Zealand, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea.

5. After inquiring into "catalogues of food exported to China from countries or regions that meet the assessment and examination requirements and conduct traditional trade with China", the varieties of aquatic products that our company operates are not in the list of origin countries, can our company directly start the enterprise registration process?

Answer: No, according to "General Administration of Customs of China Decree 249 Announcing the Administrative Measures on Import and Export Food Safety", GACC first evaluates the food safety management system and food safety status of the aquatic products from the country of origin, and based on the evaluation and review results, the corresponding inspection and quarantine requirements are determined, then enterprises can register according to the prescribed procedures.

6. Do exporters or shippers need to record?
A: Yes, the exporter of the trade contract or shipper of BL has to do ire (Original AQSIQ) record. After recording will get an 11-digit record number, the record does not issue certificate nor validity limit. It should be noted that this record is very easy, we are obliged to help applicant record free of charge. Watch out for fraudulent websites.
(In China's administrative reform, AQSIQ no longer exist)

National food safety standard -- Fresh and frozen marine products of animal origin GB 2733-2015

National Standard for Food Safety Food Additive Use Standard GB 2760-2014

National Food Safety Standard Limitation of Mycotoxins in Food GB 2761-2017

National Food Safety Standard Limits of Contaminants in Food GB 2762-2017

National Food Safety Standard Maximum Residue Limits of Pesticides in Food GB 2763-2021

National Food Safety Standard for Limiting Concentration of Radioactive Substances in Food GB 14882-1994

National Food Safety Standard Limits of Pathogenic Bacteria in Food GB 29921-2013
(If you need to obtain the English version of the above regulations or technical standards, or the official language version of your country, feel free to contact us)
 

Import process:
Enterprises and products must meet the following conditions:

1. The country of origin on the "List of exporting countries (regions) that have confirmed the inspection and quarantine certificates of aquatic products exported to China with the General Administration of Customs"

2. Overseas production enterprises and aquatic products categories on the GACC published "Overseas production enterprises registered list of imported aquatic products".

3. "catalogues of food exported to China from countries or regions that meet the assessment and examination requirements and conduct traditional trade with China"

4. The overseas exporter has completed the record filing in the China Customs ire system (refer to the Shipper in the bill of lading)

5. The domestic importer has completed the record filing in the China Customs ire system (refer to the Consignee in the bill of lading,the Notify Party not included)

Other restricted common regulations include but are not limited to the following:
"the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora"（CITES）
"List of key protected wild animals in China" and live aquatic animals and aquatic animal and plant propagation material
"List of Animals and their Products prohibited Importing from Animal disease-endemic countries"
"Announcement on banning the import of some Japanese food and agricultural products"
"China WTO/TBT-SPS Risk Warning and Notification"