Regarding the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for Export of Wild Aquatic Products from Korea

According to the regulations of the Chinese Customs and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety of the Republic of Korea regarding the inspection and sanitary requirements for wild aquatic products, effective immediately, the import of wild aquatic products from South Korea that meet the following requirements is permitted:

I. Inspection and Quarantine Basis

(1) The Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China and its implementing regulations, the Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine Law of the People's Republic of China and its implementing regulations, and the Import and Export Commodity Inspection Law of the People's Republic of China and its implementing regulations.

(2) The Measures for the Administration of Food Safety of Imported and Exported Products of the People's Republic of China and the Regulations on the Registration Management of Overseas Production Enterprises of Imported Food of the People's Republic of China.

(3) The Cooperation Arrangement between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety of the Republic of Korea on Inspection and Sanitary Requirements for Imported and Exported Wild Aquatic Products.

II. Scope of Imported Products

Wild aquatic products refer to wild aquatic animal products and their derivatives, and marine plant products such as algae and their derivatives, intended for human consumption. This excludes amphibians, reptiles, aquatic mammals, live aquatic animals, and aquatic plant and animal propagation materials.

III. Requirements for Production Enterprises

Production enterprises (including production, processing, and storage enterprises) exporting wild aquatic products to China must be approved by the Korean government and subject to its effective supervision. The food safety and hygiene management and protection systems of these enterprises must comply with the requirements of relevant Chinese food safety laws and regulations.

Enterprises exporting wild aquatic products to China must obtain registration in China in accordance with relevant Chinese food safety laws and regulations. Exports without registration are prohibited.

IV. Requirements for Imported Products

The Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety must ensure that wild aquatic products exported to China meet the following conditions:

(I) The wild aquatic products are legally caught in Korean waters or international waters.

(II) The raw materials and products do not have the following issues:

1. Wild aquatic products imported from South Korea to China violate relevant Chinese food safety laws, regulations, national standards, and the provisions of the Cooperation Arrangement, seriously jeopardizing the safety of wild aquatic products.

2. Aquatic animal diseases listed in the "List of Quarantine Diseases for Animals Entering the People's Republic of China" (hereinafter referred to as the "List") or those required to be notified by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and related to products covered by the Cooperation Arrangement have occurred in South Korea, seriously jeopardizing the safety of wild aquatic products.

3. Major food safety incidents have occurred in South Korea, or major public health incidents have occurred at production enterprises, or fishing waters have been affected by pollutants, seriously jeopardizing the safety of wild aquatic products.

(III) No drugs or additives prohibited in China have been used directly or indirectly; only drugs or additives restricted or permitted in China have been used.

(IV) Inspection and quarantine by the competent authorities have found no pathogenic microorganisms, toxic or harmful substances, or foreign objects listed in Chinese laws and regulations, nor any infectious diseases, parasitic diseases, or aquatic animal diseases listed in the "List" or required to be reported by WOAH.

(V) The entire process of wild aquatic product harvesting, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, transshipment, and export must comply with relevant Chinese safety and hygiene requirements and traceability requirements.

(VI) Product packaging and labeling must comply with Chinese laws, regulations, and standards.

V. Certificate Requirements

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety of the Republic of Korea are responsible for conducting inspection and quarantine of wild aquatic products exported to China in accordance with the requirements of Chinese Customs. They shall issue a health certificate, confirmed by both parties, for each batch of wild aquatic products exported to China, certifying that the batch complies with relevant Chinese food safety laws, regulations, and national standards. Certificates will be printed in both Chinese and English; English is the mandatory language for completing the certificate.

The certificate should include complete information about the producers of the wild aquatic products exported to China. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety of the Republic of Korea shall provide a certificate sample to Chinese Customs and provide the official seal as required by Chinese Customs. Any modifications or adjustments shall be notified to Chinese Customs. The existing format and seal remain valid until Chinese Customs becomes aware of the relevant information.

VI. Other Requirements

Chinese Customs shall conduct inspection and quarantine of wild aquatic products exported to China in accordance with Chinese laws, regulations, standards, and the Cooperation Arrangement.

For non-compliant products, they shall be destroyed, returned, or otherwise disposed of in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations. For manufacturers experiencing serious problems or repeated non-compliance issues, Chinese customs may take measures such as strengthening inspection and quarantine or suspending imports.

GACC