Regarding the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for the Maize Exported from Pakistan

In accordance with the regulations established by the General Administration of Customs of China and the Ministry of National Food Security and Research of Pakistan regarding phytosanitary requirements for the export of Pakistani maize to China, the import of Pakistani maize meeting the following requirements is permitted effective immediately:

I. Basis for Inspection and Quarantine

(I) *Biosecurity Law of the People's Republic of China*;

(II) *Law of the People's Republic of China on the Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine* and its implementing regulations;

(III) *Protocol between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of National Food Security and Research of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on Phytosanitary Requirements for the Export of Pakistani Maize to China*.

II. Permitted Commodity

Maize (*Zea mays* L.): Refers to maize kernels produced in Pakistan and exported to China solely for processing purposes; not for planting.

III. Permitted Origin

All regions of Pakistan.

IV. Enterprise Registration

The Ministry of National Food Security and Research of Pakistan shall implement registration and routine supervision for enterprises involved in the production, processing, and storage of maize destined for China. It shall also require the implementation of measures such as screening and impurity removal to ensure products meet relevant phytosanitary requirements. Enterprises meeting the requirements shall be recommended by the Ministry of National Food Security and Research of Pakistan to the General Administration of Customs of China; upon approval and registration by the latter, the list of such enterprises will be published and dynamically updated on the website of the General Administration of Customs of China.

V. Pests of Concern to China Customs

Maize exported to China must be free from the following pests of concern to China Customs:

1. Barley stripe mosaic virus

2. Maize dwarf mosaic virus

3. Trogoderma granarium

4. Ditylenchus dipsaci

5. Xanthomonas albilineans

6. Cenchrus echinatus

7. Chenopodiastrum murale

8. Emex australis

9. Parthenium hysterophorus

10. Solanum elaeagnifolium

11. Sorghum halepense

12. Monosporascus cannonballus

13. Peronosclerospora philippinensis

14. Peronosclerospora sorghi

15. Sclerophthora rayssiae

16. Verticillium dahliae

VI. Pre-shipment Requirements

(I) Production requirements.

1. The Ministry of National Food Security and Research of Pakistan shall conduct surveys and monitoring for the pests of concern to China Customs during the maize growing season and implement pest control measures in the fields to reduce pest incidence. The Ministry shall submit information to China Customs, including annual pest survey and monitoring reports and details of field control measures.

2. The Ministry of National Food Security and Research of Pakistan shall strengthen supervision and management of production, processing, and storage enterprises, ensuring they implement measures such as sun-drying, mechanical drying, and impurity removal to prevent maize exported to China from carrying soil, plant residues, weed seeds, and other foreign impurities.

(II) Packaging and transportation requirements.

1. Maize exported to China must be transported in sealed containers or compartments. Transport vehicles must meet sanitary and phytosanitary requirements; they must be thoroughly inspected prior to loading to prevent contamination with weed seeds, live insects, impurities from other grains, plant debris, soil, etc., and must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected if necessary.

2. If the maize is transported in bags, the packaging materials used must be new, clean, sanitary, and compliant with China Customs' import plant quarantine requirements. The packaging must be clearly marked in both Chinese and English with "本产品输往中华人民共和国, This product will be exported to the People's Republic of China" as well as the names of the production, processing, and storage enterprises and their China Customs registration numbers.

If wood packaging is used, it must comply with the requirements of the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 (ISPM 15).

(III) Product requirements.

Maize exported to China must comply with China's laws and regulations on import plant quarantine and food or feed safety, as well as relevant standards. It must be free from pests of concern to China Customs, free from live insects, soil, and plant debris (such as branches and leaves), and must not contain intentionally added or mixed other grains or foreign impurities.

(IV) Pre-export inspection, quarantine, and certification requirements.

Prior to export, the Ministry of National Food Security and Research of Pakistan shall conduct quarantine on the maize destined for China. For maize meeting the requirements, a phytosanitary certificate shall be issued, stating "This consignment complies with the phytosanitary requirements provided in the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements for the Maize Exported from Pakistan to China and is free from the pests of concern to China" in the additional declaration section in English, along with the names of the production, processing, and storage enterprises, their China Customs registration numbers, and the transport vehicle identification number. Consignments found to contain live insects must undergo fumigation treatment prior to export, and the treatment parameters must be specified on the phytosanitary certificate.

VII. Import inspection and quarantine

(I) Document verification.

1. Verify whether the goods originate from registered enterprises;

2. Verify the authenticity and validity of the phytosanitary certificate.

(II) Cargo inspection.

Inspection and quarantine of the maize shall be conducted in accordance with relevant laws, administrative regulations, and rules, as well as the provisions of this announcement; entry shall be permitted upon successful completion of inspection and quarantine.

(III) Handling of non-compliant shipments.

1. Shipments lacking a valid phytosanitary certificate shall be returned or destroyed;

2. Shipments originating from enterprises that are not registered shall be returned or destroyed;

3. If live quarantine pests or other live harmful organisms are detected, shipments shall undergo disinfestation treatment if an effective treatment method exists; if no effective treatment method exists, they shall be returned or destroyed;

4. Shipments found to contain soil or genetically modified components not approved by Chinese authorities shall be returned or destroyed;

5. Shipments found to be otherwise non-compliant with Chinese laws, regulations, and standards regarding the entry inspection and quarantine of animals and plants, as well as food or feed safety, shall be handled in accordance with relevant provisions.

Upon discovery of the aforementioned violations, China Customs will notify the Ministry of National Food Security and Research of Pakistan and—depending on the severity of the violation—take measures such as suspending the relevant enterprise's qualification to export to China, pending the implementation of effective corrective measures by the Ministry of National Food Security and Research of Pakistan.

GACC