Regarding the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for Export of Fresh Cherries from South Africa to China

According to the regulations of Chinese Customs and the South African Ministry of Agriculture regarding the phytosanitary requirements for cherries exported to China, from now on, imports of fresh South African cherries that meet the following requirements are permitted.

I. Quarantine basis

(1) Biosafety Law of the People's Republic of China;

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

(3) The Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China and its implementing regulations;

(4) "Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Inspection and Quarantine of Imported Fruits";

(5) "Protocol on Plant Quarantine Requirements for Fresh Cherries Exported from South Africa to China" by the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of South Africa.

II. Permitted names of goods to be imported into the country

South African fresh-eating European sweet cherry (hereafter referred to as cherry), scientific name Prunus avium.

III. Permitted production areas

South Africa's cherry-producing region.

IV. Approved orchards and packing plants

Cherry orchards, packing plants, and processing facilities exported to China must be reviewed by the South African Ministry of Agriculture and jointly approved for registration by Chinese Customs and the South African Ministry of Agriculture. Registration information includes name, address, and registration code to ensure accurate traceability if exported goods do not comply with the relevant provisions of this announcement. Before each export season, the South African Ministry of Agriculture shall provide the registration list to Chinese Customs, which will be published on the website after review and approval by Chinese Customs.

V. List of quarantine pests of concern by China Customs

1. Ceratitis capitata

2. Ceratitis quilicii

3. Ceratitis rosa

4. Ceroplastes rusci

5. Pseudococcus viburni

6. Pseudomonas syringae pv. Morsprunorum

VI. Pre-export management

(i) Orchard Management.

1. Orchards exporting to China should establish and implement Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) under the supervision of the South African Ministry of Agriculture, including maintaining orchard sanitation and promptly removing fallen fruit, and implementing Integrated Pest Control (IPM), including pest monitoring, chemical control, biological control, and agricultural operation control measures, to avoid or minimize the occurrence of quarantine pests of concern by Chinese customs on cherries.

2. The South African Ministry of Agriculture should conduct orchard monitoring targeting quarantine pests of concern to Chinese customs. If pests or their corresponding symptoms are detected during monitoring, comprehensive management measures including chemical, physical, or biological control should be adopted to ensure that South African cherries exported to China do not carry quarantine pests of concern to Chinese customs.

3. Orchards exporting to China must be monitored by technical personnel familiar with plant quarantine under the guidance of the South African Department of Agriculture, who are of concern to Chinese customs. Technical personnel must be trained by the South African Ministry of Agriculture or its authorized agencies.

4. Orchards exporting to China must retain pest monitoring, investigation, and control records for at least two years and provide them upon request by Chinese customs. Pest monitoring and control records should include at least monitoring time, names of detected pests, and control measures taken; Chemical control records should include detailed information such as the names, active ingredients, application dates, and dosages of all chemical reagents used during the growing season.

5. For Ceratitis capitata, Ceratitis quilicii, and Ceratitis rosa, orchards exporting to China should adopt comprehensive field management measures, using chemical or biological control methods to monitor and trap fruit flies from flowering to harvest to reduce fruit fly population density. Orchards exporting to China should use fruit fly traps (such as triangular or barrel types) for monitoring, using registered Ceratitis capitata bait. The density of traps is 2 per square kilometer (orchards under 1 square kilometer should have at least 2 traps). The core should be replaced according to the product manual, and traps should be inspected weekly. If the daily density of fruit flies caught by each trap exceeds 0.7 (FTD > 0.7), effective control is required.

6. For Pseudomonas syringae pv. morsprunorum, an orchard monitoring system should be established, orchard management strengthened, and field monitoring surveys conducted at least once a month during the growing season in cherry-producing areas. If suspected infection symptoms are detected, samples should be collected promptly and sent to the laboratory for molecular biological identification. If infection with Pseudomonas syringae pv. morsprunorum is confirmed, comprehensive control measures must be taken to control the pathogen. If control is incomplete, the orchard will be disqualified from exporting to China for the current export season.

7. For scale insects and other pests, orchards exported to China should conduct monitoring and surveys, inspecting fruit, stems, leaves, and other parts at least once every two weeks from flowering to harvest. If pests or their corresponding symptoms are found, timely control measures should be taken to control their occurrence or maintain low prevalence levels, ensuring cherry fruits do not carry these quarantine pests.

(ii) Packaging Plant Management.

1. The processing, packaging, storage, and shipping of cherries exported to China shall be supervised by the South African Department of Agriculture or authorized personnel.

2. During post-harvest processing and packaging of cherries, processes such as washing, selection, and grading should be carried out to ensure no live insects, defective fruit, branches, leaves, or soil.

3. The functional areas for receiving, processing, handling, and storing cherries exported to China should be relatively independent and reasonably laid out, and isolation measures should be taken from non-export-to-China fruits.

4. Registered packaging factories should establish a traceability system to ensure that cherries exported to China can be traced back to the registered orchard. Registration information should include the processing and packaging date, the name of the source orchard or its registration number.

(iii) Packaging requirements.

1. Packaging materials should be clean, hygienic, unused, and meet China's relevant plant quarantine requirements. If wooden packaging is used, it must comply with the International Standard for Plant Quarantine Measures No. 15 (ISPM 15).

2. If packaged cherries need to be stored, they should be immediately stored and stored separately to avoid reinfection by harmful organisms. Each packaging box must be labeled in English with the fruit name, country, place of origin (such as district, city, or county), orchard registration number, packaging factory registration number, and other information. Each packaging box and tray must be labeled in Chinese or English with "输往中华人民共和国" or "Exported to the People's Republic of China".

3. Containers used for transporting Chinese cherries must be checked for good hygiene during loading, and necessary pest control measures should be taken during loading.

(iv) Quarantine treatment requirements.

Cherries exported to China must undergo cold treatment or fumigation under the supervision of the South African Department of Agriculture or its authorized personnel.

Cold treatment must be carried out under the supervision of the South African Ministry of Agriculture or authorized officials, following pre-export cold treatment procedures or in-transit cold treatment procedures. The cold treatment indicator requirements are as follows:

Fumigation treatment uses methyl bromide fumigant, with the following treatment indicators:

At standard atmospheric pressure (NAP) and temperature of 21.1°C or above, the dose is 32 g/m3, treatment for 2 hours; 0.5 hours after treatment starts, concentration not less than 26 g/m3; 2 hours after treatment, concentration not less than 16 g/m3.

(v) Pre-export inspection and quarantine.

1. The South African Department of Agriculture or its authorized personnel shall conduct sampling inspections of each batch of cherries exported to China at a ratio of 2% per shipment. If no plant quarantine issues have occurred within two years, the sampling rate may be reduced to 1%.

2. If live quarantine pests of concern to Chinese customs are found, the entire batch of goods must not be exported to China. The South African Ministry of Agriculture should investigate the cause and take corrective measures, keep inspection records, and provide them to Chinese customs upon request.

(vi) Requirements for plant quarantine certificates.

1. For those who pass quarantine, the South African Department of Agriculture shall issue a plant quarantine certificate, indicating the orchard registration number, packing plant registration number, and container number, and indicate in the additional declaration: "This consignment complies with the requirements specified in the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements for Export of Fresh Cherries from South Africa to China, and is free from quarantine pests of concern to China."

2. For goods subject to pre-export cold treatment, the plant quarantine certificate should indicate the handling temperature, duration, and the name or registration number of the treatment facility. For goods undergoing cold treatment during transit, the plant quarantine certificate should indicate "Cold treatment in transit," along with the temperature, duration, container number, and seal identification number.

3. For goods subject to pre-export fumigation treatment, the quarantine treatment section of the plant quarantine certificate should indicate the dosage, duration, and treatment temperature of methyl bromide used for fumigation, as well as the name or number of the fumigation facility.

VII. Entry-bound inspection, quarantine, and handling of non-compliance

When cherries exported to China arrive at Chinese entry ports, Chinese customs will verify relevant documents and labels and conduct inspection and quarantine.

(i) Verification of relevant certificates and identification marks.

1. Check whether imported cherries have obtained the "Entry Animal and Plant Quarantine Permit."

2. Verify whether the plant quarantine certificate complies with the provisions of Article 6, Item (6) of this announcement.

3. Verify whether the labels on packaging boxes and pallets comply with Article 6, Item (3) of this announcement.

4. For goods that have undergone cold treatment before export, check the cold treatment report signed and confirmed by the South African Ministry of Agriculture and the fruit temperature probe calibration records; For goods that undergo cold treatment during transport, check whether the cold treatment report and fruit temperature probe calibration records are attached.

(ii) Inspection and quarantine upon arrival.

1. Cherries exported to China must be entered through ports permitted by Chinese customs for fruit import.

2. When cherries arrive at Chinese entry ports, customs will verify relevant documents and labels, and conduct inspection and quarantine in accordance with Chinese laws, regulations, national standards, and the requirements of this announcement. Cherries that pass inspection and quarantine are permitted to enter the country.

(iii) Nonconformity Handling.

1. If the goods are found to be from orchards, packing plants, or processing facilities not approved by Chinese customs, the shipment will not be allowed into the country.

2. If cold treatment is deemed ineffective or fails, the batch of goods will be treated by shore cold treatment (if still allowed inside the container), returned, destroyed, and other measures.

3. If quarantine pests of concern to Chinese customs or newly occurring live quarantine pests in South Africa are found, or soil, plant residues, etc., the shipment will be returned, destroyed, or dismantled.

4. If any non-compliance with Chinese food safety laws, regulations, and national standards is found, the batch of goods will be returned or destroyed.

GACC

September 21, 2026

Pre-export Cold Treatment Operation Procedure

I. Types of cold treatment facilities

(1) Pre-export cold treatment must be carried out in refrigerated rooms approved by the South African Ministry of Agriculture.

(2) The South African Department of Agriculture or its authorized personnel are responsible for ensuring that the refrigerated rooms used by exporters meet standards and are equipped with refrigeration equipment capable of reaching and maintaining the required temperature for the fruit.

(3) The South African Department of Agriculture or its authorized personnel must retain the registration documents for the cold storage room approved for pre-export cold treatment of cherries exported to China. This document should include the following contents.

1. Location and construction plans for all facilities, including detailed contact information for owners/operators;

2. Facility dimensions and capacity;

3. Types of insulation for walls, floors, and ceilings;

4. Brands, styles, types, and capacities of refrigeration compressors, evaporators, and air circulation systems;

5. Specifications and detailed information of the equipment's temperature range, defrost cycle control, and any integrated temperature recording devices.

(4) Before the cherry export season begins, South Africa's Department of Agriculture shall submit a list and address information of registered cold treatment facilities to Chinese customs.

II. Types of recorders

The South African Department of Agriculture or its authorized personnel must ensure that probes and temperature recorders meet the following conditions:

(1) The probe temperature should be between -3.0°C and +3.0°C, accurate to ± 0.15°C;

(2) Able to accommodate the required number of probes;

(3) Be able to record and store data on the processing process until inspection by the South African Department of Agriculture;

(4) Must be able to record all probe temperatures at least once per hour, achieving the required accuracy for probe temperatures, and supervised by the South African Department of Agriculture or its authorized personnel;

(5) Print output to recognize each probe, time, and temperature.

III. Probe calibration

Calibration must be performed using a standard thermometer approved by the South African Department of Agriculture in a mixture of crushed ice and distilled water:

(1) Any probe reading exceeding 0°C ± 0.3°C must be replaced with another probe that meets the relevant standard;

(2) Upon completion of processing, the South African Department of Agriculture or its authorized personnel must verify the calibration values of the fruit temperature probe using the aforementioned calibration method.

IV. Probe placement

(1) Cherries on the upper pallet must be pre-cooled and placed into a cold treatment room under the supervision of the South African Department of Agriculture or its authorized personnel. Pre-cooling can be performed by the exporter themselves.

(2) Use at least two probes at the air outlet and return air outlet to measure room temperature, and insert at least the following four probes to measure fruit temperature.

1. A center located in the middle of the cold treatment chamber for the fruit stored;

2. A corner located in the middle of the cold treatment room on the top layer of the fruit store;

3. One located near the return air outlet in the middle of the fruit being stored;

4. One near the return air outlet at the corner of the top layer of the fruit to be stored.

(3) Probe placement and connection to the recorder shall be completed under the supervision and guidance of the cold storage operator. The South African Department of Agriculture or its authorized personnel will verify the probe position before loading begins and carefully check the temperature download for approval.

(4) The recorder can be started at any time, but processing time can only begin when all fruit temperature probes have reached the specified temperature.

(5) When using only the minimum number of probes, if any probes exceed the temperature range specified by the Protocol, the treatment is invalid and should be resumed when all four fruit temperature probes have returned to the Protocol's specified temperature.

V. Review of handling results

(1) If the processing record shows that all treatment parameters meet the requirements, officials from the South African Department of Agriculture may authorize the end of processing and calibrate the probe; If the probe calibration results meet the requirements of Article 3, the processing may be considered successful.

(2) Before the fruit is removed from the processing chamber, probes should be calibrated.

VI. Confirmation of Handling Results

(1) The printed temperature record should contain sufficient data to indicate that the required cold treatment has been completed.

(2) The South African Department of Agriculture or its authorized personnel must retain the above records and statistical values before confirming the successful processing. At the request of Chinese customs, provide the above records for audit.

(3) If the treatment does not meet the required cold treatment requirements, under the following conditions, the recorder can be reconnected and processing resumed.

1. The South African Department of Agriculture or its authorized personnel confirm that the conditions required by the protocol are still met; or

2. The interval between stopping and restarting is within 24 hours.

In these two cases, data collection can continue from the time the recorder is reconnected.

VII. Loading into containers

(1) Before loading, containers must be inspected by the South African Department of Agriculture or authorized personnel to ensure no harmful organisms are present, and the entrance must be shielded to prevent pests from entering.

(2) Cherries must be packed in boxes inside buildings with pest control measures; or the entrance of the cold storage room and the container entrance must be connected with insect-proof materials.

VIII. Container sealing identification

(1) The South African Department of Agriculture or its authorized personnel shall seal the container door loaded with cherries with a coded seal, and the seal number must be indicated on the precooling certificate.

(2) The seal can only be opened by Chinese Customs at the port of entry.

IX. Storage of cherries that have not been immediately boxed

If processed cherries are not immediately boxed, they can be temporarily stored under the supervision of the South African Department of Agriculture or authorized personnel.

(1) If cherries exported to China are stored in a cold treatment chamber, the door of the cold treatment chamber must be sealed;

(2) If cherries exported to China need to be transferred to another storage room, the transfer method must be approved by the South African Department of Agriculture, and no other fruits may be stored in that storage room;

(3) Cherries exported to China must be boxed under the supervision of South Africa's Ministry of Agriculture personnel in accordance with Article 7.

X. Plant quarantine certificate

(1) The temperature, duration, name of the cold treatment facility, or its registration number before export must be indicated in the plant quarantine certificate.

(2) When importing cherries to China, a plant quarantine certificate, cold treatment result report (with cold treatment temperature records signed and confirmed by South Africa's Ministry of Agriculture), and fruit temperature probe calibration records must be provided to Chinese customs.

Cold Treatment Procedures During Transportation

I. Container type

Containers must be transport containers that are self-(integrally) cooled and equipped with refrigeration equipment capable of reaching and maintaining the required temperature.

II. Types of recorders

The South African Department of Agriculture or its authorized personnel must ensure that probes and temperature recorders meet the following conditions.

(1) The probe temperature should be between -3.0°C and +3.0°C, accurate to ± 0.15°C;

(2) Have a sufficient number of probes;

(3) Be able to record and store data during the processing process;

(4) Able to record all probe temperatures at least once per hour, achieving the required accuracy for probe temperatures;

(5) The printed temperature records must record the corresponding time and temperature for each probe, and indicate the recorder model and container number.

III. Probe calibration

(1) Calibration must be performed using a standard thermometer approved by the South African Department of Agriculture or its authorized personnel in a mixture of crushed ice and distilled water.

(2) Any probe reading exceeding 0°C ± 0.3°C must be replaced.

(3) For each container, a "Fruit Temperature Probe Calibration Record" signed and confirmed by the South African Department of Agriculture or its authorized personnel must be issued, and the original must be attached to the accompanying plant quarantine certificate.

(4) When cherries exported to China arrive at the port of entry, Chinese customs will conduct calibration inspections on the fruit temperature probes.

IV. Probe placement

(1) Cherries on top pallets must be loaded into containers under the supervision of the South African Department of Agriculture or authorized personnel. The boxes should be stacked loosely to ensure sufficient airflow gaps.

(2) Each container must be equipped with at least 3 fruit temperature probes and 2 space temperature probes, with specific locations as follows:

1. Fruit temperature probe No. 1 is inserted into the center position of the top layer of the first row of fruit inside the container;

2. The No. 2 fruit temperature probe is placed 1.5 meters (40-foot container) or 1 meter (20-foot container) from the container door, and at half the height of the fruit to be stored;

3. Fruit temperature probe No. 3 is placed 1.5 meters (40-foot container) or 1 meter (20-foot container) to the left of the container door, and at half the height of the fruit being stored;

4. Two spatial temperature probes are respectively inserted at the container's air inlet and return air outlets.

(3) All probes must be placed under the supervision and guidance of the South African Department of Agriculture or its authorized personnel.

(4) Before boxing, cherries must be pre-cooled in the refrigerator until the pulp temperature reaches 4°C or below.

V. Container sealing identification

(1) Containers loaded with fruit must be sealed by the South African Department of Agriculture or its authorized personnel with coded seals.

(2) The seal can only be opened by Chinese Customs at the port of entry.

VI. Verification of processing results

(1) The probe must be calibrated before the cherries are removed from the container.

(2) If the temperature probe record shows that the technical specifications are met, and the probe calibration and placement positions meet the requirements of Articles 3 and 4, the treatment should be considered valid.

VII. Temperature Recording and Confirmation

(1) Cold treatment during transportation can begin before the cherries leave the South African port and end before or after reaching China's first entry port.

(2) Recording can start at any time, but processing time only begins when all fruit temperature probes have reached the specified temperature.

(3) The cold treatment temperature record downloaded by the shipping company must be submitted to Chinese customs. If the cold treatment is completed before the ship arrives at the port of entry, the cold treatment record downloaded on board can be transmitted to Chinese customs en route.

(4) China Customs will review whether the cold treatment records meet relevant processing requirements and determine whether the cold treatment is effective based on the probe calibration results.

VIII. Plant quarantine certificate

(1) The temperature and start time of cold treatment must be indicated in the processing section of the plant quarantine certificate, and the "Cold treatment in transit" section, container number, and seal number should also be indicated on the plant quarantine certificate.

(2) When cherries are imported, they must provide China Customs with plant quarantine certificates, cold treatment reports, and fruit temperature probe calibration records.