Regarding the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for Honey from Rwanda to China
I. Inspection and quarantine basis
(I) Laws and regulations.
China Food Safety Law and its implementing regulations, China Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine Law and its implementing regulations, China Import and Export Commodity Inspection Law and its implementing regulations, China Import and Export Food Safety Management Measures, China Import and Export Food Safety Management Regulations, China Import and Export Food Overseas Production Enterprise Registration Management Regulations, etc.
(II) Bilateral protocol.
China Customs and Rwanda Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources on Inspection, Quarantine and Veterinary Health Requirements for Honey Imported from Rwanda to China.
II. Products allowed to be imported
Rwandan honey allowed to be imported refers to the natural sweet substance that is fully brewed after bees collect nectar, secretions or honeydew from plants and mix them with their own secretions.
III. Requirements for production enterprises
The production enterprises of honey exported to China shall be registered with China Customs. The Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources of Rwanda will review the honey production enterprises that intend to export to China, and recommend them to the Chinese Customs if they are found to comply with the laws, regulations, standards and requirements of the Protocol of China. Unregistered honey production enterprises are not allowed to export honey to China.
IV. Inspection and Quarantine Requirements
(I) Bees that provide raw materials for honey exported to China must meet the following conditions:
1. They come from apiaries located in Rwanda, which should be registered and effectively supervised by the competent authorities.
2. The nectar, secretions or honeydew collected by bees should be safe and non-toxic, and must not come from toxic nectar plants and genetically modified plants.
(II) The Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources of Rwanda confirms that there is no beehive beetle disease (honeycomb beetle) and bee bright heat laelaps disease in its territory.
(III) There is no American honey bee larvae rot disease and European honey bee larvae rot disease within a radius of 5 kilometers around the apiary and within 12 months before the product is exported to China.
(IV) Quarantine requirements for Varroa mite disease in honey bees: the bee farm from which this batch of honey comes and the surrounding radius of 5 km, and there is no Varroa mite infection within 12 months before the product is exported to China; or it has been filtered using a filter with a pore size not exceeding 0.42mm; or it has been heated to a central temperature of more than 50℃ and maintained at this temperature for 20 minutes; or it has been frozen to a central temperature of minus 12℃ or lower and maintained at this temperature for at least 24 hours to ensure that the Varroa mite disease and its eggs in the honey bees are killed, and necessary measures are taken to effectively remove the remains of mites and their eggs.
V. Production, storage and transportation requirements
(I) The bee farm that provides raw materials for the production of honey exported to China has never used veterinary drugs banned by China and Rwanda.
(II) The honey exported to China comes from processing enterprises that have established a traceability system to ensure that the honey exported to China can be traced back to its bee farm.
(III) Honey exported to China shall comply with the Rwanda National Residue Monitoring Program, and the residues of veterinary drugs, pesticides, microorganisms, heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants and other toxic and harmful substances in the products shall not exceed the maximum limits stipulated by the laws, regulations and standards of China and Rwanda.
(IV) During the epidemic of major public health diseases, enterprises shall formulate necessary honey safety prevention and control measures in accordance with relevant international regulations and standards to ensure that the prevention and control measures are effective and not cross-contaminated during the entire process of raw material reception, processing, packaging, storage and transportation.
(V) Honey exported to China is hygienic, safe and suitable for human consumption.
(VI) The entire process of processing, storage and transportation of honey exported to China shall comply with the relevant health requirements of China and Rwanda to prevent contamination by toxic and harmful substances. Honey exported to China shall not be processed or mixed with products that do not meet the requirements of the Protocol, products of non-registered processing enterprises, or other products of registered processing enterprises.
(VII) The Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources of Rwanda shall do a good job of labeling at all stages from apiaries to processing, packaging and storage. There should be an independent finished product warehouse or special area for storing honey exported to China and it should be clearly marked.
(VIII) After the goods are loaded into the container, they should be sealed under the supervision of officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources of Rwanda, and the seal number should be indicated in the veterinary health certificate. The packaging shall not be opened or replaced during transportation.
VI. Certificate requirements
Each container/batch of honey exported to China should be accompanied by at least one official original veterinary health certificate to prove that the batch of products complies with the relevant laws and regulations on veterinary and public health of China and Rwanda and the relevant provisions of the Protocol. The veterinary health certificate is written in Chinese, Rwandan and English, and the format and content of the veterinary health certificate must be approved by both parties in advance. The Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources of Rwanda should provide the inspection and quarantine seal impression, veterinary health certificate sample, list of authorized visa personnel and corresponding signature style, anti-counterfeiting mark description, certificate information electronic email name and other information to the Chinese Customs for filing. If the electronic certificate information is sent, it should be sent to the Chinese Customs through the designated channel of the Chinese Customs within 48 hours after the issuance of the certificate. If there is any change or modification, notify the Chinese Customs at least one month in advance.
VII. Packaging and labeling requirements
Honey exported to China must be packaged with food contact materials that meet China's national food safety standards. The packaging must be sealed and must indicate the product name, product specifications, origin (specific to the state/province/city), manufacturer registration number, production batch number, destination (the destination should be marked as the People's Republic of China), production date (year/month/day), shelf life, etc. in Chinese. Pre-packaged honey exported to China must also comply with China's laws, regulations and standards on pre-packaged food labels.
GACC
Nov. 21, 2024
