Regarding the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for Export of Fresh Kiwi Fruits from Iran to China

According to the regulations of the Chinese Customs and the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture regarding phytosanitary requirements for the export of Fresh Kiwi Fruits to China, effective immediately, the import of Iranian Fresh Kiwi Fruits meeting the following requirements is permitted.

I. Inspection and Quarantine Basis

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

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

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

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

(5) The Protocol between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Islamic Republic of Iran on Phytosanitary Requirements for the Export of Iranian Fresh Kiwi Fruits to China.

II. Permitted Imported Commodity Name

Fresh Kiwi Fruits, scientific name Actinidia deliciosa, English name Kiwi Fruits.

III. Permitted Origin

Iranian Kiwi Fruit producing regions.

IV. Approved Orchards and Packing Plants

Orchards, packing plants, and cold-processing facilities for Kiwi Fruits exported to China must be reviewed by the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture and registered with Chinese Customs. Registration information includes name, address, and registration number to facilitate accurate traceability in case exported goods do not comply with the provisions of this announcement. Before each export season, the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture provides a list of companies to Chinese Customs, which is then reviewed and approved and published on the Chinese Customs website.

V. List of Quarantine Pests of Concern to Chinese Customs

1. Ceratitis capitata

2. Lobesia botrana

3. Ceroplastes rusci

4. Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae

5. Pseudomonas viridiflava

VI. Pre-Export Management

(I) Orchard Management

1. Kiwi Fruits orchards exporting to China should establish a comprehensive quality management and traceability system under the supervision of the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture, implement Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) or conduct phytosanitary management, maintain orchard hygiene, promptly remove fallen fruit and rotten fruit during harvest, and implement Integrated Pest Management (IPM), including regular pest monitoring and surveys, physical, chemical, or biological pest control, and agricultural operational control measures to control potential pests.

2. The Iranian Ministry of Agriculture should develop a management plan for quarantine pests of concern to Chinese Customs, in accordance with International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures 6 (ISPM 6), and organize the implementation of orchard monitoring. In the first year of trade, the monitoring plan and corresponding integrated control measures must be supervised by the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture, which should provide detailed measures to Chinese Customs upon request. Orchard pest monitoring and control should be implemented under the supervision and guidance of technical personnel who should receive training from the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture or its authorized agencies. Once quarantine pests of concern to Chinese Customs are discovered, control measures should be taken immediately.

3. All orchards exporting to China should maintain records of pest monitoring and control, and provide these records to Chinese Customs upon request. Control records should include detailed information on all chemical agents used during the growing season, including the name, active ingredient, application date, concentration, and dosage.

4. For Ceratitis capitata, orchards exporting to China must adopt integrated field management practices, including monitoring and trapping, and the use of chemical or biological control methods to reduce the Ceratitis capitata population density. Monitoring should begin from the flowering period and end of the harvest period. Traps should be set at a density of one per hectare in orchards exporting to China (at least three traps for orchards less than 3 hectares), and the traps should be checked every two weeks. Once Ceratitis capitata is detected, effective control measures should be implemented immediately.

5. For Lobesia botrana, orchards exporting to China must adopt integrated field management practices, including monitoring and trapping, and the use of chemical or biological control methods to reduce the Lobesia botrana density. Monitoring should begin from the flowering period to the end of the harvest period. The density of traps in orchards exporting to China should be one trap per hectare (at least three traps for orchards less than 3 hectares). Traps should be inspected every two weeks, and lures replaced every four weeks. Once Lobesia botrana is detected, effective control measures should be implemented immediately.

6. Regarding Ceroplastes rusci, orchards exporting to China should conduct monitoring under the supervision and guidance of technicians from the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture. From flowering to harvest, the focus should be on investigating the presence of Ceroplastes rusci on branches, stems, leaves, and fruits. If symptoms of this pest are found, measures should be taken immediately, such as biological, physical, or chemical methods, to control its occurrence.

7. Regarding Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae and Pseudomonas viridiflava, orchards exporting to China should conduct monitoring under the guidance of the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture. Monitoring should be conducted at least every two weeks from the flowering period to harvest. If harmful organisms or their corresponding symptoms are detected during monitoring, biological, physical, or chemical methods should be used for timely control. For orchards where control measures are incomplete, the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture will suspend their export qualification to China and immediately notify Chinese Customs. Upon request, the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture should provide Chinese Customs with investigation reports or management records regarding these two harmful organisms.

(II) Packing Plant Management

1. The processing, packaging, storage, and shipment of Kiwi Fruits exported to China shall be conducted under the quarantine supervision of the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture or its authorized officials. Packaging and cold storage facilities should be maintained in good sanitary condition and should have functions to prevent reinfection by harmful organisms (such as insect nets).

2. During the packaging process, Kiwi Fruits must be washed, brushed, sterilized, sorted, and graded, removing defective fruits to ensure they are free of insects, mites, rotten fruit, branches, leaves, and soil.

3. If packaged Kiwi Fruits need to be stored, they should be immediately placed in a warehouse and stored separately to avoid reinfection by harmful organisms.

4. Containers transporting Kiwi Fruits to China must be inspected upon loading to ensure they are in good sanitary condition.

(III) Packaging Requirements

1. Packaging materials must be clean, hygienic, unused, and comply with relevant Chinese phytosanitary and sanitary requirements. If wooden packaging is used, it must comply with International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 (ISPM 15).

2. Each package must be labeled in Chinese or English with the fruit name, country, place of origin, orchard, and packing plant name or its registration number. Each package and pallet must be marked with "输往中华人民共和国" or "Exported to the People's Republic of China" in Chinese or English.

(IV) Quarantine Treatment Requirements

Kiwi Fruits exported to China must undergo cold treatment for Ceratitis capitata. Cold treatment must be carried out under the supervision of the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture or its authorized personnel, following the pre-export cold treatment procedures (Annex 1) or the in-transit cold treatment procedures (Annex 2). The cold treatment requirements shall meet any of the following conditions:

(1) 1.11°C or below (flesh temperature), for 14 consecutive days or more;

(2) 1.67°C or below (flesh temperature), for 16 consecutive days or more;

(3) 2.22°C or below (flesh temperature), for 18 consecutive days or more.

(V) Pre-export Inspection and Quarantine

1. The Iranian Ministry of Agriculture or its authorized agencies shall sample 2% of each shipment of Kiwi Fruits exported to China. The minimum sampling quantity is 1200 fruits, and at least 60 of these fruits, or any suspicious fruits found during the inspection, shall be dissected or quarantined. If no phytosanitary issues have occurred within two years, the sampling rate may be reduced to 1%, but shall not be less than 600 fruits.

2. If any quarantine pests, branches, leaves, or soil of concern to Chinese Customs are found, the entire shipment shall not be exported to China, and the relevant orchard and packing plant shall not export to China during the current export season until the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture investigates the cause and takes corrective measures. Simultaneously, the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture shall retain records of the seizures and, upon request, provide them to Chinese Customs.

(VI) Phytosanitary Certificate Requirements

1. For goods that have passed quarantine, the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture shall issue a phytosanitary certificate in accordance with International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 12 (ISPM 12), indicating the name or registration number of the orchard and packing plant, and completing the following supplementary declaration: "This consignment complies with requirements specified in the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements for Export of Fresh Kiwi Fruits from Iran to China, and is free from any quarantine pests of concern to China.".

2. For goods subject to pre-export quarantine treatment, the phytosanitary certificate shall indicate the treatment method, treatment temperature, duration, and name or registration number of the treatment facility. For goods subject to in-transit cold treatment, the phytosanitary certificate shall be marked with "Cold treatment in transit", and the treatment temperature, duration, container number, and seal number shall be indicated.

3. Before trade officially commences, the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture should provide Chinese Customs with a sample of the phytosanitary certificate.

VII. Import Inspection and Quarantine and Handling of Non-conforming Goods

When Kiwi Fruits imported into China arrive at Chinese ports of entry, Chinese Customs will conduct inspection and quarantine according to the following requirements:

(I) Verification of Relevant Certificates and Labels

1. Verify whether the imported Kiwi Fruits have obtained an import phytosanitary permit.

2. Verify whether the phytosanitary certificate complies with the provisions of Article 6, Paragraph (VI) of this Announcement.

3. Verify whether the labels on the packaging boxes and pallets comply with the provisions of Article 6, Paragraph (III) of this Announcement.

4. For goods that have undergone cold treatment before export, verify whether the phytosanitary certificate, the cold treatment result report signed and confirmed by the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture, and the fruit temperature probe calibration record meet the provisions of Article 6, Paragraph (IV) of this Announcement.

5. For goods subject to cold treatment during transport, it is necessary to verify whether the phytosanitary certificate, cold treatment report, and fruit temperature probe calibration record meet the requirements of Article 6, Paragraph (iv) of this announcement.

(II) Import Inspection and Quarantine.

1. Kiwi Fruits exported to China should enter through ports of entry permitted by Chinese Customs for fruit import.

2. Imported Kiwi Fruits shall undergo inspection and quarantine in accordance with relevant laws, administrative regulations, rules, and the requirements of this announcement. Goods that pass inspection and quarantine are permitted entry.

(III) Handling of Non-compliant Goods.

1. If the goods are found to originate from unapproved orchards, packing plants, or cold treatment facilities, the goods are prohibited from entering China.

2. If the cold treatment is deemed invalid, the goods will be subject to onshore cold treatment (which may be carried out within the container), return, or destruction.

3. If any live quarantine pests of concern to Chinese Customs or newly emerging quarantine pests in Iran are found, or if soil or plant residues are found, the shipment will be returned, destroyed, or subjected to quarantine and pest control treatment.

4. If any goods are found to be non-compliant with Chinese food safety laws, regulations, and national standards, the shipment will be returned or destroyed.

GACC

November 18, 2025

Pre-export Cold Treatment Procedures

I. Cold Treatment Facilities

(1) Pre-shipment cold treatment may only be carried out in cold treatment facilities approved by the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture.

(2) The Iranian Ministry of Agriculture or its authorized personnel are responsible for ensuring that the cold treatment facilities used by exporters meet standards and have refrigeration equipment capable of reaching and maintaining the required temperature for the fruit.

(3) The Iranian Ministry of Agriculture or its authorized personnel will retain registration documents for cold treatment facilities approved for pre-shipment treatment of Fresh Kiwi Fruits exported to China. These documents include details of the following:

1. Location and construction plans for all facilities, including detailed contact information for the owner/operator;

2. Dimensions and capacity of the facility;

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

4. Brand, style, type, and capacity of the refrigeration compressor and evaporator/air circulation system;

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

(4) Before the start of each Fresh Kiwi Fruits season, the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture will submit the names and addresses of currently registered cold treatment facilities to Chinese Customs.

II. Type of Recorder The Iranian Ministry of Agriculture or its authorized personnel shall ensure the use of appropriate temperature probes and temperature recorders:

(1) Probes shall be accurate to ±0.15°C, ranging from -3.0°C to +3.0°C;

(2) A sufficient number of probes shall be available;

(3) The recorders shall be capable of recording and storing data from the processing;

(4) The recorders shall be capable of recording the temperature of all probes at least once per hour, and the recorded data shall meet the required accuracy for the probes. This data shall be verified by the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture or its authorized personnel;

(5) Printed temperature records shall include the time and temperature recorded for each probe, and shall indicate the identification number of the recorder and the container.

III. Temperature Calibration Calibration must be performed using a standard thermometer approved by the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture in a mixture of crushed ice and distilled water.

(1) Any probe with a reading exceeding 0°C ±0.3°C must be replaced;

(2) Upon completion of the processing, the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture or its authorized personnel shall verify the calibration values ​​of the fruit temperature probes using the methods mentioned above.

IV. Temperature Probe Installation

(I) Fresh Kiwi Fruits on trays must be pre-cooled and placed in the cold treatment chamber under the supervision of the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture or its authorized personnel.

(II) At least two temperature probes (one at the air outlet and one at the air return) must be used to measure the room temperature. At least four probes must be installed to measure the temperature of the fresh fruit:

1. One located in the center of the goods in the middle of the cold storage;

2. One located at a corner of the top layer of the goods in the middle of the cold storage;

3. One located near the air return in the middle of the goods;

4. One located near the air return in the corner of the top layer of the goods.

(III) The installation of probes and their connection to the recorder must be completed under the supervision and guidance of the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture or its authorized personnel.

(IV) Recording can be started at any time; however, processing time can only begin to be calculated when all fruit temperature probes have reached the specified temperature.

(V) When using only the minimum number of probes, if any probe fails for more than 4 consecutive hours, the processing is invalid and must be restarted.

V. Step-by-Step Verification of Processing Results

(I) If the processing records indicate that all processing parameters have met the requirements, the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture may authorize the termination of the processing. If the probe has also passed calibration as stipulated in Section III, the processing can be considered successfully completed.

(II) The probe should be calibrated before the fruit is removed from the processing chamber.

VI. Confirmation of Processing Results

(I) The printed temperature records should indicate that the required cold treatment has been completed.

(II) The Iranian Ministry of Agriculture or its authorized personnel must retain the above records and statistical values ​​before confirming successful processing. These records should be provided for verification upon request by Chinese Customs.

(III) If the processing fails to meet the required cold treatment requirements, the recorder can be reconnected and processing can continue under the following conditions:

1. The Iranian Ministry of Agriculture or its authorized personnel confirm that the processing conditions required by this announcement are still met;

2. The time interval between the stop and restart is within 24 hours.

In both of the above 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 Iranian Ministry of Agriculture or its authorized personnel to ensure they are free of harmful organisms, and the entrance must be covered to prevent the entry of harmful organisms.

(2) Fresh Kiwi Fruits should be packed in insect-proof buildings, or the entrance to the cold storage room and the container should be surrounded by insect-proof material.

VIII. Sealing of Containers

(1) The Iranian Ministry of Agriculture or its authorized personnel shall seal the containers loaded with goods with coded seals, the seal numbers of which shall be noted on the phytosanitary certificate.

(2) The seals may only be opened by customs officers at Chinese ports of entry.

IX. Storage of Fruit Not Immediately Packed

Processed fruit may be stored if not immediately packed, but the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture or its authorized personnel shall maintain a safe condition:

1. If the fruit is stored in a processing room, the door to the processing room must be closed;

2. If it is required that the fruit be transferred to another storage room, the transfer must be carried out through a reliable method approved by the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture, and no other fruit may be present in the other storage room;

3. Subsequent packing must be carried out under the supervision of the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture or its authorized personnel in accordance with Article VII.

X. Phytosanitary Certificate

(1) The temperature and duration of the pre-export cold treatment must be indicated in the treatment section of the phytosanitary certificate, along with the name or number of the treatment facility and cold storage.

(2) Upon importation of the fruit, a phytosanitary certificate, a cold treatment result report, and a fruit temperature probe calibration record shall be provided.

Cold Treatment Procedures in Transit

I. Container Type

The container must be a self-refrigerated transport container with refrigeration equipment capable of reaching and maintaining the required processing temperature.

II. Temperature Recorder Type

The Iranian Ministry of Agriculture or its authorized personnel shall ensure that the temperature recorder is compatible with the probes.

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

(2) A sufficient number of probes are available;

(3) The system is capable of recording and storing processing data;

(4) The precise recording interval for all probe readings must not exceed one hour;

(5) The system should be able to print out data and identify the probe number, displaying the corresponding time and temperature, recorder model, and corresponding container identification number.

III. Probe Calibration

Probes must be calibrated using a standard thermometer approved by the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture or its authorized personnel using a mixture of distilled water and crushed ice.

(1) Probes with readings exceeding 0°C ±0.3°C must be replaced.

(2) A "Fruit Temperature Probe Calibration Record" signed by an official of the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture must be provided for each container, and the original must be attached to the phytosanitary certificate.

(3) When the fruit arrives at the Chinese port of entry, Chinese customs will conduct a calibration inspection of the fruit temperature probes.

IV. Probe Installation

(I) Pre-cooled fruit should be packed into containers under the supervision of the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture or its authorized personnel. Sufficient space should be left when stacking the boxes to allow for air circulation.

(II) Each container should be equipped with at least 3 probes for measuring fruit flesh temperature and 2 probes for measuring air temperature. The specific locations are as follows:

1. Temperature probe #1 is placed in the center of the top layer of the first row of cargo inside the container;

2. Temperature probe #2 is placed in the center of the container door, 1.5 meters (40-foot container) or 1 meter (20-foot container), at half the height of the cargo;

3. Temperature probe #3 is placed on the left side of the container door, 1.5 meters (40-foot container) or 1 meter (20-foot container), at half the height of the cargo;

4. Two air temperature probes are placed at the container's air inlet and air outlet, respectively.

(III) All probes must be placed under the supervision of officials or authorized personnel of the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture.

(IV) Fruits should be pre-cooled in a pre-cooling room, and the flesh temperature should be reduced to or below the processing temperature before loading.

V. Container Sealing

(I) Containers loaded with goods must be sealed with coded seals by officials or authorized personnel of the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture.

(II) The seals can only be opened by Chinese customs officers at Chinese ports of entry.

VI. Verification of Processing Results

(I) If the processing records show that the technical indicators meet the requirements, Chinese customs officials should authorize the completion of processing, and if the probes meet the requirements of Article III, the processing should be deemed qualified.

(II) The probes should be calibrated before the fruit is removed from the processing warehouse.

VII. Temperature Recording and Processing Confirmation

(I) Cold processing during transport can begin before leaving the Iranian port, during the journey, before arriving at the Chinese port, or continue until arrival at the Chinese port.

(II) Processing records can be started at any time; however, processing time can only begin to be calculated when all fruit temperature probes have reached the required temperature.

(III) The shipping company should download the cold processing records from its computer and submit them to the Chinese customs at the port of entry.

(IV) Cold processing can be completed before arrival at the Chinese port. Temperature records can be downloaded during the voyage and submitted to the arriving Chinese customs for review.

(V) Chinese customs will verify the processing records and determine the validity of the processing based on the probe calibration results.

VIII. Phytosanitary Certificate

(1) The temperature, treatment time, and start time of the cold treatment, as well as the container number and seal number, must be specified in the phytosanitary certificate.

(2) Upon entry of fruit, a phytosanitary certificate, a cold treatment report, and a fruit temperature probe calibration record should be provided to Chinese Customs.