Regarding the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for Fresh Cherry from Spain to China

In accordance with Chinese laws and regulations and the "Protocol on Phytosanitary Requirements for the Export of Spanish Fresh Cherries to China between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of the Kingdom of Spain", from now on, the import of Spanish fresh cherries that meet the following relevant requirements will be allowed.

I. Inspection and quarantine basis

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

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

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

(3) Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Inspection and Quarantine of Inbound Fruits;

(4) Protocol on Phytosanitary Requirements for the Export of Fresh Cherries from Spain to China between the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of the Kingdom of Spain.

II. Names of commodities allowed to enter the country

Fresh cherries (including sweet cherries (Prunus avium L.) and sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.), hereinafter referred to as cherry).

III. Approved orchards, packaging plants and cold treatment facilities

Cherry orchards, packaging plants and cold treatment facilities exported to China should be reviewed by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and approved for registration by the Chinese Customs. Registered orchards, packaging plants and cold treatment facilities should have a unique identification code to accurately trace the source when the exported goods do not comply with the relevant provisions of this announcement. The registration information should include the orchard identification code (SIGPAC code), the health registration number of the packaging plant (RGSEAA code) and the unique identification code of the cold treatment facility associated with the packaging plant. The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food should provide the registration list to the Chinese Customs before export, and it will be published on the customs website after review and approval by the Chinese Customs.

IV. List of quarantine pests of concern to China Customs

1. Rose yellow moth (Archips rosana)

2. Dutch dianthus moth (Cacoecimorpha pronubana)

3. Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata)

4 . Peach white shield scale (Epidiaspis leperii)

5. Cherry gall aphid (Myzus cerasi)

6. Dark mealybug (Pseudococcus viburni)

7. European cherry fruit fly (Rhagoletis cerasi)

8. American Australian stone fruit brown rot fungus (Monilinia fructicola)

9. Stone fruit tree bacterial canker (Pseudomonas syringae pv. morsprunorum)

10. Pseudomonas syringae pv. Syringae (Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae)

11. Plum pox virus (Plum pox virus)

12. Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (Prunus necrotic ringspot virus)

V. Pre-export management

1. Orchard management

1. Orchards exporting cherries to China should establish and implement Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) or other similar safety management systems, and implement Integrated Pest Management (IPM), including pest monitoring, chemical control, biological control, and agricultural operations, to avoid and minimize the occurrence of quarantine pests of concern to Chinese customs on cherries.

2. Orchards exporting fruit to China must be supervised and guided by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and officially approved technicians must conduct monitoring of quarantine pests of concern to Chinese Customs. If quarantine pests of concern to Chinese Customs are found, corresponding prevention and control measures must be taken in a timely manner.

3. Orchards exporting fruit to China should keep records of pest monitoring and control for at least two years and provide them to the Chinese Customs upon request. Pest monitoring and control records should at least include detailed information such as the monitoring time, the names of the pests found, the control measures taken, and the date of use, active ingredients and concentration of the chemicals used.

4. When transporting fruits from orchards to packaging plants, protective measures should be taken to prevent them from being infected by harmful organisms during transportation.

5. The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food must ensure that registered orchards are inspected at least 20 days before the fruit is harvested, focusing on the presence of quarantine pests of concern to the Chinese Customs, pest monitoring and prevention, and field hygiene. If quarantine pests of concern to the Chinese Customs are found, control measures should be taken immediately. For orchards that cannot meet the plant quarantine conditions for cherry exports to China, their export qualifications for this season will be suspended.

6. For Mediterranean fruit flies, orchards exported to China need to use traps to carry out weekly monitoring from the fruit setting period to the harvest period. The density of traps is one for every 20 hectares. If the orchard area is less than 20 hectares, at least one trap should be installed.

7. For European cherry fruit flies, use traps to conduct monitoring every two weeks before the emergence of adults, and every week after the emergence of adults. The density of traps is one for every 10 hectares. If the orchard area is less than 10 hectares, at least one trap should be installed.

8. Cherries exported to China must be produced in production sites that are not infected with the American and Australian type of stone fruit brown rot pathogen, stone fruit tree bacterial canker pathogen, Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae, plum pox virus, and plum necrotic ringspot virus, or in orchards that implement systematic control measures.

(1) Non-epidemic production sites.

The pest-free production sites must be established and maintained by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in accordance with the relevant requirements of the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 10 (ISPM 10). The establishment plan and emergency plan of the pest-free production sites must be reviewed and approved by the Chinese Customs before they can be implemented by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. If the above-mentioned pests are found in the relevant pest-free production sites, the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food shall immediately suspend the status of the relevant pest-free production sites, activate the emergency plan and notify the Chinese Customs. The status of the relevant pest-free production sites can only be restored when the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food eradicates the epidemic and is approved by the Chinese Customs.

(2) System control measures.

① Orchards exporting fruit to China must monitor the symptoms of the above pathogens every two weeks from the germination stage to the harvest stage. Once pathogens are found, they must be identified in a timely manner.

② In response to ulcer symptoms in the orchard, prune the diseased branches and take them out of the field for destruction, and use fungicides in time for prevention and control.

③Choose breeding materials that are free of plum pox virus and plum necrotic ringspot virus.

④ Once any of the above pathogens are detected, chemical control should be implemented, or the export of fruits grown in the relevant orchards should be suspended during the current export season.

⑤ When harvesting, check the symptoms of the fruit and remove any fruit found to be infected with any of the above pathogens.

9. For other quarantine pests of concern to China Customs, orchards exporting to China must monitor once every two weeks from the growing period to the harvest period, focusing on checking whether there are target pests in the branches, stems, leaves, fruit stalks and fruits, and taking chemical, biological or physical control measures in a timely manner according to the threshold level of the pests.

2. Packaging plant management.

1. The processing, packaging, storage and shipment of cherries exported to China must be carried out under the quarantine supervision of the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food must ensure that only cherries from registered orchards can enter the packaging plant for sorting and processing.

2. The packaging plant must have good sanitary conditions. Before processing cherries for export to China, ensure that the processing workshop and processing equipment are clean and hygienic. The packaging, storage and loading areas must have measures to prevent infection by live pests, such as installing rubber curtains or insect-proof nets.

3. During the processing, cherries must be washed, sorted, and graded, and defective fruits must be removed to ensure that there are no insects, mites, rotten fruits, branches, leaves, roots, or soil.

4. Packaged cherries should be stored immediately and separately. They should not be stored together with fruits destined for other markets or other varieties to avoid reinfection by pests.

5. Packaged cherries should be pre-cooled in a cold storage until the pulp temperature reaches 4 °C or below before being loaded into containers.

6. Registered packaging plants should establish a traceability system to ensure that cherries exported to China can be traced back to registered orchards. They should record information such as the processing and packaging date, the name of the source orchard or its registration number, the number of cherries, the export date, the export quantity, the country to which they are exported, the container number, the seal number, etc. The records should be kept for at least two years.

(3) Packaging requirements

1. The packaging materials should be clean, unused, and comply with China's plant quarantine and hygiene requirements. If the packaging box has ventilation holes, each ventilation hole of the packaging box or the entire pallet should be covered with insect-proof materials. If wooden packaging is used, it must comply with the requirements of International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 (ISPM 15).

2. Each packaging box must be labeled in English with the fruit name, country, place of origin, orchard registration number, packaging plant registration number, etc. Each packaging box and pallet 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. In the case of sea transport, containers loaded with cherries for export to China must be checked before packing to see if they are in good sanitary conditions and free of quarantine pests of concern to Chinese customs, as well as branches, leaves and soil. For air cargo, pallets should be covered with insect-proof materials.

(IV) Quarantine requirements.

Cherries exported to China must be cold treated. The cold treatment must be carried out under the supervision of the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in accordance with the cold treatment operation procedures before export or the cold treatment operation procedures during transportation. The cold treatment index requirements are as follows:

Fruit core temperature	Processing time
0.5°C or below	15 days
1°C or below	16 days or more
2.1°C or below	21 days or more

(V) Pre-export inspection and quarantine.

1. The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food should implement pre-export quarantine on cherries exported to China to ensure that they do not carry quarantine pests of concern to Chinese customs.

2. In the first two years of trade, the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food shall conduct random inspections on 2% of each batch of cherries. If there are no plant quarantine issues in the first two years, the random inspection rate can be reduced to 1%.

3. If quarantine pests of concern to the Chinese Customs are found, or any pests that cannot be identified to the species level or whose quarantine status cannot be determined, the batch of goods shall not be exported to China. The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food shall find out the reasons and take corrective measures. At the same time, the inspection records shall be kept and provided to the Chinese Customs upon request. If it comes from a relevant non-pest production point, the status of the non-pest production point shall be cancelled and the Chinese Customs shall be notified immediately. When the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food eliminates the epidemic and is approved by the Chinese Customs, the status of the relevant non-pest production point can be restored.

(6) Requirements for plant quarantine certificates.

1. If the quarantine is qualified, the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food shall issue a plant quarantine certificate, indicating the name or registration number of the orchard and packaging factory, and indicating in the additional statement: "This consignment complies with the requirements specified in the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements for Export of Fresh Cherries from Spain to China, and is free from quarantine pests of concern to China."

2. For goods that have been cold treated before export, the treatment temperature, duration, name of the treatment facility or registration number, etc., should be noted on the phytosanitary certificate. For goods that have been cold treated during transportation, the phytosanitary certificate should be marked with "Cold treatment in transit" and the cold treatment temperature, duration, container number and seal number, etc. should be noted.

3. Before the start of trade, the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food must provide a sample of the plant quarantine certificate to the Chinese Customs for confirmation and filing.

VI. Entry Inspection and Quarantine and Disqualification Handling

When cherries exported to China arrive at the port of entry, Chinese Customs will verify the relevant documents and labels and carry out inspection and quarantine.

1. Verification of relevant certificates and logos.

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

2. Check whether the plant quarantine certificate complies with the provisions of Article 5, Item (6) of this Announcement.

3. Check whether the markings on the packaging boxes and pallets comply with the provisions of Article 5, Item (3) of this Announcement.

4. For goods that have been cold treated before export, check the cold treatment report signed and confirmed by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the fruit temperature probe calibration record; for goods that have been cold treated during transportation, check whether the cold treatment report, fruit temperature probe calibration record, etc. are attached.

(2) Entry inspection and quarantine.

1. Cherries exported to China should be imported from ports where Chinese customs permits the import of fruits.

2. According to relevant laws, administrative regulations, rules, etc., cherries exported to China are subject to inspection and quarantine. Cherries that pass the inspection and quarantine will be allowed to enter the country.

(III) Handling of non-conforming items.

1. If the goods are found to come from unapproved orchards, packaging plants or cold treatment facilities, the goods will not be allowed to enter the country.

2. If the cold treatment is deemed invalid, the goods will be cold treated on arrival (can be carried out in the container), returned or destroyed.

3. If any live Mediterranean fruit flies or European cherry fruit flies are found, the shipment will be returned or destroyed. In accordance with ISPM 13 - Guidelines for Notification of Violations and Emergency Actions, China Customs will immediately notify the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of the violations and the measures taken. Upon receipt of the violation notification, the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food should suspend the export of cherries to China from the relevant packaging plants and cold treatment facilities, or even suspend the entire project depending on the severity of the non-conforming situation. China Customs will decide whether to cancel the suspension measures taken based on the evaluation results of the improvement measures taken by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

4. If other quarantine pests of concern to the Chinese Customs or new quarantine pests in Spain are found, or soil or plant residues are found, the goods will be returned, destroyed or treated for pests.

5. If any of the goods are found not to comply with China's national food safety standards, the batch will be returned or destroyed.

6. If the above non-compliance is found, China Customs will immediately notify the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and suspend the import of cherries from the relevant orchards, packaging plants and cold treatment facilities as appropriate; if they come from non-pest production sites, the status of the relevant non-pest production sites will be revoked. The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food should find out the reasons for non-compliance and take improvement measures to prevent similar situations from happening again. China Customs will decide whether to cancel the suspension measures based on the rectification results of the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

 

GACC

April 22, 2025

 

Cold treatment operation procedures before export

 

1. Types of Cold Treatment Facilities

1. Cold treatment before export can only be carried out in cold storage rooms approved by the West, including in the list of Spanish cherry registered enterprises approved by China for export to China (orchards, packaging plants and cold treatment facilities).

2. The West must ensure that the cold rooms used by exporters meet appropriate standards and have refrigeration equipment capable of achieving and maintaining the required temperature for the fruit.

3. The West must keep the registration documents of the cold storage room approved for cold treatment of fruits before export to China. The document should contain the following contents:

(1) The location and construction plans of all facilities, including the contact details of the owners/operators;

(2) Size and capacity of the facility;

(3) Type of insulation for walls, floors, and ceilings;

(4) Brand, make, type and capacity of refrigeration compressor, evaporator and air circulation system;

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

4. Cold treatment facilities for cherries exported to China must be registered by the West and approved by both the West and China. Before the start of the cherry export season, the West must submit a list of currently registered cold treatment facilities to China.

2. Recorder Type

Western must ensure that the probe and temperature recorder meet the following conditions:

1. The probe temperature should be between -3.0 ℃ and +3.0 ℃ , accurate to ±0.15 ℃ ;

2. Able to accommodate the required number of probes;

3. Ability to record and store processing data until inspection by the West;

4. Ability to record all probe temperatures at least once per hour and achieve the required accuracy for probe temperatures;

5. Capable of printing out results identifying each probe, time and temperature and noting the recorder model and container number.

3. Probe Calibration

Calibration shall be performed using a standard thermometer approved by Western in a mixture of crushed ice and distilled water:

1. Any probe with a reading exceeding 0 ℃ ±0.3 ℃ must be replaced with another probe that meets this standard;

2. At the end of the treatment, the calibration value of the fruit temperature probe must be verified using the calibration method mentioned above.

4. Probe Insertion

1. The fruits on the trays must be pre-cooled under Western supervision and placed in a cold room. Pre-cooling can be done by the exporter himself.

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

(1) One located in the center of the fruit in the cold treatment chamber;

(2) a corner located in the middle of the cold treatment chamber on the top layer of fruit;

(3) One is located in the middle of the fruit pack near the return air outlet.

3. The insertion of the probe and its connection to the recorder must be completed under Western supervision and guidance.

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

5. When only the minimum number of probes is used, if any probe fails for more than 4 consecutive hours, the process will be invalid and must be restarted.

5. Review of processing results

If the processing records indicate that the processing parameters have been met, Western officials can authorize the end of the processing and calibrate the probe; if the probe calibration results meet the provisions of Article 3, the processing can be considered to have been successfully completed.

6. Confirmation of processing results

1. The West shall retain the probe calibration records after the processing is completed and provide them to the Chinese side for review as required.

2. If the probe calibration reading after the treatment is completed is higher than the calibration reading set at the beginning, the reading recorder must be adjusted accordingly. If the adjustment results show that it fails to meet the specified treatment requirements, the treatment must be judged invalid. Western and the exporter must determine together whether to re-process the batch of fruit.

3. The printout of the cold treatment temperature record must contain statistical data matching the treatment parameters to prove that the cold treatment has been completed.

4. After confirming that the treatment is successful, the West must endorse the above cold treatment temperature record and provide it to the Chinese side for review as required.

5. If the treatment fails to achieve the required cold treatment requirements, the recorder can be reconnected and the treatment can be continued if one of the following conditions is met:

(1) The West confirms that the conditions required by Article 6, paragraph 3, are still met ;

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

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

7. Loading into container

1. Before loading, containers must be inspected by Western officials to ensure that they are free of harmful organisms and covered at the entrance to prevent pests from entering.

2. Fruits must be packed in a building with insect-proof measures; or the cold storage room exit and container entrance must be connected with insect-proof materials.

8. Sealing of containers

1. Containers loaded with fruits must be sealed with coded seals, and the seal number must be indicated on the phytosanitary certificate.

2. The seal can only be opened by Chinese customs at the port of entry.

9. Storage of Fruits Not Immediately Packed

If the treated fruit is not immediately boxed, it can be temporarily stored under Western supervision.

1. If the fruit is stored in a cold treatment room, the door of the cold treatment room must be closed;

2. If the fruit needs to be transferred to another storage room, the transfer method must be approved by the West, and other fruits must not be stored in the storage room;

3. Fruits must be packed in boxes under Western supervision in accordance with Article 7.

10. Plant Quarantine Certificate

1. The temperature, duration, name of the cold treatment facility or its registration number before export must be stated in the phytosanitary certificate.

2. When fruits enter the country, they must provide the Chinese Customs with a plant quarantine certificate, a cold treatment result report (with a cold treatment temperature record signed and confirmed by the West), and a fruit temperature probe calibration record.

 

Cold treatment operation procedures during transportation

 

1. Container Type

The container must be a self-refrigerated (integrated) transport container with refrigeration equipment capable of achieving and maintaining the required temperature.

2. Recorder Type

Western must ensure that the probe and temperature recorder meet the following conditions:

1. The probe temperature should be between -3.0 ℃ and +3.0 ℃ , accurate to ±0.15 ℃ ;

2. There are enough probes;

3. Ability to record and store processing data;

4. Ability to record all probe temperatures at least once per hour and achieve the required accuracy for probe temperatures;

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

3. Probe Calibration

1. Calibration shall be performed using a standard thermometer approved by Western in a mixture of crushed ice and distilled water.

2. Any probe that reads outside of 0 °C ±0.3 °C must be replaced.

"Fruit Temperature Probe Calibration Record" signed and confirmed by Western countries must be issued for each container , and the original copy must be attached to the plant quarantine certificate accompanying the goods.

4. When the fruit arrives at the port of entry, the Chinese Customs will conduct a calibration inspection on the fruit temperature probe.

4. Probe Insertion

1. Fruits on pallets must be loaded into containers under Western supervision, and the packaging 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, the specific locations are:

(1) The No. 1 fruit temperature probe is placed in the center of the top layer of the first row of fruits in the container;

(2) The No. 2 fruit temperature probe is installed at the center of the container door, 1.5 meters (40-foot container) or 1 meter (20-foot container), and at half the height of the loaded fruit ;

(3) The No. 3 fruit temperature probe is installed on the left side, 1.5 meters (40-foot container) or 1 meter (20-foot container) from the container door, and at half the height of the loaded fruit ;

(4) Two space temperature probes are respectively inserted at the air inlet and return air outlet of the container.

3. All probes must be placed under Western supervision and guidance.

4. Before packing, the fruit must be pre-cooled in the refrigerator until the pulp temperature reaches 4 °C or below.

5. Container Sealing

1. Containers loaded with fruit must be sealed with coded seals.

2. The seal can only be opened by Chinese customs at the port of entry.

6. Verification of processing results

1. The probes must be calibrated before the fruit is removed from the container.

2. If the fruit temperature probe records show compliance with the technical indicators, and the probe calibration and placement meet the requirements of Articles 3 and 4, the treatment shall be considered effective .

7. Temperature Recording and Confirmation

1. Cold treatment during transportation can start before the fruit leaves the Spanish port and end before or after it arrives at the first entry port in China .

2. Recording can be started at any time, however, the processing time will only start 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 the 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 the Chinese Customs on the way .

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

8. Plant quarantine certificate

1. The cold treatment temperature and start time must be indicated in the treatment column of the phytosanitary certificate. At the same time, "Cold treatment in transit", container number and seal number should also be marked on the phytosanitary certificate.

2. When fruits enter the country, you need to provide the Chinese Customs with a plant quarantine certificate, a cold treatment report (with cold treatment temperature records), and a fruit temperature probe calibration record.