Regarding the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for Chilies from Vietnam to China

In accordance with Chinese laws and regulations and the "Protocol on Phytosanitary Requirements for the Export of Vietnamese Chili to China between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam", from now on, the import of Vietnamese chili that meets the following relevant requirements is 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;

(4) Protocol on Phytosanitary Requirements for the Export of Vietnamese Chilies to China between the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

II. Names of commodities allowed to enter the country

The chilies mentioned in this announcement refer to chili grown and processed in Vietnam for human consumption.

III. Enterprise Registration

The chili planting bases and packaging plants exported to China shall be reviewed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam and approved for registration by the Chinese Customs. The registration information includes the name, address and registration number, so as to accurately trace the source when the exported goods do not comply with the relevant provisions of this announcement. Before the start of trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam shall provide the registration list to the Chinese Customs, which shall 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. Aleurodicus disperses )

2. Guava fruit fly ( Bactrocera correcta )

3. Chili fruit fly ( Bactrocera latifrons )

4. Phenacoccus solenopsis )

5. Chili pod gall midge ( Asphondylia capsicicola )

V. Pre-export management

1. Planting base management.

1. The planting base should establish a sound quality management system and traceability management system under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam, implement good agricultural practices (GAP), maintain hygienic conditions for planting, such as no pollution sources affecting chili production, timely cleaning of plant diseased residues, etc., and implement integrated pest management (IPM), including pest monitoring, physical, chemical or biological control, and other prevention and control measures such as agricultural operations.

2. The planting bases shall carry out pest monitoring and integrated management for quarantine pests of concern to the Chinese Customs under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam. Pest monitoring and prevention shall be carried out under the guidance of professional technicians. The technicians shall receive training from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam or its authorized institutions.

3. The planting base shall keep the records of pest monitoring and control for at least two years and provide them to the Chinese Customs upon request. The records of pest monitoring and control shall 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. For fruit flies such as guava fruit flies (Bactrocera correcta) and chili fruit flies (Bactrocera latifrons), planting bases should conduct visual and trapping monitoring during the chili growing season, using methods such as hanging fruit fly (Bactrocera) pheromone traps and yellow sticky insect boards. Once fruit flies (Bactrocera) are detected, effective prevention and control measures must be taken.

5. For other pests of concern to the Chinese Customs, such as the spiral whitefly (Aleurodicus dispersus), hibiscus mealybug (Phenacoccus solenopsis) and chili pod gall midge (Asphondylia capsicicola), the planting bases should be monitored every two weeks during the growing season, with a focus on branches, stems, leaves and fruits. If pests or their corresponding symptoms are found during monitoring, prevention and control measures, including chemical or biological control, should be taken in a timely manner to control the occurrence of pests or maintain a low prevalence level of pests.

2. Packaging plant management.

1. The processing, packaging, storage and shipment of chilies exported to China shall be carried out under the quarantine supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam or its authorized officials.

2. The packaging factory for chilies exported to China should be clean and sanitary, with hardened floors and a raw material field and finished product warehouse.

3. The storage, processing, packaging and other functional areas for chilies exported to China are relatively independent and reasonably laid out, and are isolated from living areas and at an appropriate distance.

4. During the processing of chilies exported to China, they should be manually sorted, screened, and washed to ensure that they are free of insects, mites, snails, diseased and rotten fruits, grass seeds, stems and leaves, and other plant residues and soil.

5. Registered packaging plants should establish a traceability system to ensure that chilies exported to China can be traced back to the registered planting bases, and record information such as the processing and packaging date, the name of the source planting base or its registration number, quantity, export date, export quantity, destination country, and transport vehicle or container number.

(3) Packaging requirements

1. The packaging materials should be clean, hygienic, unused, and in compliance with relevant Chinese plant quarantine requirements. If wooden packaging is used, it should comply with the requirements of International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 (ISPM 15).

2. Each package box should be marked in Chinese or English with the product name, country, place of origin, name of the planting base or its registration number, name or registration number of the packaging factory, etc. Package boxes and pallets should be marked in Chinese or English with “输往中华人民共和国” or “Exported to the People’s Republic of China”.

3. The transport vehicles or containers loaded with chilies for export to China must be checked for good sanitary conditions during shipment. The transport vehicles or containers should be sealed and the seals should be intact when arriving at the Chinese entry port.

(IV) Pre-export inspection and quarantine.

1. Before export, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam shall conduct sampling inspection on chilies exported to China at a rate of 2% of each batch of goods. If there are no plant quarantine issues within one year, the sampling rate will be reduced to 1%.

2. If quarantine pests, branches, leaves or soil of concern to the Chinese Customs are found, the entire batch of goods shall not be exported to China. The Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Environment shall find out the reasons and take corrective measures. At the same time, the seizure records shall be kept and provided to the Chinese Customs upon request.

(V) Quarantine requirements.

Fresh chilies exported to China must be quarantined under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam, which should first fumigate the goods and then cold treat them. The treatment indicators are as follows:

1. Fumigation treatment index: When the fruit center temperature is not lower than 22°C, use 32 g/m3 methyl bromide for 2 hours (the concentration before the end of fumigation shall not be lower than 18 g/m3), or use 18 g/m3 methyl bromide for 5 hours (the concentration before the end of fumigation shall not be lower than 13 g/m3).

2. Cold treatment index: core temperature 0.56-2.77°C for 4 days, or core temperature 3.33-8.33°C for 11 days.

3. If cold treatment is used during transportation, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam should monitor the core temperature of the chili in the refrigerated transportation vehicle before export and confirm that it meets the requirements. The core temperature of the fruit during transportation should meet the above cold treatment index requirements, and the temperature records during transportation should be kept.

(6) Requirements for plant quarantine certificates.

If the quarantine is passed, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam shall issue a phytosanitary certificate in accordance with the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 12 (ISPM 12), indicating the name or registration number of the planting base and packaging plant, as well as the quarantine treatment conditions used for the batch of goods, and fill in the following additional statement: "This consignment complies with the requirements specified in the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements for Export of Chilies from Viet Nam to China, and is free from quarantine pests of concern to China."

VI. Entry Inspection and Quarantine and Disqualification Handling

When chilies exported to China arrive at the Chinese entry port, Chinese customs officials will carry out inspection and quarantine in accordance with the following requirements.

1. Verification of relevant certificates and logos.

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

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

(2) Entry inspection and quarantine.

In accordance with relevant laws, administrative regulations, rules, etc., imported chilies are subject to inspection and quarantine. Those 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 unregistered planting bases and packaging factories, the goods will not be allowed to enter the country.

2. If quarantine pests of concern to China Customs or other quarantine pests are found, or plant residues, soil, etc. are found, the goods will be returned, destroyed or quarantined and pest-free.

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

4. If the above non-compliance is found, China Customs will notify the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam and suspend the import of chilies from the relevant planting bases or packaging plants as appropriate. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam 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 Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam.

GACC

April 22, 2025