Regarding the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for Cigar Tobacco Leaves from Honduras to China

In accordance with the regulations of the Customs of China (hereinafter referred to as China Customs) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras regarding plant quarantine requirements for Honduran tobacco leaves exported to China, effective immediately, the import of Honduran tobacco leaves that meet the following requirements is permitted.

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 Import and Export Animal and Plant Quarantine" and its implementing regulations;

(3) "Protocol on Plant Quarantine Requirements for Honduran Tobacco Leaves Exported to China between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of the Republic of Honduras."

II. Name of Commodity Permitted for Import

Dried, cured, and graded cigar tobacco leaves (hereinafter referred to as tobacco leaves), scientific name Nicotiana tabacum, English name Cigar Tobacco Leaves.

III. Permitted Origin

Honduras tobacco producing areas.

IV. Approved Tobacco Planting Bases and Production Enterprises

Tobacco plantation bases and production enterprises exporting to China must be reviewed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras and approved for registration by China Customs. Registration information should include name, address, and registration number, to ensure accurate traceability in the event that exported goods fail to comply with the relevant provisions of this announcement. Before each export season, the Honduran Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock shall provide the registered list to China Customs.

V. List of Quarantine Pests of Concern to China Customs

1. Peronospora hyoscyami f.sp. Tabacina

2. Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum

3. Sorghum halepense

4. Chromolaena odorata

VI. Pre-Export Requirements

(I) Field Management

1. Tobacco leaf cultivation bases exported to China shall establish and implement Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and implement Integrated Pest Management (IPM) under the supervision of the Honduran Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. Ensure that tobacco leaves exported to China comply with relevant Chinese plant quarantine laws and regulations and safety and sanitation standards, and are free of quarantine pests and soil of concern to China Customs.

2. The Honduran Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock or its authorized personnel should implement preventive measures against Peronospora hyoscyami f.sp. Tabacina in seedbeds, conducting surveys and monitoring for Peronospora hyoscyami f.sp. Tabacina from transplanting to harvest to ensure that tobacco leaves exported to China are free of the disease. If Peronospora hyoscyami f.sp. Tabacina is confirmed, effective control measures should be implemented to mitigate the disease's impact. If Peronospora hyoscyami f.sp. Tabacina oospores are detected, the Honduran Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock should immediately notify Chinese Customs and suspend tobacco leaf exports from the relevant producing areas to China. Before each export season, the Honduran Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock should provide Chinese Customs with a monitoring and survey report on tobacco downy mildew and records of control measures taken for that year.

3. Tobacco leaves exported to China must comply with relevant Chinese regulations and requirements and must not use pesticides banned by China. The Honduran Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock or its authorized personnel must monitor pesticide use in tobacco-producing areas and provide guidance on the rational and scientific use of pesticides. All pesticides used must be officially registered.

4. Pest monitoring and control at tobacco cultivation bases exported to China must be carried out under the supervision and guidance of professional technicians from the Honduran Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. These technicians must receive training from the Honduran Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock or its authorized training institutions. Cultivation bases must maintain pest monitoring and control records and provide them to Chinese Customs upon request. Control records should include information such as the name, active ingredient, dosage, and time of application of chemical agents used during the growing season.

(II) Process Management.

Manufacturers must establish a traceability system to ensure that tobacco leaves exported to China can be traced back to registered cultivation bases. The processing, packaging, storage, and shipping of tobacco leaves exported to China must be conducted under the quarantine supervision of the Honduran Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock or its authorized personnel.

(III) Packaging Requirements Packaging materials must be clean, sanitary, and unused, and comply with China's plant quarantine requirements. If wooden packaging is used, it must comply with the requirements of International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 (ISPM 15).

Tobacco leaves shipped to China must be sealed in special packaging boxes to maintain the integrity of the goods. The boxes must be labeled in English with the following information: tobacco type, grade, origin, harvest year, processing plant, batch number, and contract number. Each box 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) Pre-export Inspection and Quarantine.

The Honduran Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock will conduct random inspections on 2% of tobacco leaves shipped to China. If no plant quarantine issues have occurred within two years, the sampling rate may be reduced to 1%. If quarantine pests of concern to Chinese Customs are detected, the entire shipment will not be allowed to be exported to China. Depending on the circumstances, the Honduran Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock will suspend the export qualifications of the relevant planting bases or production enterprises to China for this export season, investigate the reasons, and implement corrective measures. Before tobacco leaves are exported to China, the Honduran Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock should conduct pesticide and heavy metal residue testing. Tobacco leaves found to contain excessive levels of heavy metals and pesticides will not be exported.

(V) Phytosanitary Certificate Requirements.

If tobacco leaves pass quarantine inspection, the Honduran Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock should issue a phytosanitary certificate in accordance with International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 12 (ISPM 12), indicating the registration numbers of the planting base and packaging plant, and indicating "This consignment complies with the Protocol of the Phytosanitary Requirements for Export of Tobacco Leaves from Honduras to China, and is free from any quarantine pests of concern to China and soil." in the additional declaration.

The Honduran Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock should provide a sample of the phytosanitary certificate to Chinese Customs for verification and record-keeping before trade commences.

VII. Entry Inspection and Quarantine and Handling of Unqualified Leaves

Upon arrival of tobacco leaves at the Chinese port of entry, Chinese Customs will conduct inspection and quarantine in accordance with the following requirements:

(I) Verification of relevant certificates and labels.

1. Verify that the plant quarantine certificate complies with the provisions of Article 6, paragraph 5.

2. Verify that the packaging complies with the provisions of Article 6, paragraph 3.

3. Verify that the goods and the documents match.

(2) Entry Inspection and Quarantine.

Imported tobacco leaves will be subject to inspection and quarantine in accordance with relevant laws, administrative regulations, and operational guidelines. Entry will be permitted only after passing the inspection.

(3) Disqualification Handling.

1. If oospores of Peronospora hyoscyami f.sp. Tabacina are detected, the batch of tobacco leaves will be returned or destroyed, and Chinese Customs will immediately suspend imports of tobacco leaves from the relevant producing areas.

2. If other quarantine pests or soil pests of concern to Chinese Customs are detected, the batch of goods will be permitted entry after effective pest control and compliance. If no effective pest control method is available, the batch of goods will be returned or destroyed.

GACC

August 26, 2025