Regarding the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for Dairy Products from Ecuador to China

According to the provisions of the Chinese Customs, the Ecuadorian Bureau of Plant and Animal Health Control and the National Health Regulations and Control Supervision Bureau on the inspection and quarantine requirements for Ecuadorian dairy products exported to China, from the date of this announcement, Ecuadorian dairy products that meet the inspection and quarantine requirements are allowed to be imported:

I. Inspection and Quarantine Basis

(I) "Law of the People's Republic of China on Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine" and its implementing regulations, "Law of the People's Republic of China on Import and Export Commodity Inspection" and its implementing regulations, "Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China" and its implementing regulations.

(II) "Measures for the Administration of Import and Export Food Safety of the People's Republic of China" and "Regulations on the Registration and Administration of Overseas Production Enterprises of Imported Food of the People's Republic of China".

(III) "Protocol on Inspection, Quarantine and Sanitary Requirements for Ecuadorian Dairy Products Exported to China between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Bureau of Plant and Animal Health Control and the National Health Regulations and Control Supervision Bureau of the Republic of Ecuador".

(IV) "Announcement No. 114 of the General Administration of Customs in 2021 (Announcement on Clarifying the Relevant Requirements for Inspection and Quarantine of Imported Dairy Products)".

II. Products allowed to be imported

Dairy products exported to China refer to all kinds of dairy products originating from Ecuador, processed with cow's milk as raw material or main raw material, and comply with China's national food safety standards.

III. Requirements for manufacturers

Dairy manufacturers exported to China must be approved or registered by Ecuadorian officials, produced in Ecuador under the supervision of Ecuadorian officials, and comply with the requirements of China and Ecuador on animal health and public health.

According to the "Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China" and the "Regulations on the Registration and Administration of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Foods of the People's Republic of China", manufacturers exporting dairy products to China shall be registered in China, and products produced by unregistered enterprises shall not be exported to China.

IV. Requirements for dairy animals that provide raw milk:

Dairy animals that provide raw milk for dairy products exported to China must meet the following requirements:

(i) They must come from farms that meet the following conditions:

1. The farm has not experienced Foot and Mouth Disease, Anthrax, Rift Valley Fever, Rinderpest, or Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia.

2. No clinical symptoms of brucellosis, Johne's disease, tuberculosis, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, or bovine viral diarrhea (BVD-MD) were found on the farm.

3. The farm is under official supervision of Ecuador.

4. The farm and its surrounding areas are not subject to quarantine restrictions due to animal diseases in accordance with the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) Code and Ecuadorian animal health regulations.

(ii) The animals have not been fed feeds that are prohibited for feeding to animals in Ecuador and China.

(iii) The Ecuadorian national residue monitoring plan is implemented, and the company conducts testing on raw milk as required. According to the national residue monitoring plan and the raw milk test results, the residues of veterinary drugs, pesticides and other toxic and hazardous substances in dairy products and raw milk exported to China do not exceed the maximum limits set by Chinese standards.

V. Certificate requirements

Dairy products exported to China should be accompanied by a veterinary health certificate issued by the Ecuadorian authorities.

VI. Food safety requirements

(i) Dairy products exported to China should comply with the provisions of Ecuadorian and Chinese laws and regulations and the requirements of China's national food safety standards, and should be safe, hygienic and suitable for human consumption.

(ii) All raw materials for dairy products exported to China should come from Ecuador.

(iii) Dairy products exported to China should be easily identifiable at all stages of processing and storage, and should not be processed together with dairy products that do not comply with the provisions of the announcement.

(IV) Raw milk used to process dairy products exported to China does not contain milk during the period of antibiotic application and withdrawal, deteriorated milk, and colostrum (except for processing bovine colostrum powder).

(V) No colostrum ingredients are added to milk-based infant formula exported to China.

(VI) The product adopts one of the following processing procedures:

1. A sterilization process with a minimum temperature of 132°C for at least 1 second (UHT);

2. If the pH of the milk is lower than 7.0, a sterilization process with a minimum temperature of 72°C for at least 15 seconds (HTST);

3. If the pH of the milk is 7.0 or above, the HTST process is used twice.

VII. Packaging and labeling requirements

Dairy products exported to China must be packaged with new materials that meet Chinese standards. The outer packaging shall indicate the specifications, origin (specific to the state/province/city), destination, product name, weight, manufacturer name, registration number, production batch number, storage conditions, production date and shelf life in Chinese and English. The inner packaging must comply with relevant Chinese regulations, and the label should indicate the country of origin, product name, manufacturer name, address and contact information, company registration number, production batch number, production date and shelf life.

VIII. Storage and transportation requirements

The entire process of dairy products exported to China, from packaging, storage to transportation, should meet sanitary conditions to prevent contamination by toxic and hazardous substances. After the goods are loaded into the container, they should be sealed, and the seal number must be indicated in the veterinary health certificate. The packaging must not be opened or replaced during transportation.

GACC

June 3, 2025