Regarding the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for Export of Peanut from Madagascar

In accordance with the regulations established by the General Administration of Customs of China and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty of Madagascar regarding phytosanitary requirements for the export of peanuts from Madagascar to China, the import of peanuts from Madagascar meeting the following requirements is permitted, effective immediately:

I. Basis for Inspection and Quarantine

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

(2) *Law of the People's Republic of China on the 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) *Administrative Measures of the People's Republic of China on the Safety of Import and Export Food*;

(5) *Protocol between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty of the Republic of Madagascar on Phytosanitary Requirements for Peanuts Exported from Madagascar to China*.

II. Permitted Commodity

Peanuts (*Arachis hypogaea L.*): Shelled peanut kernels grown and processed in Madagascar, intended for human consumption or processing, excluding those intended for planting.

III. Permitted Origin

The entire territory of Madagascar.

IV. Enterprise Registration

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty of Madagascar shall ensure that enterprises involved in the production, processing, and storage of peanuts for export to China comply with Chinese phytosanitary requirements. It shall recommend qualified enterprises to the General Administration of Customs of China in advance. Upon passing inspection or review by the General Administration of Customs of China, these enterprises shall be registered, and the list of registered enterprises shall be published and dynamically updated on the website of the General Administration of Customs of China.

V. Pests of Concern to China Customs

Peanuts exported to China must be free from the following pests:

1. Peanut mottle virus

2. Callosobruchus analis

3. Caryedon serratus

4. Trogoderma granarium

5. Verticillium albo-atrum

VI. Pre-shipment Requirements

(I) Production Requirements.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty of Madagascar shall conduct pest surveys and implement integrated pest management (IPM) for the quarantine pests of concern to China Customs during the production, processing, and storage of peanuts destined for China, in accordance with relevant international standards for phytosanitary measures. Technical personnel from the Plant Protection Directorate or regional agricultural authorities are responsible for implementing field monitoring and IPM. Pesticides prohibited by China Customs shall not be used in pest control operations. Upon request, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty of Madagascar shall provide China Customs with survey reports on pest occurrence and records of integrated pest management activities.

(II) Processing, Packaging, and Transportation Requirements.

1. Peanuts destined for China must undergo processes such as shelling, screening, and manual sorting to remove moldy or insect-damaged kernels and foreign matter; they must be free from live insects, weed seeds, peanut shells, soil, and other impurities. Prior to export, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty of Madagascar shall ensure the peanuts undergo necessary fumigation treatment to eliminate storage pests.

2. After processing, peanuts destined for China must be stored separately from peanuts intended for other markets to prevent contamination. Peanuts destined for China must be packaged using clean, hygienic, and new materials that meet phytosanitary requirements. Each package must be marked in Chinese or English with the code "本产品输往中华人民共和国/This product will be exported to the People's Republic of China" as well as the product name, the enterprise name, and its registration number.

3. Prior to shipment, the means of transport must be thoroughly inspected to prevent contamination by harmful organisms.

(III) Pre-export inspection, quarantine, and certification requirements.

1. Prior to export, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty of Madagascar shall conduct inspection and quarantine on peanuts destined for China. Each consignment must undergo testing for aflatoxin limits to ensure compliance with China’s national food safety standards (GB 2761).

2. The phytosanitary laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty of Madagascar shall conduct phytosanitary testing and analysis on samples of peanuts destined for China to confirm compliance with China’s phytosanitary laws, regulations, and standards; the harmful organisms listed in Article 5 of this Announcement must not be detected.

3. For consignments meeting the requirements, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty of Madagascar shall issue a phytosanitary certificate and include the additional declaration "The consignment complies with the phytosanitary requirements described in the Peanut Protocol from Madagascar to China and is free from the quarantine pests concerned by China". The certificate must also specify the names and registration numbers of the enterprises involved in the production, processing, and storage of the consignment, as well as the container numbers. If fumigation treatment has been performed, information such as the name of the fumigant, dosage, treatment temperature, and duration must be noted on the phytosanitary certificate.

VII. Entry Inspection and Quarantine

(I) Verification of documents.

1. Verify whether the goods originate from registered enterprises;

2. Verify the authenticity and validity of the phytosanitary certificate.

(II) Inspection of goods.

Inspection and quarantine of the peanuts shall be conducted in accordance with relevant laws, administrative regulations, and rules, as well as the provisions of this Announcement; entry shall be permitted upon passing inspection.

(III) Handling of non-compliant goods.

1. Shipments lacking a valid phytosanitary certificate shall be returned or destroyed;

2. Shipments originating from unregistered enterprises shall be returned or destroyed;

3. Shipments found to contain soil shall be returned or destroyed;

4. Shipments found to contain live quarantine pests of concern to China Customs or other quarantine pests shall be subject to disinfestation, return, or destruction;

5. Shipments found to be otherwise non-compliant with Chinese laws, regulations, and standards regarding the entry quarantine of animals and plants and food safety shall be handled in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.

Upon discovery of any of the above non-compliance issues, China Customs will notify the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty of Madagascar and, depending on the severity of the situation, suspend the relevant enterprise's qualification to export to China until the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty of Madagascar implements effective corrective measures.

GACC