Regarding the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for Fresh Melon from Costa Rica to China
In accordance with the regulations of the Chinese Customs and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Costa Rica regarding plant quarantine requirements for the export of fresh Costa Rican melon to China, effective immediately, the import of fresh Costa Rican melon that meets 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) "Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China" and its implementing regulations;
(4) "Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Inspection and Quarantine of Imported Fruits";
(5) "Protocol between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Costa Rica on Plant Quarantine Requirements for the Export of Costa Rican Melon to China."
II. Names of Commodities Permitted for Import
Melon, scientific name Cucumis melo L., English name Melon. Costa Rican melon exported to China is limited to thick-skinned melon, including the commercial-grade fruit of the following varieties:
1. Cantaloupe
2. Yellow honey dew
3. Harper
4. Sweet spark
5. MAG
6. Galia
7. Piel de Sapo
8. White Honey Dew
9. Charantais
10. Hami
III. Permitted Origin
Costa Rican Melon producing areas.
IV. Approved Orchards and Packinghouses
Melon orchards and packinghouses exporting Melon to China must be reviewed by the Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and registered with the Chinese Customs. Registration information should include name, address, and identification code to facilitate accurate traceability in the event that exported goods fail to comply with the relevant provisions of this announcement. Before each export season, the Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock shall provide the registered list to the Chinese Customs, which will then publish it on the customs website after review and approval.
V. List of Quarantine Pests of Concern to the Chinese Customs
1. Ceratitis capitata
2. Planococcus minor
3. Diaphania hyalinata
4. Diaphania nitidalis
5. Pseudococcus jackbeardsleyi
6. Liriomyza trifolii
7. Acidovorax citrulli
8. Cladosporium cucumerinum
VI. Pre-Export Management
(I) Orchard Management.
1. Melon orchards exporting to China must establish a comprehensive quality management system and traceability management system under the supervision of the Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. They must implement Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), maintain sanitary conditions in the orchard, promptly remove diseased melons, dead leaves, and weeds, and implement Integrated Pest Management (IPM), including pest monitoring and surveys, chemical or biological control, and agricultural practices.
2. Melon orchards exporting to China must monitor and implement integrated management of quarantine pests of concern to Chinese Customs under the supervision of the Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. Pest monitoring and control must be carried out under the guidance of professional technicians, who must receive training from the Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock or its authorized agencies.
3. Melon orchards exporting to China should maintain pest monitoring and control records and provide them to Chinese Customs upon request. Chemical control records should include detailed information such as the name, active ingredient, application date, and concentration of all chemical agents used during the growing season.
4. The Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock should establish a monitoring system for Ceratitis capitata. During the growing and harvesting seasons, Ceratitis capitata sex attractants should be used in conjunction with systemic control measures such as fruit cutting to effectively reduce Ceratitis capitata population density (see the attached document for detailed procedures). Before the export season, the Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock should provide monitoring records and reports to Chinese Customs.
5. Before planting melon, seed health inspections should be conducted to ensure that the seeds are free of Acidovorax citrulli and Cladosporium cucumerinum. For Acidovorax citrulli, during the melon growing season, leaves should be inspected for symptoms of Acidovorax citrulli infection, such as nearly circular, dark green, sunken lesions, brown, dry, or yellowish-brown lesions, white, mucous pus secreted from the underside of the lesions, or white mucus. Fruit should also be inspected for small, water-soaked lesions or fruit rot. For Cladosporium cucumerinum, leaves should be inspected for small, nearly circular, chlorotic spots, perforations with star-shaped edges, dark green, sunken spots on the fruit, and gray-black mold and scab-like lesions. If any of these symptoms are detected, samples should be promptly sent to a relevant plant pathology laboratory for testing and identification. If confirmed to be Acidovorax citrulli or Cladosporium cucumerinum, melon exports from the affected orchards to China will be suspended for this export season, and the Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock should notify the Chinese Customs of the situation.
6. Field monitoring and investigation for other pests, such as Planococcus minor, Diaphania hyalinata, Diaphania nitidalis, Pseudococcus jackbeardsleyi, and Liriomyza trifolii, should be conducted during the melon growing season. Monitoring and investigation should be conducted at least every 15 days from bud break to harvest. Specimens showing suspected pests and diseases should be collected and sent to the laboratory for testing and identification. Orchards should implement necessary control measures to ensure that these pests are controlled during melon growth and do not damage the fruit.
(II) Packaging Plant Management
1. The processing, packaging, storage, and shipping of melon exported to China must be conducted under the quarantine supervision of the Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock or its authorized personnel. Packaging plants for melon exported to China must maintain good sanitary conditions and have measures in place to prevent reinfestation by pests (such as insect screens).
2. During the processing and packaging process, melon shipped to China must be manually selected, soaked in fungicides, air-blasted, and surface-washed to ensure it is free of insects, mites, branches, leaves, roots, and soil. Rotten and deformed fruit must also be removed.
(III) Packaging Requirements
1. Melon packaging materials shipped to China must be clean, unused, and comply with China's plant quarantine and safety and sanitation requirements. If wooden packaging is used, it must comply with the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM 15).
2. Melon shipped to China, if provided with ventilation holes, must be covered with insect-proof netting (mesh size less than 1.6 mm). Packaged melon should be properly preserved and stored separately to prevent infestation by pests. If melon is vacuum-packed in plastic bags, insect-proof netting is not required.
3. Each package should be labeled in Chinese or English with the fruit name, country of export, place of origin, and the name or registration number of the orchard and packing house. Each package and pallet should also be labeled "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.
1. The Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock shall conduct random inspections on 2% of each shipment of melon imported to China and dissect 0.5% of the melon to ensure that they are free of Ceratitis capitata larvae.
2. If Ceratitis capitata is detected, the export of Costa Rican melon to China will be suspended, and the Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock will consult with Chinese Customs on revised plant quarantine requirements.
3. If other quarantine pests of concern to Chinese Customs are detected, the shipment will not be exported to China, and the export of melon from the relevant orchards and packing houses to China will be suspended until the Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock or its authorized personnel determine the cause and implement corrective measures. At the same time, records of seizures must be kept and provided to Chinese Customs upon request.
(V) Phytosanitary Certificate Requirements.
1. For melon that passes quarantine, the Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock shall issue a phytosanitary certificate in accordance with International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 12 (ISPM 12), indicating the name or registration number of the orchard and packing house, and indicating "This consignment of melons complies with the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements for Export of Costa Rican Melons to China, and is free from any quarantine pests of concern to China." in the additional declaration.
2. Before trade officially commences, the Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock shall provide a sample of the phytosanitary certificate to Chinese Customs for record-keeping and verification.
VII. Entry Inspection and Quarantine and Handling of Unqualified Products
Upon arrival of melon imported into China at the Chinese port of entry, Chinese Customs shall conduct inspection and quarantine in accordance with the following requirements.
(I) Verification of Relevant Certificates and Labels.
1. Verify whether imported melon has obtained the "Entry Animal and Plant Quarantine Permit."
2. Verify whether the plant quarantine certificate complies with the provisions of Article 6, Item (5) of this Announcement.
3. Verify whether the markings on the packaging boxes and pallets comply with the provisions of Article 6, Item (3) of this Announcement.
(II) Entry Inspection and Quarantine.
1. Melon imported into China must enter the country through ports approved by Chinese Customs for the import of fruit.
2. Melon imported into China will be subject to inspection and quarantine in accordance with relevant laws, administrative regulations, and rules. Melon that passes inspection and quarantine will be allowed into the country.
(III) Disqualification Processing.
1. If melon is found to originate from unauthorized orchards or packaging plants, the shipment will not be allowed into the country.
2. If live Ceratitis capitata specimens are found, the shipment will be returned, destroyed, or subjected to quarantine and pest control. At the same time, China Customs will immediately notify the Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and suspend the import of Costa Rican melon to China. China Customs will also consult with the Ministry on revised plant quarantine requirements.
3. If Acidovorax citrulli is found, the shipment will be returned, destroyed, or subjected to quarantine and pest control. At the same time, China Customs will immediately notify the Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and suspend melon exports to China from the relevant orchards or packinghouses, or, if appropriate, the entire project. The Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock should conduct an investigation, identify the cause, and implement appropriate corrective measures to prevent recurrence. China Customs will evaluate the corrective measures implemented by the Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and, based on the results of the evaluation, decide whether to lift the suspension.
4. If other quarantine pests of concern to China Customs or newly discovered quarantine pests by the Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock are found, the shipment will be returned, destroyed, or subjected to quarantine. Chinese Customs should notify the Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and conduct a joint investigation. Depending on the circumstances, the import of Costa Rican melon into China will be suspended until both sides complete a pest risk analysis or reach an agreement on revised phytosanitary requirements.
5. If any shipment is found to be non-compliant with Chinese food safety laws, regulations, and national standards, the shipment will be returned or destroyed.
GACC
August 22, 2025
Ceratitis capitata Monitoring Plan
In accordance with the relevant provisions of this announcement, the Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock shall implement necessary monitoring measures to monitor for Ceratitis capitata and maintain monitoring records, providing them to China Customs upon request. Any suspected Ceratitis capitata pests found shall be immediately sent to a laboratory for identification, and the monitoring results shall be reported to China Customs.
I. Trapping Monitoring
Ceratitis capitata monitoring shall be conducted in Costa Rican melon-producing areas (orchards/production plots) exported to China using synthetic pheromones or synthetic protein attractants (3C).
Attractant Type: Ceratitis capitata attractant.
Trap Type: Jackson trap or other suitable trap.
Monitoring Locations: Melon cultivation areas (orchards/production plots) exported to China, packaging plants, melon distribution points, inspection and quarantine sites, etc.
Hanging Location: Hang at an appropriate height above the ground, providing shade and avoiding direct sunlight and rain. Trap density: Place one trap per 20 hectares (at least one trap per monitoring site).
Trapping monitoring: Monitoring should begin when melons begin fruit set and continue until the end of the harvest season.
Lure replacement: Replace according to the product instructions.
Survey frequency: At least once every two weeks.
Calculate the "average number of fruit fly species caught per trap per day" (FTD value = number of target fruit flies captured / number of days / number of traps) based on the trapping inspection period. If the FTD value is greater than 0.7, control measures should be implemented to reduce the population density of Ceratitis capitata.
II. Fruit Dissection Inspection
During the melon harvest season for imports to China, randomly select fruit samples for dissection inspection. The number of fruit samples selected is 10 per hectare, with no fewer than 10 for orchards less than 1 hectare. Priority should be given to inspecting fruit suspected of being damaged, such as those that are deformed, infested, or scarred.
