Regarding the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for Wild Aquatic from Madagascar to China
I. Inspection and quarantine basis
(I) "China Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine Law" and its implementing regulations, "China Import and Export Commodity Inspection Law" and its implementing regulations, "China Food Safety Law" and its implementing regulations;
(II) "China Import and Export Food Safety Management Measures" and "China Import and Export Food Overseas Production Enterprise Registration Management Regulations";
(III) "China Customs and Madagascar Fisheries and Blue Economy on the Inspection, Quarantine and Sanitation Requirements for Wild Aquatic Products Exported to China Protocol".
II. Scope of imported products
Wild aquatic products refer to wild, wild aquatic animal products and their products, algae and other marine plant products and their products for human consumption, excluding species listed in the appendix of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and the list of key protected wild animals in China, live aquatic animals and aquatic animal and plant breeding materials.
III. Requirements for production enterprises
Production enterprises (including processing enterprises, fishing vessels, transport vessels, processing vessels and independent cold storage) that export wild aquatic products to China should be approved by the Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy of Madagascar and be effectively supervised by it. The sanitary conditions of production enterprises should comply with the requirements of relevant veterinary and public health laws and regulations of China and Madagascar.
According to the "Food Safety Law of China" and the "Regulations for the Implementation of the Law of China on Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine", production enterprises that export wild aquatic products to China should be recommended by the Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy of Madagascar to the Chinese Customs for registration. Without registration, they are not allowed to export to China.
IV. Requirements for imported products
The Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy of Madagascar should ensure that wild aquatic products exported to China meet the following conditions:
(i) Legally caught in Madagascar or international waters.
(ii) The raw materials and products do not have the following problems:
1. 1. Aquatic animal diseases related to the products of the Protocol listed in the List of Animal Quarantine Diseases Entering China and that must be reported by WOAH occur in Madagascar, causing or possibly infecting wild aquatic products exported to China; 2. Any major food safety incident occurs in Madagascar, which has affected or may affect wild aquatic products exported to China; 3. Wild aquatic products exported or to be exported from Madagascar to China seriously violate the laws and regulations of China and Madagascar and the provisions of the Protocol; 4. Any major public health incident occurs in the production enterprise, such as employees infected with major infectious diseases such as COVID-19, which has contaminated or may contaminate wild aquatic products exported to China and their packaging and transportation vehicles; 5. The fishing area is affected by pollutants, such as radioactive pollutants, which have contaminated or may contaminate wild aquatic products exported to China. 3. No drugs or additives banned by both parties are used directly or indirectly, and drugs or additives restricted or permitted by Chinese customs are used in accordance with regulations; after inspection by the competent authorities, no pathogenic microorganisms, toxic and harmful substances and foreign matter listed in the laws and regulations of China and Madagascar are found. (IV) All wild aquatic products exported to China are hygienic, safe and suitable for human consumption after quarantine inspection by the competent authorities. No pathological signs of infectious and parasitic diseases have been found, and no aquatic animal diseases listed in the Disease List and required to be reported by WOAH have been found.
(V) The entire process of fishing, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, transit and export shall comply with the relevant hygiene requirements and traceability requirements of both parties, and at the same time, meet the relevant safety and hygiene requirements of the cold chain.
V. Certificate requirements
Each container of wild aquatic products exported to China shall be accompanied by at least one original veterinary (health) certificate to prove that the batch of products complies with the veterinary and public health laws and regulations of China and Madagascar and the relevant provisions of the Protocol. The Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy of Madagascar shall fully fill in the information of the production enterprises involved in the entire process of fishing, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, transit and export on the veterinary (health) certificate, including the name and registration number of the processing plant, fishing vessel, transport vessel, processing vessel and independent cold storage, and shall not omit the information of the production enterprises involved in any of the above links.
The certificate shall be printed in at least Chinese and English (English is the mandatory language when filling in the certificate). The format and content of the certificate shall be approved by both parties in advance. The Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy of Madagascar shall promptly provide the certificate sample, the official issuing agency seal and the handwriting of the signing official to the Chinese Customs for record. If there are any changes in the content and format of the certificate sample, the official issuing agency seal and the handwriting of the signing official, the Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy of Madagascar shall file it with the Chinese Customs at least one month before it takes effect.
VI. Packaging and Labeling Requirements
Wild aquatic products exported to China shall be packaged in outer packaging and separate inner packaging. The inner and outer packaging shall be new materials that meet international health standards and meet the requirements of preventing contamination by external factors.
Inner and outer packaging shall be affixed with Chinese and English or Chinese and French labels, including: product name and scientific name, specifications, production date, shelf life, batch number, storage conditions, production method (wild fishing), name and number of the manufacturer, production area and address of the manufacturer (specific to state/province/city), and destination (marked as the People's Republic of China).
For wild aquatic products imported into China in pre-packaged form, the Chinese labels on the pre-packaged products shall comply with the requirements for the labels of pre-packaged foods imported into China.
VII. Other requirements
China Customs implements inspection and quarantine on imported wild aquatic products.
For unqualified products, they will be returned, destroyed or otherwise handled in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations. For production enterprises with serious problems or repeated unqualified problems, China Customs will take measures such as strengthening inspection and quarantine or suspending imports.
GACC
Oct. 11, 2024
