Regarding the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for Wild Aquatic from Maldives 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 Maldives Food and Drug Administration on the Inspection, Quarantine and Sanitation Requirements for Wild Aquatic Products Exported from Maldives to China Protocol".
II. Scope of imported products
Wild aquatic products refer to 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 (CITES) and the List of Key Protected Wildlife in China (LSKPWA), live aquatic animals and aquatic animal and plant breeding materials.
III. Requirements for production enterprises
Production enterprises (including fishing vessels, processing vessels, transport vessels, and independent cold storage, the same below) that export wild aquatic products to China should be approved by the Maldives authorities and be effectively supervised by them. The food safety and sanitation conditions of production enterprises should comply with the requirements of relevant food safety laws and regulations of China and the Maldives.
According to the relevant provisions of the "Food Safety Law of China" and its implementing regulations and the "Law of China on Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine" and its implementing regulations, production enterprises that export wild aquatic products to China should be recommended by the Maldives authorities to the Chinese Customs for registration. Without registration, they are not allowed to export to China.
IV. Requirements for imported products
Maldives authorities should ensure that wild aquatic products exported to China meet the following conditions:
(i) Legally caught in the Maldives or international waters.
(ii) The raw materials and products do not have the following problems:
1. Aquatic animal diseases related to the products of the "Protocol" listed in the "List of Animal Quarantine Diseases Entering China" and required to be reported by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) occur in the Maldives, causing or potentially infecting wild aquatic products exported to China;
2. Any major food safety incidents in the Maldives have affected or may affect wild aquatic products exported to China;
3. Wild aquatic products exported or planned to be exported from the Maldives to China seriously violate the laws and regulations of China and the Maldives and the provisions of the Protocol;
4. Any major public health incidents in production enterprises, such as employees infected with major infectious diseases, have 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.
(III) No drugs or additives banned by both parties are used directly or indirectly, and drugs or additives restricted or allowed by both parties 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 the Maldives are found.
(IV) All wild aquatic products exported to China have been inspected and quarantined by the competent authorities of the Maldives and are safe, hygienic and suitable for human consumption. 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, production and processing, packaging, storage, transportation, transit and export shall comply with the relevant safety and sanitation requirements and traceability requirements of both parties for aquatic products, and also meet the relevant safety and sanitation requirements of the cold chain.
V. Certificate requirements
Each batch or container of wild aquatic products exported to China shall be accompanied by at least one original health certificate to prove that the batch of products complies with the relevant laws and regulations on food safety of China and the Maldives and the relevant provisions of the Protocol. Maldivian officials shall fully fill in the information of the production enterprises involved in the entire process of fishing, production and processing, packaging, storage, transportation, transit and export on the health certificate.
The certificate shall be printed in Chinese and English (English is the required language when filling in the certificate). The format and content of the certificate shall be approved by both parties in advance. The Maldivian authorities shall promptly submit the certificate sample, the official issuing agency seal and the signing official's handwriting 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 signing official's handwriting, the Maldivian authorities 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 should have outer packaging and separate inner packaging. The inner and outer packaging should be new materials that meet international food safety standards and meet the requirements of preventing contamination by external factors.
The inner and outer packaging should have firm, clear and easily identifiable Chinese and English labels indicating the following: product name and scientific name, specifications, production date, batch number, shelf life and storage conditions, production method (marine fishing, freshwater fishing), production area (marine fishing area, freshwater fishing country or region), all involved production enterprises (including fishing vessels, processing vessels, transport vessels, independent cold storage) names, registration numbers and addresses (specific to states/provinces/cities), destination (must be 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
Nov. 14, 2024
