Regarding the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for Wild Aquatic from Sierra Leone 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 Sierra Leone Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources on Inspection, Quarantine and Sanitation Requirements for Wild Aquatic Products Exported 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 live aquatic animals and aquatic animal and plant propagation materials.
III. Requirements for production enterprises
Production enterprises (including production, processing and storage enterprises) that export wild aquatic products to China should be approved by the Sierra Leone Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources and be effectively supervised by it. The food safety and sanitation management and protection system of production enterprises shall comply with the requirements of relevant laws and regulations on food safety in China.
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 shall be recommended by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources of Sierra Leone to the Chinese Customs for registration. Without registration, they shall not be exported to China.
IV. Requirements for imported products
The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources of Sierra Leone shall ensure that wild aquatic products exported to China meet the following conditions:
(i) Legally caught in domestic or international waters.
(ii) The raw materials and products do not have the following problems:
1. Wild aquatic products exported or to be exported from Sierra Leone to China seriously violate relevant laws and regulations on food safety in China and the provisions of the Protocol;
2. Aquatic animal diseases related to products under the Protocol listed in the "List of Animal Quarantine Diseases Entering China" and required to be reported by WOAH have occurred in Sierra Leone, which has seriously affected the safety of wild aquatic products exported to China;
3. A major food safety incident occurred in Sierra Leone, or a major public health incident occurred in a production enterprise, or the fishing waters were affected by pollutants, which has seriously affected the safety of wild aquatic products exported to China.
(III) No drugs or additives banned by China are used directly or indirectly, and drugs or additives restricted or permitted by Chinese customs are used in accordance with regulations.
(IV) After inspection and quarantine by the competent authorities, no pathogenic microorganisms, toxic and harmful substances and foreign matter listed in Chinese laws and regulations, as well as any cases of infectious diseases and parasitic diseases, were found, and no aquatic animal diseases listed in the "List of Diseases" and required to be reported by WOAH were found.
(V) The production process (including fishing, production and processing, packaging, storage, transportation, transit and export, etc.) shall comply with relevant safety and health requirements and traceability requirements in China.
(VI) The packaging and labeling of products shall comply with China's national food safety standards and relevant regulations on imported food safety management.
V. Certificate requirements
The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources of Sierra Leone is responsible for implementing inspection and quarantine of wild aquatic products exported to China in accordance with the requirements of the Chinese Customs, and issuing a health certificate confirmed by both parties for each batch of wild aquatic products exported to China, proving that the batch of products complies with the relevant provisions of China's food safety laws and regulations. The certificate shall be printed in at least Chinese and English (English is the required language when filling in the certificate).
The health certificate shall fully fill in the information of the wild aquatic product production enterprise exported to China. The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources of Sierra Leone shall promptly provide the certificate sample and official seal to the Chinese Customs for filing. If there is any change, the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources of Sierra Leone shall file it with the Chinese Customs at least one month before it takes effect.
VI. Other requirements
The Chinese Customs implements inspection and quarantine of wild aquatic products exported to China.
For unqualified products, they will be destroyed, returned, or otherwise handled in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations. For production enterprises with serious problems or repeated unqualified problems, the Chinese Customs may take measures such as strengthening inspection and quarantine or suspending imports.
GACC
Oct. 9, 2024
