Regarding the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for Wild Aquatic from Uganda to China
I. Inspection and quarantine basis
(I) "China's Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine Law" and its implementing regulations, "China's 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) "Protocol on Inspection, Quarantine and Sanitation Requirements for Wild Aquatic Products Exported from Uganda to China between China Customs and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of Uganda".
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 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 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 Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of Uganda and be effectively supervised by it. The food safety and sanitation conditions of production enterprises should comply with the requirements of relevant food safety laws and regulations of China and Uganda.
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 Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of Uganda to the Chinese Customs for registration. Without registration, they are not allowed to export to China.
IV. Requirements for imported products
The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of Uganda should ensure that wild aquatic products exported to China meet the following conditions:
(i) Legally caught in Uganda or international waters.
(II) The raw materials and products have not had the following problems:
1. Aquatic animal diseases listed in the List of Animal Quarantine Diseases Entering China and the products of the Protocol that must be reported as required by WOAH have occurred in Uganda, causing or may cause infection to wild aquatic products exported to China;
2. Any major food safety incidents have occurred in Uganda, which have affected or may affect wild aquatic products exported to China;
3. Wild aquatic products exported or to be exported from Uganda to China seriously violate the laws and regulations of China and Uganda and the provisions of the Protocol;
4. Any major public health incidents have occurred in the production enterprises, such as employees infected with major infectious diseases, which have contaminated or may contaminate wild aquatic products exported to China and their packaging and transportation vehicles;
5. The fishing waters are affected by pollutants, such as radioactive pollutants, which have contaminated or may contaminate wild aquatic products exported to China. (III) No drugs or additives prohibited by both parties are used directly or indirectly, and drugs or additives restricted or permitted 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 Uganda are found.
(IV) All wild aquatic products exported to China are safe, hygienic and suitable for human consumption after inspection and quarantine by the competent authorities of Uganda. No pathological signs of infectious diseases and parasitic diseases are found, and no aquatic animal diseases that must be reported as listed in the List of Diseases and stipulated by WOAH are 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 comply with 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 Uganda and the relevant provisions of the Protocol. The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of Uganda shall fill in the information of the production enterprises involved in the whole 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 Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of Uganda shall promptly provide the certificate sample, the official issuing agency seal and the handwriting of the signing official to the Chinese Customs for filing. 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 Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of Uganda shall file with the Chinese Customs at least one month before the entry into force.
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 shall 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) name, registration number and address (specific to state/province/city), destination (must be marked as the People's Republic of China).
For wild aquatic products imported into China in pre-packaged form, the pre-packaged Chinese label shall comply with the requirements for the labeling of imported pre-packaged foods in 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. 9, 2024
