Regarding the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for Wild Aquatic Products from Greece to China
I. Inspection and quarantine basis
(I) "Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China" and its implementing regulations, "Law of the People's Republic of China on Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine" and its implementing regulations, "Import and Export Commodity Inspection Law of the People's Republic of China" and its implementing regulations;
(II) "Administrative Measures for Import and Export Food Safety of the People's Republic of China" and "Registration and Administration Regulations for Overseas Production Enterprises of Imported Food of the People's Republic of China";
(III) "Protocol on Inspection, Quarantine and Veterinary Health Requirements for Wild Aquatic Products Exported from Greece to China between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food of the Hellenic Republic".
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, live aquatic animals and aquatic animal breeding materials.
III. Requirements for production enterprises
Production enterprises (including fishing vessels, processing vessels, transport vessels, processing enterprises, and independent cold storage) that export wild aquatic products to China should be approved by the Greek competent authorities and be effectively supervised by them. The sanitary conditions of production enterprises should comply with the requirements of relevant veterinary and public health regulations of China, Greece and the European Union.
According to the "Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China" and its implementing regulations and the "Law of the People's Republic 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 Greek competent authorities to the Chinese Customs for registration. Without registration, they are not allowed to export to China.
IV. Requirements for imported products
The Greek competent authorities should 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. Aquatic animal diseases listed in the "List of Animal Quarantine Diseases for Entry into the People's Republic of China" and required to be reported by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) and related to the "Protocol" products have occurred in Greece, causing or may cause infection to wild aquatic products exported to China;
2. Any major food safety incidents in Greece have affected or may affect wild aquatic products exported to China;
3. The wild aquatic products exported or to be exported to China by the competent authorities of Greece seriously violate the laws and regulations of China, Greece and the EU and the provisions of the Protocol;
4. Major public health incidents occur in production enterprises, which 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 China, Greece and the EU 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, Greece and the EU 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 diseases and parasitic diseases are found, and no aquatic animal diseases listed in the Disease List and required to be reported by WOAH are 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 comply with the relevant safety and hygiene requirements of the cold chain.
V. Certificate requirements
Each container of wild aquatic products exported from Greece 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, Greece and the EU and the relevant provisions of the Protocol. The Greek competent authorities 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 names and registration numbers of fishing vessels, processing vessels, transport vessels, processing plants 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, English and Greek (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 Greek competent authorities shall promptly provide the certificate sample, official seal and handwriting style of the signing official to the Chinese Customs for filing. If there are any changes, the Greek competent authorities shall file them with the Chinese Customs at least one month before they come into effect.
VI. Packaging and labeling requirements
Wild aquatic products exported from Greece to China shall have outer packaging and separate inner packaging. The 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 labeled in Chinese and English, including: product name and scientific name, specifications, production date, shelf life, batch number, storage conditions, production method (wild fishing), country of origin, manufacturer name and registration number, production area and manufacturer address (specific to state/province/city), destination (marked as the People's Republic of China).
For wild aquatic products exported to China in pre-packaged form, the pre-packaged Chinese label shall comply with the Chinese import pre-packaged food label requirements.
VII. Other requirements
Chinese 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 manufacturers with serious problems or repeated unqualified problems, Chinese Customs may take measures to strengthen inspection and quarantine or suspend imports.
GACC
Mar. 24, 2025
